Corporate Counsel, Commercial Transactions

Overview
Purpose:

Dole Packaged Foods is seeking an experienced, business-oriented Corporate Counsel to join its Legal team and support the Americas region, with primary responsibility for commercial contracts, strategic transactions, and practical legal counseling across commercial, operational, and regulatory matters.

This role is designed for an attorney with approximately 7–10 years of relevant experience who can independently manage sophisticated commercial matters in a fast-paced, global organization while partnering cross-functionally with commercial, supply chain, marketing, procurement, IT, finance, and other functional teams.

Consistent with Dole’s purpose-led culture, this role requires sound legal judgment, strong collaboration skills, and the ability to translate legal risk into clear, practical, and actionable business guidance.

This role provides flexibility to work in a hybrid environment of home and our Westlake Village, CA office. (Hybrid is defined as 3 times per week in the office).

Responsibilities Primary Accountabilities:

Commercial Contracting & Strategic Transactions

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements and transaction documents, including:
  • Vendor and procurement contracts
  • Supply chain and co-manufacturing agreements
  • Sales and distribution agreements
  • Marketing, agency, and promotional agreements
  • Confidentiality agreements and master services agreements
  • Technology, SaaS, data processing, cybersecurity, and AI-related agreements or contract provisions
  • Licensing, intellectual property, and innovation-related agreements
  • Logistics, warehousing, transportation, and cross-border commercial agreements
• Lead and support the contract lifecycle from intake through execution, including scoping, drafting, negotiation, redlining, approval routing, escalation, signature, renewal, termination, and post-execution obligations.
• Lead negotiations with vendors, customers, distributors, agencies, and other commercial counterparties, balancing legal risk, business objectives, and operational requirements.
• Develop and apply fallback positions, playbooks, and clause guidance for recurring contract issues such as indemnity, limitation of liability, insurance, confidentiality, data use, audit rights, termination, and dispute resolution.

Business Partnership & Legal Advisory

• Serve as a primary legal partner to internal stakeholders across operations, supply chain, procurement, marketing, sales, finance, technology, and other business functions.
• Translate complex legal and regulatory issues into practical, business-focused recommendations that enable informed decision-making.
• Advise on risk allocation and mitigation in commercial arrangements and business initiatives, including indemnity, limitation of liability, warranties, insurance, confidentiality, data security, intellectual property, consumer protection, and dispute resolution issues.
• Manage internal client expectations, communicate negotiation status and material risks clearly, and help business teams make risk-calibrated decisions.
• Escalate material legal, reputational, regulatory, or business risks to senior Legal leadership with concise recommendations and proposed paths forward.

Regulatory & Compliance Support

• Support compliance with laws and regulations affecting food and beverage, labeling, marketing, advertising, promotions, privacy, and general commercial practices.
• Review advertising, promotional materials, product claims, and consumer-facing communications for legal and regulatory compliance.
• Partner with Quality, Regulatory, Marketing, Commercial, and other internal teams to support adherence to company policies, approval processes, and risk frameworks.

 

Technology, Data & Emerging Contracting Issues

• Review and negotiate technology, data, cybersecurity, privacy, and AI-related contract provisions in collaboration with appropriate subject-matter experts.

• Support responsible use of contract templates, playbooks, legal technology, and AI-enabled tools in accordance with company policies and risk controls.

Legal Operations, Knowledge Management & Process Improvement

• Partner with Legal Operations and Contract Management teams to:
  • Improve contract intake, review processes, and templates
  • Enhance efficiency, turnaround times, and consistency in legal service delivery
  • Support implementation and adoption of contract lifecycle management tools, legal technology, and responsible AI-enabled workflows
• Develop and maintain playbooks, training materials, clause libraries, and standardized workflows.

Cross-Functional & Global Collaboration

• Work closely with internal functional teams across the Americas and other global functions, including colleagues in legal, commercial, supply chain, procurement, marketing, finance, regulatory, and technology roles.
• Manage external counsel strategically, as needed, on specialized commercial, regulatory, technology, employment, litigation, or local-law matters.
• Support legal aspects of cross-border commercial activities, including coordination with local counsel and regional teams on contract, compliance, and market-entry considerations.
• Perform other duties related to the role’s purpose and accountabilities.

Qualifications Experience, Knowledge, & Skills You Bring:

• 7-10 years of relevant experience in a law firm, in-house legal department, or a combination of both, with significant experience supporting commercial contracting and business transactions
• Substantial experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements and supporting commercial transactions
• Strong understanding of contract law, commercial risk allocation, and in-house client counseling
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, issue-spotting, and practical problem-solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, own matters independently, and exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex legal issues for business audiences
• Collaborative, solution-oriented mindset, with high attention to detail and a commitment to ethical decision-making
• Experience in food and beverage, consumer packaged goods, manufacturing, supply chain, or other regulated industries preferred
• Experience using or implementing contract lifecycle management systems, templates, playbooks, and legal operations tools preferred
• Ability to build trusted relationships with business clients and manage negotiations with external counterparties

What You’ll Need to Succeed:

• Passionate about a purpose driven career

Cultivates respectful and inclusive environments that support employee growth across teams Drives strategic initiatives and maintains excellence in complex and dynamic settings Establishes transparent decision-making and accountability frameworks Encourages organizational teamwork effectively to achieve shared objectives Education & Certification:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school
• Active bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction; California bar admission or eligibility to register as in-house counsel in California preferred

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit and use the computer for extended periods of time; ability to answer phones and use a variety of office equipment; ability to lift 15 pounds and reach overhead.

Travel Requirements:

• Occasional travel, domestic and international, may be required

Hiring Pay Scale: $225,000 to $265,000

Dole Packaged Foods is committed to paying our Associates fairly and equitably. The pay rate offered will consider a wide range of factors, including but not limited to experience, education, accomplishments, and location. Pay scales are subject to review on a regular basis and will be updated as appropriate.