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Job Title: Senior Legal Counsel - Home Care, Unilever UK & Ireland
Location: Kingston-upon-Thames
Role Purpose
Unilever's Home Care Legal Team is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to act as the lead in-house legal partner for the UK & Ireland Home Care business. Reporting to the Home Care General Counsel Europe, this is a high-visibility role embedded in the UKI Home Care Leadership Team, with a mandate to shape commercial decisions, manage risk on key campaigns and disputes, and influence industry positions on behalf of one of the UK's largest FMCG businesses.
You will own the legal agenda for a portfolio of category-leading brands, working at the intersection of innovation, marketing, competition and disputes - providing pragmatic, commercially astute advice that enables growth while protecting reputation and value.
Team Context
The UK & Ireland Legal Team, based in Kingston-upon-Thames, is integral to the business's risk governance for commercial and marketing activity. The role works closely with the wider Home Care Legal Team and is supported by global centralised specialist expert functions such as employment, litigation, intellectual property and competition law. The role also interacts with other functions such as Regulatory Affairs and R&D. The role has shared access to junior legal support.
Key Accountabilities
Strategic business partnering
Act as trusted legal adviser to the UKI Home Care Leadership Team, providing real-time counsel on commercial strategy, risk and competition law as a standing member of leadership forums and senior reviews.
Translate complex legal issues into clear, risk-based recommendations that drive commercially sound decisions at pace, and support business reviews, leadership visits and senior stakeholder engagements in UKI.
Marketing, innovation and claims
Advise on the full lifecycle of brand and innovation activity, from concept and on-pack claims to advertising, sponsorship and influencer campaigns , with rigorous risk assessment and mitigation planning.
Partner with Regulatory Affairs and R&D to review marketing assets across print and media, as well as product claims
Competitor strategy and disputes
Lead Unilever's competitor challenge and defence strategy in UKI: assessing, pursuing and defending claims and advertising matters before the ASA, courts, Trading Standards and other forums.
Manage product claim and commercial litigation, working closely with internal experts to deliver cost-effective, commercially aligned outcomes.
Commercial contracts
Draft and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including service, consultancy, confidentiality, sponsorship, talent, brand-building agency, influencer and joint business plan agreements with customers.
Intellectual property
In partnership with Unilever's IP specialists, advise on brand protection, unfair competition, licensing, third-party IP use, and IP risk management across marketing and innovation
External representation and industry influence
Represent Unilever in relevant trade bodies (e.g. UKCPI) and with regulators, authorities and trade associations, shaping legal and policy positions and supporting alignment on industry initiatives.
Issue and incident response
Lead rapid risk assessment and resolution on ad hoc commercial, supply chain and consumer issues; support Consumer Care and Communications on complex complaints and incident management.
Capability building
Build legal capability across the business through targeted training, practical playbooks, templates and guidance that drive consistent, high-quality decision-making and embed Unilever's compliance framework.
Cross-border collaboration
Contribute to and lead cross-country projects in partnership with in-house lawyers across Europe and globally, sharing learnings and bringing pan-Unilever perspective into UKI decisions.
Experience and Skills
Experience
Qualified lawyer with a minimum of six years' post-qualification experience advising on marketing and commercial legal matters; equivalent relevant experience will also be considered.
FMCG, retail or consumer brands experience preferred but not essential.
Demonstrable track record advising senior business stakeholders in a fast-paced, brand-led environment.
Technical expertise
Marketing and advertising law, including claims support within a regulated environment (detailed regulatory knowledge not required - covered by a specialist team).
Commercial contracts across a broad range of brand-building, customer and third-party arrangements.
Working knowledge of competition law, particularly as applied to agreements between Unilever and its customers (with support from specialist colleagues).
Familiarity with leading and managing disputes with the support of internal experts to deliver commercial outcomes.
Personal capabilities
The successful candidate will demonstrate strong agility, with the ability to rapidly shift focus across a wide range of matters in a fast-paced environment. Prior in-house experience is essential, ideally within an FMCG or matrix setting.
Confident, credible communicator able to influence at leadership level and translate legal complexity into commercial clarity.
Sharp commercial judgement, weighing cost, risk and competitive advantage to propose creative, deliverable solutions.
Strong organisational and prioritisation skills; calm under pressure and able to deliver to short deadlines.
Proactive, flexible and collaborative team player who builds trust across functions and geographies.
Builder of legal capability in the wider business, with a coaching mindset and high standards of integrity.