Corporate Counsel - Nordson

Collaboration drives Nordson’s success as a market leader in Industrial Precision Solutions and Advanced Technology. Our employees thrive in an environment where we help each other reach our personal best and enable our company to continuously improve and grow, and our customers to succeed. You will find Nordson employees sharing our success by giving back in the communities around the world where we live and work.

JOB SUMMARY

The Corporate Counsel is responsible for providing general legal support on an array of topics, which may include contractual, commercial and supply chain support, M&A and due diligence support, regulatory and compliance, litigation support, corporate governance, support of internal functions (e.g. finance, HR, IT, etc.), and other general corporate and special projects as assigned by senior attorneys in the Legal Department.     

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepare, review and negotiate company contracts, requests for proposals, quality agreements, and other legal documents across all business lines and support functions, with an initial emphasis on medical device businesses
• Advance and mature a scalable, company-wide contract lifecycle framework, including educating non-legal colleagues to navigate key contract issues, contract intake, contract negotiation, contract storage, tracking of key terms over time, and maintaining templates/playbooks
• Advise/consult with management, internal clients, outside counsel, and third party advisors on legal matters and corporate initiatives; identify and assess attendant risks to the business
• Guide internal clients on regulatory and compliance matters
• Supervise the work of outside lawyers hired to assist the company with specialized legal services
• Develop or advise on policies and practices for company-specific business or conduct, or for more general corporate governance or regulatory affairs
• Assist with various M&A, transactional, and due diligence initiatives as directed by senior attorneys, and then support the successful integration of new acquisitions
• Draft and negotiate various types of software agreements (buy-side and sell-side)
• Work with division leadership and outside counsel to negotiate lease agreements, construction contracts, and property purchase/sale documents
• Support our employee benefits team by serving as a committee secretary and supporting special projects, with significant support from external counsel with subject matter expertise
• Provide guidance on commercial dispute resolution and manage outside counsel when commercial disputes result in formal litigation
• Oversee specific practice areas as assigned by the General Counsel with primary responsibility for company-wide support of those areas
• Create and maintain standard templates, business processes, and internal policies to help scale the business
• Research, review and monitor new and updated regulations pertinent to the company
• Take over responsibility for one or more of the following areas depending on background/interest:  anti-corruption / third-party due diligence, forced labor prevention and human rights, environmental health and safety, data privacy, product liability, conflict minerals, product content compliance, real estate and construction, employee benefits, government contracting, antitrust
• Develop and administer training
• Perform all other duties as assigned

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• J.D. from an accredited law school & membership in good standing with any state bar
• 4-7 years of relevant legal experience at a law firm or a combination of law firm and in-house experience
• Strong experience in Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), especially Article 2, and contract drafting and negotiation
• Experience with medical device manufacturing sales, supply, and quality agreements, and the associated global regulatory regimes, is a significant plus
• Experience with global industrial manufacturing companies is a plus
• Familiarity with European and/or Asian contract and commercial laws and norms is a plus
• Experience developing contract training and/or contract lifecycle management processes is a plus

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Highest standards of ethics, professional integrity, and discretion
• Team player and consensus builder with great people skills and a good sense of humor who can effectively and efficiently collaborate and build relationships with attorneys and colleagues at all levels throughout the organization and with counterparts from customers, suppliers, and other third-party partners
• Demonstrated business counseling, communications, conflict management and negotiation skills
• Agile and innovative thinker with an aptitude for and interest in continuous learning and improvement
• Solution and action orientated approach
• Hands-on project management experience, including the ability to manage a large number and variety of mission-critical projects, working independently and often in ambiguous environments
• Strong reputation for delivering results
• Sound and practical business judgment as well as common sense
• Ability to balance legal, commercial, and operational risks and benefits to achieve results
• Strong contract drafting and legal analysis skills
• Self-motivated and detail oriented with strong organizational abilities
• Desire to understand commercial and operational perspectives across varied divisions, disciplines and industries
• Logical and quick thinker with a clear and concise communication style (written and verbal)
• Confidence and ability to take risks backed by sound judgment and analysis
• Desire and ability to seek ways to innovate within the business to improve results and client experience

WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Working environment.  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily in remote and office settings. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Employee may be required to remain stationary for extended periods of time.

• Employee will be required to navigate through office and/or manufacturing locations.
• Employee will frequently be required to actively listen and exchange information.
• Employee will be required to observe and assess information received via computer.
• Requires use of computer and telephone.

TRAVEL REQUIRED

• A limited amount of travel out of state (1 – 2 times per year) and potentially out of the country (once every few years) is expected
• Job requires occasional visitation to various Nordson sites, which have varying environments/conditions, layouts, and accessibility

Nordson Corporation provides equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees.  No person is to be discriminated against in any aspect of the employment relationship due to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, citizenship status, marital status, veteran status or any other reason prohibited by law.

All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of our pre-employment drug screening and background/criminal check, consistent with applicable laws.

NORDSON1

Nordson Corporation provides equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees. No person is to be discriminated against in any aspect of the employment relationship due to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, citizenship status, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of our pre-employment drug screening and background/criminal check, consistent with applicable laws.Third party recruiters and agencies should not contact employees of Nordson or its subsidiaries directly. Any resumes sent to a hiring manager or submitted to Nordson employees are considered unsolicited and property of Nordson. Nordson will not pay a placement fee unless the agency or recruiter has a signed contract with Nordson’s Human Resources department in advance of submitting a candidate for consideration. Verbal and written approvals will not be considered a valid contract for service.