About the Role
The Counsel, Commercial (U.S.) provides legal support to enable the company's commercial objectives in the United States by partnering closely with the U.S. Commercial function. The role supports the design and execution of marketing, sales, and commercial strategies for smoke-free products in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulatory requirements, and company standards. This position operates as a trusted business partner, delivering proactive, pragmatic, and business-centered legal advice that enables growth while managing legal and reputational risk.
Your 'day-to-day'
Commercial & Regulatory Legal Support and Analyses
- Provide day-to-day legal counsel to U.S. Commercial teams on marketing, sales, distribution, and promotional activities, ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
- Interpret and apply complex legal and regulatory frameworks, translating legal risk into clear, practical guidance for business stakeholders.
- Identify legal, regulatory, and reputational risks associated with commercial initiatives and develop mitigation strategies and compliant alternatives.
- Conduct legal research and analysis on complex and evolving legal issues; identify when escalation is required and partner with senior legal leaders as appropriate.
- Prepare legal memoranda, risk assessments, and business focused guidance for internal stakeholders.
Business Partnership & Risk Management
- Establish strong, collaborative relationships with commercial leadership and cross functional partners (e.g., Finance, Procurement, Compliance) to support informed decision-making.
- Participate in cross functional project teams ensuring legal considerations are embedded early in business planning.
- Support the development and deployment of proactive legal strategies designed to avoid or minimize exposure to legal or reputational liability.
Contract Drafting and Negotiation
- Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including customer, vendor, distributor, reseller, and partner agreements.
Governance, Standards & Culture
- Ensure legal services are delivered in a manner that is practical, cost effective, ethical, and consistent with company values and global legal standards.
- Collaborate with global and regional legal subject matter experts to promote consistency in legal advice and alignment with company policies, global positions and corporate governance principles.
- Actively contribute to a culture of dignity, respect, inclusion, and integrity across the organization.
Critical Skills & Capabilities
- Ability to translate complex legal and regulatory concepts into clear, plain language guidance for nonlegal audiences.
- Strong legal judgment with the ability to balance risk management and commercial objectives.
- Excellent drafting, negotiation, and contract management skills grounded in a strong understanding of business needs.
- Proven ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities and stakeholder expectations.
- Collaborative, team-oriented mindset with strong interpersonal and written communication skills.
- High degree of integrity, attention to detail, and comfort operating in situations involving ambiguity or pressure.
- Ability to work efficiently with outside counsel.
- Utilize company authorized AI tools to improve efficiency of legal counseling; support U.S. Commercial Law team in exploring new ways of leveraging and developing AI tools to assist in legal support.
Who we're looking for
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited U.S. law school and active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
- Minimum 5 years of relevant legal experience demonstrating applied knowledge of commercial and corporate law, preferably with a mix of in-house and major law firm experience.
- Experience advising commercial or consumer-facing businesses within regulated industries is preferred.
Relevant Open Sourcing Considerations:
- Be legally authorized to work in the US
- International relocation support is not available for this job
- If you have been in your current job for less than 12 months or if you are on a Performance Improvement Program, you must get the approval of your current manager before applying for the job.
- If you are not a PMI employee and employed by a third an agency, please make a formal application via the external career site at https://join.pmicareers.com/
- To find out more about eligibility to apply for internal jobs, please refer to the Open Sourcing Employee Guidebook on the Internal Careers Portal.
What we offer
- We offer a competitive base salary, annual bonus (applicable based on level of position), great medical, dental and vision coverage, 401k with a generous company match, incredible wellness benefits, commuter benefits, pet insurance, generous PTO, and much more!
- We have implemented Smart Work, a hybrid model of working that promotes flexibility in the workplace.
- Seize the freedom to define your future and ours. We'll empower you to take risks, experiment and explore.
- Be part of an inclusive, diverse culture where everyone's contribution is respected; Collaborate with some of the world's best people and feel like you belong.
- Pursue your ambitions and develop your skills with a global business - our staggering size and scale provides endless opportunities to progress.
- Take pride in delivering our promise to society: To improve the lives of millions of smokers.
PMI is headquartered in Stamford, Conn., and its U.S. affiliates have more than 3,000 employees.
PMI has been an entirely separate company from Altria and Philip Morris USA since 2008. PMI's affiliates first entered the U.S. market following the company's acquisition of Swedish Match in late 2022. Philip Morris International and its U.S. affiliates are working to deliver a smoke-free future. Since 2008, PMI has invested $12.5 billion globally to develop, scientifically substantiate and commercialize innovative smoke-free products for adults who would otherwise continue to smoke with the goal of transitioning legal-age consumers who smoke to better alternatives. In 2022, PMI acquired Swedish Match - a leader in oral nicotine delivery - creating a global smoke-free champion led by the IQOS and ZYN brands. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized versions of PMI's IQOS electronically heated tobacco devices and Swedish Match's General snus as Modified Risk Tobacco Products and renewal applications for these products are presently pending before the FDA. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com/us and www.pmiscience.com.
#PMIUS #LI-MS1
