Legal Counsel Marketing Spain & Portugal (Madrid, MD, ES)

No Relocation Assistance Offered Job Number #176457 - Madrid, Madrid, Community of, Spain

Who We Are

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specialising in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!

Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.

Scope of the Role

• Marketing Law Expertise: Act as the primary Marketing Lawyer for the Southern Europe Hub (Italy, Spain, Portugal), working closely with Hub Marketing and Digital teams to ensure all advertising and promotional activities are legally sound and brand-aligned.

• Spain & Portugal Legal : Ensure comprehensive legal compliance for Colgate Palmolive and Hill’s Pet Nutrition operations in Spain and Portugal, supporting operational teams to maintain a highly competitive business environment.

Key Responsibilities

Marketing Legal Counsel Italy, Spain and Portugal

• Advertising and Digital Compliance: Provide legal advice to Marketing teams on product innovation, campaigns, and advertising, including digital initiatives, and structuring and defending our marketing claims. Draft Ts&Cs for promotional activities and manage personal data processing compliance.

• Compliance: Work with Regulatory colleagues to ensure adherence to European and local regulations. Also ensure compliance with industry standards, local case law, product labeling rules, and recommendations from local authorities. (Knowledge of cosmetics regulations is an asset).

• Retail Marketing Support: Advise Retail Marketing teams in Italy and Iberia on the legal validation and implementation of promotions at the retailer level across all product categories

• Contract Support: Draft, negotiate, and finalize marketing-related agreements (e.g., MSAs, SOWs, Amendments, promotions, sponsorships, creative services agreements, and releases), liaising with internal business partners on contractual issues.

General Legal Support for Spain and Portugal

• Commercial Law: Advise Customer Development teams in Iberia on implementing CP’s commercial policy, negotiating commercial conditions and contracts with mass, e-commerce, and professional customers, drafting and negotiating distribution agreements (physical and online), and managing commercial disputes. Advise on competition law risks, review reseller and channel management frameworks, online platform restrictions and marketplace terms.

• Procurement: Provide legal support to the Indirect Procurement team for the review, drafting, and negotiation of supply, service, and cooperation contracts, and the execution of tender procedures.

• Digital, AI, & E-Commerce: Ensure legal compliance for Digital & E-Commerce initiatives, with a specific focus on European and local data privacy laws (GDPR). Provide guidance to ensure compliance with AI policies and facilitate use while managing risk.

• Compliance & Training: Proactively monitor relevant legal developments, and inform/train the organization on new compliance requirements. Design and deliver local compliance training (Code of Conduct, anti-bribery/anti-corruption, competition, data privacy, marketing/claims). Draft, implement, and update local compliance policies and procedures

Corporate, Governance and Entity Management

• Entity Secretarial Duties: Manage entity secretarial duties, including maintaining statutory books and public deed/minutes archives. Responsibilities also include annual accounts process, audit coordination, board approvals, and filings, powers of attorney, and KYC.

• Corporate Compliance: Ensure compliance with corporate laws, including the preparation of shareholder resolutions, and adherence to the SOX process.

Compliance, Ethics and Investigations

• Third-Party Risk: Execute third-party risk diligence, focusing on anti-bribery, corruption, and sanctions compliance. Advise on ethics, Code of Conduct, and conflicts of interest

• Internal Audit Support: Coordinate with ILCA, Corporate, and Pharmacovigilance teams to support internal audits and track corrective action plans.

• Third Party Management: Manage regulator visits, including preparing briefing packs and remediation plans for onsite visits by government officers. Act as the legal interlocutor with manufacturers’ associations to ensure competition-compliant participation.

Other

• Coordinate with market surveillance and consumer authorities regarding product safety.

• Advise Consumer Affairs on handling high-risk complaints, potential product liability issues, and settlement parameters.

• Provide support on employment law matters, including high-severity issues like terminations, disciplinary actions, and contractor models.

• Third-party personnel engagement, mitigating employment and labor risk.

• Advise on leases, licenses, service and maintenance contracts, and site services.

• Review logistics, warehousing, and distribution contracts.

• Coordinate trademark clearance, use, and enforcement.

• Support anti-counterfeiting and online brand protection initiatives.

• Manage donation and sponsorship approvals and registers.

• Support sustainability/ESG disclosures and supplier due diligence.

• Advise on EU data protection compliance, including GDPR and Privacy/cookie consent requirements, data processing/sharing agreements, opt-in language, data subject access requests, and security diligence

• Assist with customs clearance issues and respond to customs authorities.

• Manage law firm budgets, fee arrangements, and implement matter tracking/contract repository practices.

Candidate Requirements

Essential Experience and Qualifications

• Experience: At least 4–5 years of relevant legal experience, preferably combining law firm and in-house backgrounds within an international setting or large multinational corporation.

• Legal Specialization: Demonstrated experience in:

  • Marketing Law
  • Competition Law
  • Contract Law
  • Data Protection Law (GDPR)
  • Corporate Law (preferred but not essential)
  • Employment Law (preferred but not essential)

• Qualification: Fully qualified Spanish lawyer with appropriate professional qualifications. Candidates with comparable education and qualifications will also be considered.

• Languages:

  • Good working level of English and Spanish (written and oral)
  • Understanding of Portuguese and/or Italian would be considered a preferred qualification

Desired Skills and Attributes

• Autonomy: Proven ability to manage cases independently, including direct contact with internal clients, external advisors, and lawyers.

• Negotiation & Diplomacy: Strong negotiation skills combined with a diplomatic approach.

• Communication: Excellent written and oral expression skills.

• Mindset: Service-oriented, solution-driven, pragmatic, and highly collaborative. Enthusiastic AI user.

• Interpersonal: Relational ease, strong team spirit, enthusiasm, and dynamism.

Location Office: Madrid, Spain VISA NOT SPONSORED This position is offered under a permanent employment contract. Annual salary range: € 57.900 - € 67.500

The initial compensation within the above range will be determined on the basis of objective, transparent and gender-neutral criteria, including professional experience, skills and competencies, qualifications, scope of responsibilities, role requirements, location, and internal company policies.

Variable Compensation: Subject to role eligibility and applicable company policy, employees may also be eligible to participate in variable compensation programs tied to company and/or individual performance, including an annual target bonus opportunity.

Benefits: In addition to the rights and benefits provided under applicable law, employees may be eligible, depending on role and company policy, for supplementary benefits, which may include meal vouchers or reimbursement, insurance coverage, company devices, health and welfare programs, and additional role-specific benefits. Detailed information regarding compensation, benefits, applicable employment terms and job classification will be provided during the recruitment process and, where applicable, in the employment documentation.

Hybrid Working Policy: In accordance with company policy, employees are expected to work 4 days per week from the office (Monday-Thursday).

Colgate-Palmolive is committed to equal pay for equal work or work of equal value. Recruitment, hiring, compensation and career progression criteria are applied in accordance with objective, transparent, non-discriminatory and gender-neutral principles, in compliance with applicable Italian and EU pay transparency legislation.

Candidates will not be asked to disclose their current or previous remuneration, and such information will not be sought, directly or indirectly, during the recruitment or hiring process.

Our Commitment to Inclusion Our journey begins with our people—developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.

Equal Opportunity Employer Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.

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