Corporate Counsel (Remote)

Corporate Counsel (Remote) Niagara Bottling is a leading bottled water and beverage manufacturer in the United States and internationally. We are seeking a talented Corporate Counsel to join our dynamic, collaborative Legal team. In this high-impact role, you will serve as a strategic business partner and trusted legal advisor to our Sales and Beverage business teams, helping to drive commercial success while proactively managing risk. You will have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of commercial transactions, support cross-functional initiatives, and contribute to a company that is reshaping the beverage industry through innovation, operational excellence, and environmental stewardship. As Corporate Counsel, you will be an integral member of the Legal team and a key business enabler, responsible for providing proactive, solution-oriented legal support that accelerates commercial growth while helping to manage and mitigate legal risk. Your primary responsibilities include: Essential Functions - Lead end-to-end contract management for primarily sales and customer-focused commercial agreements, including intake, prioritization, drafting, negotiation, and execution of master agreements, amendments, addenda, NDAs, and related documents with minimal supervision. - Serve as the primary legal point of contact for the Water and Beverage Sales teams, providing real-time commercial legal support and strategic counsel on customer-facing transactions and relationships. - Act as a trusted advisor and strategic business partner to internal stakeholders across multiple business units, translating complex legal concepts into practical, actionable business guidance. - Develop, maintain, and continuously improve contract templates, playbooks, and processes to drive efficiency and scalability across the legal function. - Build and maintain strong cross-functional relationships with internal business teams (e.g., Sales, Operations, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Product Development, Product Engineering, Compliance) and external partners, including key customer stakeholders. - Partner proactively with business teams by participating in pipeline meetings, deal reviews, and strategic planning sessions to provide early-stage legal input and become deeply embedded in business operations. - Identify, assess, and mitigate commercial and contractual risks, escalating material issues to legal and business leadership and recommending risk mitigation strategies that enable business objectives. - Manage and help resolve pre-litigation disputes, customer claims, and commercial controversies, working collaboratively to achieve favorable outcomes while preserving important business relationships. - Support special projects, M&A / joint venture due diligence, and other strategic initiatives as requested by the Associate General Counsel, Sales and Beverage and/or the General Counsel / Vice President of Legal Affairs. - Design and deliver training programs for cross-functional business partners and plant personnel on contract processes, legal risk awareness, and compliance-related matters. - Stay current on legal developments, industry trends, and emerging issues affecting the food and beverage and CPG industries. - Please note this job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without prior notice. Qualifications - Required Qualifications: - Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school - Active bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state (California bar preferred) - 8+ years of relevant legal experience, including substantial experience in commercial contracts, transactions, and/or sales-related legal matters - Significant experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial agreements (MSAs, supply agreements, distribution agreements, license agreements, etc.) - Proven track record of serving as a trusted legal advisor to business stakeholders in a fast-paced, high-volume environment - Experience may include a combination of law firm and in-house practice - Preferred Qualifications: - 10+ years of relevant legal experience with progressive responsibility - Prior in-house experience at a consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage, or manufacturing company strongly preferred - Intellectual property law knowledge in the context of drafting, revising and negotiating commercial agreements - Experience supporting national retail accounts or large-scale and complex commercial relationships - Familiarity with food and beverage regulatory frameworks, product labeling, and supply chain compliance Key Competencies & Skills This position embodies the values of Niagara's LIFE competency model, focusing on the following key drivers of success: - Lead Like an Owner - Makes safety the number one priority - Keeps alert for safety issues and escalates immediately - Effectively prioritizes tasks based on department goals - Shows respect to others and confronts interpersonal issues directly - Prioritizes resolution of customer issues effectively - Responds promptly and honors commitments to internal and external customers - InnovACT - Makes recommendations to continuously improve policies, methods, procedures, and/or products - Demonstrates adaptability by reacting appropriately to unexpected changes in situations or circumstances - Increases performance through greater efficiency - Find a Way - Seeks to develop technical knowledge through learning from other experts - Understands interdepartmental impact of individual decisions and actions - Seeks solutions rather than placing blame - Empowered to be Great - Consistently looks for ways to improve one's self through growth and development opportunities - Communicates clearly and promptly up, down, and across - Communicates effectively to manage expectations In addition to embodying our LIFE values, the ideal candidate will demonstrate: - Exceptional legal acumen with strong issue-spotting, analytical, drafting, and negotiation skills - Outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building skills with a customer-service orientation - Proven ability to build trust and credibility with business partners at all levels, from plant managers to C-suite executives - Strong executive presence and ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly to non-legal audiences - Expert knowledge of contract law, commercial transactions, and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) as applied to sales and purchasing - Familiarity with or interest in emerging legal topics such as data privacy, sustainability/ESG, AI governance, compliance and regulatory topics - Experience in consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage, or manufacturing industries highly valued - Demonstrated leadership and strategy abilities and potential for growth within the legal function - Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and meeting tight deadlines - Self-starter mentality with strong initiative, adaptability, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively - Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Copilot) and contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems; experience with Icertis, Legal Tracker, HarveyAI, Smartsheet, or Oracle a plus - Enthusiasm for leveraging legal technology, including AI-powered tools, to drive efficiency and innovation in legal service delivery - Highest ethical standards and a positive, collaborative approach that contributes to a healthy, high-performing team culture Why Niagara? - At Niagara, you'll be part of an amazing company with a culture built on innovation, sustainability, and continuous improvement. We offer: - A collaborative, business-minded legal team that values creative problem-solving and professional growth - Direct exposure to senior leadership and meaningful impact on company strategy and growth - Opportunities to grow your career within a rapidly expanding, industry-leading organization - A commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship - Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a supportive work environment with wonderful colleagues Work Environment & Additional Details - This is a full-time, remote position. Standard business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM PT, with flexibility as business needs require. Some evening and weekend work may be required from time to time, and some travel may be necessary to support business objectives and customer relationships. Typical Compensation Range Pay Rate Type: Salary $118,937.79 - $172,459.80 / Yearly Bonus Target: 10% Annual Benefits Our Total Rewards package is thoughtfully designed to support both you and your family: Regular full-time team members are offered a comprehensive benefits package, while part-time, intern, and seasonal team members are offered a limited benefits package. - Paid Time Off for holidays, sick time, and vacation time - Paid parental and caregiver leaves - Medical, including virtual care options - Dental - Vision - 401(k) with company match - Health Savings Account with company match - Flexible Spending Accounts - Expanded mental wellbeing benefits including free counseling sessions for all team members and household family members - Family Building Benefits including enhanced fertility benefits for IVF and fertility preservation plus adoption, surrogacy, and Doula reimbursements - Income protection including Life and AD&D, short and long-term disability, critical illness and an accident plan - Special discount programs including pet plans, pre-paid legal services, identity theft, car rental, airport parking, etc. - Tuition reimbursement, college savings plan and scholarship opportunities - And more! https://careers.niagarawater.com/us/en/benefits