Senior Legal Counsel EMEA

1. POSITION SUMMARY Under the direction of the Legal Director, International Markets, responsible for leading legal support for the EMEA region of Owens &Minor International BusinessUnit (OMI) and provides strategic and business advice for EMEA region. The role acts as a senior legal adviser and commercial partner to the EMEA leadership team, supporting commercial execution, operational decision-making, risk management and regional governance. The role also provides legal advice to International Markets on ESG matters, including sustainability governance, responsible supply chain, modern slavery, human rights, greenwashing, ESG reporting and related regulatory developments in collaboration with other members of the Legal team. 2. JOB FUNCTIONS
- Advises key business and commercial stakeholders on legal, regulatory and compliance issues affecting the EMEA business.
- Leads day-to-day regional legal support, including prioritising legal work, managing legal risk, coordinating with legal and compliance colleagues and overseeing external counsel.
- Leads legal review, drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts, including customer, distributor and supplier agreements.
- Supports RFPs, tenders and strategic customer opportunities, including reviewing customer paper, procurement requirements, deviations, approvals and negotiation strategy.
- Provides legal support to QARA on regulatory, quality and compliance matters, including product-related risk, customer/regulator communications, recalls, field actions and claims substantiation.
- Advises on product, regulatory, sustainability and marketing claims, including promotional materials, tender responses, customer communications, website content, ESG claims and substantiation requirements.
- Provides legal advice on ESG matters primarily for EMEA as well as the broader International Markets, including the European ESG regulatory framework, sustainability governance, responsible supply chain, human rights, greenwashing and ESG reporting.
- Advises HR and business leaders on employment law and workforce matters, including employee relations, restructures, investigations, terminations, consultation requirements and employment disputes.
- Supports litigation, disputes, investigations and other contentious matters, including management of external counsel.
- Identifies recurring legal and governance issues and develops practical improvements to templates, playbooks, processes and training.
- Provides practical legal advice on corporate, commercial and operational matters, escalating specialist issues where appropriate.
- Acts as an active member of the EMEA leadership team, contributing to regional strategy, commercial planning, operational decision-making and risk management.
- Revises and updates corporate governance policies and procedures to assure the company conducts its business in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations.
- Works collaboratively with other members of the legal team, contributes to team knowledge-sharing and capability development, and provides practical support and guidance on legal and business matters. 3. KEY RELATIONSHIPS
- General Manager, EMEA
- EMEA Leadership Team
- VP, International Markets
- International Markets Legal Director
- Director, ESG & Sustainability
- Legal Counsel (in Dublin) 4. EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Law degree and entitlement to practice in at least one relevant European jurisdiction required
- 8+ years' post-qualification experience, preferably including significant in-house experience in a multinational healthcare, medical device or other regulated commercial environment.
- Demonstrated ability to deliver practical, innovative and business-focused legal solutions that improve speed, consistency and decision-making while managing legal risk
- Work experience in and general knowledge of both common law (in the United Kingdom and/or the Republic of Ireland) and civil law (in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and/or Spain).
- Experience advising on European ESG regulation, sustainability governance and ESG strategy, including the European ESG regulatory framework, responsible supply chain, modern slavery, human rights, greenwashing, ESG reporting obligations and related legal risk management is desirable. 5. KNOWLEDGE SKILLS& ABILITIES
- High ownership mindset, with the ability to work independently, drive matters to resolution, manage ambiguity and support senior stakeholders without unnecessary escalation.
- Strong commercial contracting capability, including drafting, reviewing and negotiating customer, distributor and supplier agreements across EMEA.
- Ability to operate confidently across common law and civil law jurisdictions.
- Working knowledge of key EMEA legal and regulatory issues affecting a healthcare and medical device manufacturing business, including data protection, regulatory compliance, product-related risk and marketing claims.
- Good working k