Position Title: General Counsel – Africa
Location: Sandhurst, Gauteng
Job ID: R-04685
Job Category: Legal
Posting Date: 3 July 2025
Application Type: On-site, full-time
About Unilever:
Unilever is a global leader in consumer goods, serving over 3.4 billion people in 190+ countries every day. With a mission to “Brighten Everyday Life For All,” Unilever focuses on delivering exceptional brand performance, sustainability, and innovation across four main business groups: Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Beauty & Wellbeing.
Role Purpose:
We’re seeking a senior legal professional to lead our legal operations across Southern Africa and the East and West Africa (EWA) regions.
This role involves business partnering, strategic guidance, compliance, and legal oversight across Unilever’s brands and activities in the region.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead the legal function across Southern Africa and EWA.
Act as the go-to legal advisor for all commercial, regulatory, marketing, sales, supply chain, and compliance issues.
Partner with global legal experts in IP, data privacy, M&A, business integrity, and competition law.
Review marketing materials, product claims, and campaigns for legal accuracy, working closely with R&D and regulatory teams.
Manage and defend litigation and competitive claims with input from the global litigation team.
Oversee legal aspects of high-level agreements with clients and suppliers.
Serve on the Southern Africa Business Leadership Team and the global One Unilever Legal Leadership Team.
Align regional legal strategy with global standards and share best practices.
Appoint and manage external legal service providers when needed.
What You’ll Need to Succeed:
Ability to handle complex legal matters with a practical and solutions-driven mindset.
Strong leadership and influence skills, able to guide senior stakeholders across different departments.
Clear and confident communication skills, both written and verbal.
Strategic thinker with the ability to balance risk and business goals effectively.
Proven ability to manage diverse legal portfolios across multiple business functions.
Experience & Qualifications:
Qualified legal professional with 8+ years of post-qualification experience in corporate, commercial, compliance, and marketing law.
Proven experience advising senior business leaders and participating on leadership teams.
Experience working in cross-functional and diverse teams within large consumer-focused companies.
Strong negotiation and contract drafting skills.
Key Skills:
Legal expertise in commercial, marketing, and regulatory law
Stakeholder and people management
Risk assessment and crisis management
Business acumen and strategic thinking
Communication and collaboration across functions
Project execution and prioritization
Leadership Behaviours Expected:
Focus on impact and high performance
Proactive and future-focused thinking
Accountability and operational excellence
Deep care for people, brands, and sustainability
Inclusion & Employment Equity:
Unilever embraces diversity and is committed to building an inclusive workplace. Applications are welcomed from all demographics, including under-represented groups. South African Employment Equity and BBBEE guidelines will be applied where relevant.
Additional Info:
This is a 100% on-site role based in Johannesburg.
Foreign nationals may be asked to provide work authorization documentation.
Unilever does not request money or payment during the recruitment process.