Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited (GGBL) is the Only Total Beverage Business (TBB) in Ghana and market leader in each of the 5 drinks categories in which we compete.  GGBL is a subsidiary of Diageo Plc, the world’s leading premium drinks business listed on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges.  Locally, GGBL is the only beverage company listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange.

Description Of Job

Scope:

•  This role reports into the Legal Counsel and Company Secretary.
•  The role is in the legal department and will link into the Diageo legal department to ensure access to best practice including Diageo legal department activities/meetings and initiatives.

Purpose of Role:

•  Enable GGBL to achieve its business objectives in a legally compliant way while unlocking commercial opportunity through good practice.
•  Preserve value (financial and reputational) by minimising the risk of value leakage and litigation and maintaining compliance with laws and Diageo’s Codes.
•  Support the Legal Counsel and Company Secretary in embedding best practice corporate governance.

Top 3-5 Accountabilities:

•  Function as a highly effective legal and business partner and stay particularly close to the Legal Counsel and Company Secretary.
•  Make significant contributions in ensuring that all the department’s internal and external stakeholders receive excellent service delivery thereby ensuring that the legal department effectively partners all the functions in GGBL.
•  Ensure proper contracts are in place in and that the contract management system is maintained and is current.
•  Ensure effective support is given to the business on all legal/commercial related issues.

Leadership Responsibilities:

•  Assist the Legal Counsel and Company Secretary generally in providing proactive legal advice and assistance to the business;
•  Take primary responsibility for providing legal support to the following departments – Supply, Procurement, Marketing and Sales. This will include:
a) drafting contracts;
b) employment matters;
c) regulatory issues (including co-ordinating licences etc);
d) product liability and counterfeit products;
e) IP support for GGBL and Diageo owned brands and innovations;
f) competition law matters; and
g) review of advertising and promotions to ensure compliance with Diageo’s Marketing Code and law.
•  Support the Legal Counsel and Company Secretary on or lead projects: for example, acquisitions, training programmes or trade union negotiations.
•  Ensure that the appropriate contracts covering the whole spectrum of the business (including procurement, supply, distribution, marketing and logistics) are put in place and manage the contract management system to ensure that contracts are tracked and that the contracts that need to be renewed on expiry are renewed on time.
•  Effectively manage GGBL’s litigation including tracking and following up on all company litigation to ensure progress is made.
•  Undertake and follow up on the administrative work in the department.
•  Be a member  and secretary to the asset disposal committee;
•  Undertake such company secretarial duties as are assigned by the Legal Counsel and Company Secretary.
•  Ensure that good record keeping practices are observed and that all documents are properly retained in the department and provide support to the Company’s Records Assistant to ensure good records keeping practices throughout the Business.
•  Build good relationships with those of equivalent level and more senior in other functions and with external advisers and government bodies.

Qualification Required & Experience

•  Qualified to work as a legal practitioner in Ghana.
•  Strong commercial law background especially in the negotiation and documentation of commercial contracts
•  Strong, analytical, drafting and negotiating skills.
•  Open and outward looking attitude.
•  Strong inter-personal/communication skills.
•  Ability to work confidently and stand ground with more senior managers.
•  Strong commercial and pragmatic approach.
•  At least 4 years post qualification experience as a lawyer.

Barriers to Success in Role    

•  Inability to draft and review contracts and to advise on contractual arrangements/transactions.
•  Inability to constantly reprioritise and manage expectations from a large and demanding business in a role that interacts with a high proportion of senior level managers.
•  Inability to understand and manage ambiguity and risk in an appropriate manner.
•  Unwillingness to take and maintain strong positions with various departments in the business.
•  Inability to manage and minimise adverse business impact of external bureaucracy/ process/documentation requirements.

How To Apply For The Job

Qualified candidates should send their resumes to:

GhanaHR.Hotdesk@diageo.com

Closing Date:  17 November, 2012

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