Coty is one of the world’s largest beauty companies with an iconic portfolio of brands across fragrance, color cosmetics, skincare, and body care. COTY is the global leader in fragrance and number three in color cosmetics. COTY’s products are sold in over 150 countries around the world. COTY and its brands are committed to a range of social causes as well as seek to minimize its impact on the environment. For additional information about Coty Inc., please visit www.coty.com. 

ROLE AND DEPARTMENT  

Reporting to Legal Director, Greater China who is based in Shanghai. The role is a Legal Manager role to the Greater China region (including mainland of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan), working closely as a business partner with Coty commercial teams and related supporting functions and providing legal overview and support on legal matters within Greater China region. The position is located in Shanghai, China, and the candidate needs strong Chinese and English language and drafting and logical thinking skills.

This role requires working collaboratively with other lawyers in China and around the world, as well as across functions within Coty (e.g., with Compliance, R&D, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, Corporate Affairs and Finance) and cooperating with the commercial team and appropriately balancing their priorities, while fostering collaboration, to ensure best in class business partnering, on a vast variety of legal matters, including without limitation, marketing, sales, distribution, e-commence business, digital, anti-trust, regulatory, employment, data compliance and litigation matters.  

THE ROLE  

In this role you will be responsible for: 

• The primary role will be to serve as a strategic, solutions-oriented business partner to the Greater China region across all relevant aspects.
• Typical legal work will include
  • drafting, reviewing and negotiating a wide range of contracts including but not limited to, distribution, retail, and travel retail agreements, talent, sponsorship, promotion and marketing, celebrity and influencer endorsement, music, agency, e-commerce, licensing, employment, purchase, service and non-disclosure agreements,
  • drafting and reviewing various letters of authorization, commitment letters, legal notices and other legal documents,
  • reviewing cosmetics advertisement and marketing claims,
  • providing proactive and value added professional legal advice to business teams and responding to their enquiries on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters and contracts
  • analysing legal issues, identifying legal risks and providing pragmatic solutions and remedial action plan,
  • translating or reviewing translation of contracts, and
  • legal research

• Provide legal support to other legal areas to support business priorities, e.g. digital, marketing, E-commerce, brand authorization and licence, employment, finance, legal entities corporate management etc. with close cooperation of the legal central corporate function.
• Ensure legal services are supported by effective and efficient tools, templates and processes.
• Manage litigation and disputes arising from business operation with facilitation from external counsels, including attendance at hearings and on settlement negotiations, as required.
• Partner with the Regional Compliance Officer to drive a strong culture of legal and ethical business practices, advising on matters involving possible violations of law, and providing support in investigations, training, policy development, and similar activities as requested. 
• Improve current standards, templates and processes, ensuring that effective and efficient tools, global standards and templates (including appropriate compliance provisions), are in place and are adhered to, implemented, and adapted as necessary to meet global policies, local laws and business needs.

• Provide legal trainings to business teams and disseminate appropriate legal requirement to stakeholders/staff.
• Effectively coordinate with and manage external counsels.
• Apply for payments, seal management and handle other administrative matters.
• Support other and ad hoc matters and projects as assigned by Legal Director Greater China and Associate General Counsel APAC from time to time.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING  

We’d love to see candidates who have: 

Experience:

• Strong commercial law experience, with a minimum of 5 years’ combined practical experience at one of reputable law firms and a player in the luxury, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, consumer goods, retail or E-commerce sector (including management of litigation), at least 3 years’ experience with law firms
• Solid understanding of applicable laws, including without limitation, civil code, advertisement law, anti-unfair competition law, anti-trust law, anti-corruption law, anti-money laundering, trade sanctions, data privacy, etc.
• Experience with western companies/culture.
• Bachelor degree in law from reputable university in China;
• China Bar exam and Nationwide Lawyer Qualification Certificate
• Overseas education or dual qualification is a plus

Skills:

• Ability to work independently with limited supervision and to work as a team player as well
• Excellent legal drafting, analytical, interpersonal and organizational skills
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills in both English and Mandarin geared towards senior stakeholders inside and outside of the organization
• High level of mental agility: ability to juggle multiple matters, ‘connect the dots’, can get to the essence of issues fast, be strategic, and can help others think things through
• Intellectually rigorous and inquisitive. Able to see parallels and draw connections
• Project management skills
• Confident and resilient, able to take the heat
• Results orientated with the ability to deliver excellent results under difficult conditions
• Ability to think strategically, take smart risks, be solution focused for business

Behaviours:

• Highly self-aware and ability to manage high levels of uncertainty
• High personal drive, integrity and determination
• Able to ‘stand-alone’, resilient and flexible
• Seeks feedback and responds to it with change
• Good collaborator
• High integrityIs ready to pioneer new ideas and approaches
• Remains focused on priorities while tackling obstacles
• Is passionate, enthusiastic and has fun in work achievement
• Thrives on challenges and keeps a healthy attitude under pressure
• Leverages the skills of the organization through teamwork
• Is willing to help others and focuses on customer needs
• Takes responsibility for the quality of all deliverables, contributes to doing things better and faster
• Organizes own work effectively
• Adapts to changing priorities as needed
• Escalates issues before they become problems
• Advocates for positions he/she believes in
• Ability to work under pressure

WHAT WE OFFER 

This is a unique role with a genuine opportunity to make an impact. You’ll get to work in a diverse environment with a team who are passionate about the work they do and know how to have some fun along the way.