Senior Corporate and Governance Counsel

Unilever Brazil
Job Title: Senior Corporate and Governance Counsel

Location: 100VE

JOB PURPOSE

The role is a part of the Corporate Legal, Governance and Corporate Secretaries team. It has the responsibility for assisting with the management of Unilever’s corporate governance. This includes Unilever’s London, Amsterdam and New York listings and compliance with Unilever’s continuous disclosure and insider trading obligations.

The role also assists with general corporate matters, which involve liaising with the M&A, Treasury legal, Finance, Investor Relations and Reward teams.

In addition, as a senior member of the team, the role will provide strategic support to the General Counsel Corporate Governance on, governance, regulatory and improvement matters.

This is a unique role opportunity to bring your expertise to and learn from a leading legal and governance team which is at the heart of one of the world’s leading fast-moving consumer goods companies and UK’s largest listed companies

RESPONSIBILITIES

Stock Exchanges

• Assist with the management of Unilever’s listings on the London Stock Exchange, Amsterdam Stock Exchange and also New York Stock Exchange.
• Accordingly, support on all UK, Dutch and US corporate governance matters including liaising with foreign counsel and Unilever’s share registrar and listing agents.
• Assist with market reporting requirements and drafting, reviewing and releasing stock exchange announcements.
• Support with ensuring Unilever’s compliance with the UK and EU Market Abuse Regulations and listing rules and providing advice where necessary. This will include liaising with other business stakeholders such as Group Investor Relations, Group Strategy and M&A, and with Unilever’s broker and external legal advisers on disclosure issues.
• Responsible for emerging risk and compliance considerations.

Board and Unilever Leadership Executive

• Responsible for organising and drafting Board and its Committees’ meeting materials, including agendas, pre-read papers, presentations and minutes (where relevant), and liaising with management experts for the timely delivery of their respective materials.
• Responsible for the maintenance of the online Board portal.
• Assist with advice on regulatory and governance requirements for the Board and its Committees.
• Responsible for appointment documentation of new Directors and helping with considerations around Board succession.
• Assist with creating Director induction programmes and organising Board effectiveness reviews.
• Coordinate the induction and training of Directors, Unilever Leadership Executive members and other officers.
• Work with the Unilever Leadership Executive in relation to Board and Committee planning and logistics.

Annual reporting and the Annual General Meeting

• Support the drafting and production of the governance section of the yearly annual report in collaboration with other Unilever stakeholders.
• Support with other aspects of the annual report and 20-F delivery including associated filings and compliance with relevant corporate governance legislation.
• Support the drafting of Annual General Meeting documentation and distribution to shareholders. This will include assisting with preparation for the meeting in all aspects, including proxy monitoring, to ensure that the Board, Unilever Leadership Executive and other senior stakeholders are fully equipped for the meeting.

General Corporate work

• Assist with governance and corporate support for Unilever’s worldwide corporate transactions including M&A and other major projects.
• Manage coordination with the Treasury team of securities issuance including US and EU bonds.
• Support the coordination and payment of dividends and management of employee share award schemes and take a senior role in share issuances and share buy-backs.
• Support the management of Unilever’s business confidential, insider and closed period lists, and ensuring all necessary notifications are communicated to relevant individuals.
• Support the management of company share capital, and handle the filing and disclosure of corporate documents and reports with regulators.

Stakeholder management

• Manage, and act as lead contact for the UK, Dutch and US share registry and responding to retail shareholder queries.
• Monitor shareholder proxy voting guidelines.
• Responsible for maintaining statutory books, including directors, and secretaries, and shareholders with all their past and present shareholdings.
• Ensure the governance pages on Unilever’s external website regarding both Board and Unilever Leadership Executive matters are kept up to date.

Governance and developments

• Responsible for monitoring changes in relevant legislation and the regulatory environment and informing the Board and senior management through regular corporate updates.
• Support the development and oversight of systems to ensure the company complies with all applicable codes, in addition to its corporate governance and statutory requirements.

Digital / AI

• Continue to explore and recommend ways to further digitalise and improve ways of working for the team.

ALL ABOUT YOU

• Corporate lawyer PQE.
• Solicitor qualified in England and Wales.
• Experience of supporting a FTSE 350 listed company.
• Extensive understanding of the Companies Act 2006, Listing Rules and UK Corporate Governance Code (US SEC experience preferred but not essential).
• Good financial acumen.
• Proactive approach to governance and ESG issues.
• Ability to handle multiple assignments and manage major projects to successful completion.
• Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Good verbal and written communication skills and an ability to clearly articulate complex and material issues to senior stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with people at all levels. This includes stakeholder engagement capabilities – ability to build strong working relationships across diverse partners and senior stakeholders including the Head of Corporate and Deputy Secretary and the Chief Legal Officer and Group Secretary.
• High attention to detail and a well-organised approach to work.
• Ability to prioritise work and to work well under pressure.

NOTES

About Unilever

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, Tresemme, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze and Pot Noodle.

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’

Location

In September 2020, Unilever announced the intention to build a new sustainable campus site in Kingston, London to house the employees who currently work in 100 Victoria Embankment in Blackfriars, Lever House in Kingston and Graze in Richmond. We are creating our own Unilever sustainable, agile work environment, purposefully bringing us together in our own Unilever ecosystem. The campus is due to be completed in early 2025 and will consist of two interconnected buildings, as well as landscaped surrounding areas.

What We Offer

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. We want to push boundaries, and have the flexibility needed to keep adapting in an ever-changing, more dynamic world. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

As part of your hiring journey, we are happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments, to improve your recruitment experience.

To find out more, including more information about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here .

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