Description

Department: Legal

Hiring Manager: President & CEO

FLSA Status: Exempt

Working Status: Full-Time

JOB SUMMARY

The Legal Director will serve as a strategic legal advisor and key leader within the organization, responsible for advancing a robust and effective regional compliance program. This role partners closely with business and functional leaders to proactively identify and mitigate risk, ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations, and promote a culture of integrity and accountability. The position requires a pragmatic, business-oriented approach to legal counsel, strong leadership capabilities, and the ability to operate effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced, and complex environment.

Requirements

Serve as the primary legal advisor to North America's functional and business leaders, providing practical, risk-based counsel on commercial, operational, regulatory, and strategic business matters.
Lead the North America trade compliance program, ensuring compliance with import/export regulations, sanctions, customs, and global trade requirements while and other applicable trade laws.
Implement enterprise legal, compliance, and risk management by identifying and mitigating legal, regulatory, contractual, operational, and reputational risks.
Develop, implement, and continuously enhance compliance policies, governance frameworks, training programs, and ethics initiatives to foster a strong culture of integrity and accountability.
Collaborate with global and regional legal and compliance teams to drive consistency, share best practices, and continuously improve compliance programs across the organization.
Partner proactively with business leaders to identify legal and compliance risks, evaluate business initiatives, and develop practical solutions that enable business objectives while protecting the organization.
Lead the strategic management of the company's property, casualty, and liability insurance programs, ensuring appropriate risk transfer and coverage aligned with business needs.
Partner with the Global Intellectual Property team and designated external U.S. counsel to support the protection and enforcement of the company's intellectual property assets.
Support complex commercial, operational, and regulatory matters, coordinating with internal and external legal resources as needed.
Lead, mentor, and develop legal and compliance professionals, fostering a collaborative, high-performing, and business-oriented team.
Provide a contracted framework for legal services for the businesses and functional services to provide consistency in legal advice and risk management.
Understand and translate the UBE Corporate legal framework into a US based legal framework that differentiates and address US specific legal needs.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited US based law school.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive legal experience, with a strong focus on corporate compliance and ethics programs.
Proven ability to advise business leaders on complex compliance matters and deliver practical, business-oriented solutions.
Demonstrated experience conducting regulatory and corporate compliance risk assessments and developing mitigation strategies.
Ability to operate independently while balancing legal risk with business objectives in a fast-paced environment.
Strong track record of effectively engaging and influencing diverse stakeholders across functions and levels.
Executive presence with exceptional interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills, and a demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment proactively.
Experience designing, implementing, and managing corporate compliance programs, policies, and training initiatives strongly preferred.
Global perspective with experience operating in complex, multinational environments and sensitivity to cultural and regional differences.
Prior experience leading, mentoring, or supervising legal or compliance professionals.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: UBE is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability.

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