Assistant General Counsel, Merchandising and Regulatory

Assistant General Counsel, Merchandise & Regulatory

We are looking for a talented and dynamic attorney with initiative and drive who can handle a high volume of varied and complex legal work for merchandise matters. This position involves working closely with the merchandise teams to provide legal advice, training and business solutions for various product and merchandising issues, including regulatory compliance (e.g. FDA, CPSC, Customs, and EPA), vendor contracts and disputes, governmental investigations and inquiries, and marketing of products. The Assistant General Counsel, Merchandise & Regulatory will work on a daily basis with internal business partners, outside counsel, vendors, and governmental agencies on a wide variety of legal regulatory and merchandising issues. Ideal candidates will demonstrate an entrepreneurial approach to issue spotting and problem solving, with a keen eye toward constantly improving internal processes and creatively balancing commercial and compliance risks.

Legal advisor for Merchandising Department for various matters, including:

• General legal advice.
• Advisor on laws and regulations affecting merchandise, including product evaluation and development and compliance programs.
• Advisor and negotiator for supplier agreements. Such duties include negotiation of the standard supplier agreement as well as the development and drafting of custom supplier contracts involving various business arrangements including extended term, exclusivity, marketing and space funding, and assorted rebate structures.
• Advisor for various commercial disputes, including those related to product quality, product delivery, payment disputes, and service disputes. Duties include pre- and post-dispute legal counsel, dispute analysis, strategy development, negotiation, drafting of settlement documents and providing ongoing support in litigated matters. Advisor on supplier bankruptcy matters.

Legal advisor to Quality Department for various matters, including:

• Product standards, regulation, testing and analysis.
• Product specification and labeling.
• Pre- and post-production product regulatory matters at all administrative levels.
• Provide legal support in managing the private label business, including SOPs, investigations, vendor qualification and compliance.

Drafting and negotiation of contracts for other business functions including IT, transportation, and marketing.

Partner with the Compliance Department on product investigations and inquiries by various governmental entities (including the CPSC, FDA, EPA and various state and local agencies) regarding the safety and compliance of various regulated consumer products.

Partner with the Compliance Department on company product recalls and withdrawals. Such matters include recalls in conjunction with the CPSC, FDA, EPA and various state agencies.

Provide general legal support and training on various merchandise regulatory issues.

Provide general support to and work closely with business partners, outside counsel, vendors, and government agencies on a variety of issues.

Maintain current knowledge of changes in regulatory trends to ensure the company conducts its business according to applicable federal and state laws and regulations.

Foster a workplace with the highest ethical and legal standards to deliver an environment that promotes mutual respect and inclusion, innovation, and creativity with the expected degree of confidentiality, integrity, responsibility, and excellence in client service.

Perform such other tasks and duties as may be required or assigned from time to time in the company's discretion.

Qualifications and skills:

• Juris Doctor Degree from an ABA accredited law school with high academic credentials
• Admission to practice in good standing as a member of a U.S. jurisdiction
• Ten (10) plus years of experience providing legal counsel to clients in-house and/or at a large law firm
• Experience directly handling audits or inquiries from government agencies on behalf of business units
• Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to provide sound, clear legal advice to clients
• Proven experience working in a high-volume environment with ability to manage simultaneous projects in an efficient and timely manner with minimum supervision
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, advanced knowledge of the law and attention to detail and good record-keeping
• Acquired business acumen to support risk management and navigation of organizational relationships