Associate General Counsel, Commercial and Procurement

Novolex • Lake Forest, IL

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are a dynamic industrial company committed to building the future through operational excellence, innovation, and integrity. As our business continues to transform and grow, we are investing in people who are energized by change, motivated by meaningful work, and eager to help shape a modern legal and compliance function. Our culture is collaborative, pragmatic, and forward-looking. We value leaders who can balance legal risk with business objectives, communicate clearly across functions, and bring practical solutions to complex operational challenges. This is an opportunity to join a company where legal is viewed as a strategic partner, where your voice will matter, and where you will have the chance to help strengthen the contractual infrastructure that supports customer relationships as well as sourcing, manufacturing, distribution and logistics in a visible, high-impact role. If you are a thoughtful, business-oriented attorney who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys serving as a senior legal advisor on enterprise-wide commercial operations and strategic sourcing initiatives, we would love to hear from you. We are seeking an experienced Associate General Counsel, Commercial and Procurement to join our legal team in either our Lake Forest, Illinois or Charlotte, North Carolina location. This role is ideal for a highly capable attorney with 15+ years of experience in commercial contracting, procurement, supply chain and related transactional matters who is excited to work at the intersection of strategic deal support, operational continuity, proactive risk management, and scalable contracting operations. The successful candidate will be a strong writer, strategic thinker, and highly organized legal professional who is comfortable operating in a matrixed environment and partnering effectively with stakeholders across sales, procurement, operations, quality, finance, IT, HR, and executive leadership.

Requirements

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• Active state bar membership in good standing
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive commercial and transactional legal experience, including serving as the primary legal lead for complex, enterprise-level commercial agreements.
• Demonstrated ability to set negotiation strategy, assess and approve risk positions, and advise senior business leaders on high‑value transactions.
• Significant experience with customer, supplier, services, sourcing and other operational agreements; experience supporting manufacturing, supply chain, logistics, or industrial contracting environments strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to advise senior leaders and deliver practical, business-focused legal solutions in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience operating with a high degree of autonomy and limited supervision in a fast‑paced, enterprise environment.
• In‑house experience in manufacturing, consumer products, or similar operational industries is a plus.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including presentation skills and the ability to communicate and influence at all levels within the organization.
• Sharp analytical skills, sound discretion, and the ability to handle confidential matters with professionalism.
• Team-oriented with the ability to contribute effectively in highly collaborative, high-performing environments.
• Experience working with a CLM platform.
• Comfortable using or learning AI-enabled legal tools for contract review, workflow support, issue spotting, and productivity enhancement
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Ability to synthesize complex legal issues into practical, business-oriented advice

Nice To Haves

• Training from a large, top-tier law firm
• Prior in-house experience supporting an industrial, manufacturing, or other operationally complex business

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee drafting and negotiation of complex, high‑value commercial agreements, including supplier, procurement, services, outsourcing, licensing, and strategic partnership contracts.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior business and functional leaders on commercial risk, deal structure, and contract strategy.
• Establish negotiation strategies and risk positions for mission‑critical transactions involving pricing, payment terms, warranties, indemnities, limitations of liability, intellectual property, quality expectations, service levels, continuity of supply and termination rights.
• Partner closely with sales, procurement, operations, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, IT, and other stakeholders to enable scalable and efficient contracting processes.
• Drive the development and continuous improvement of commercial contract templates, playbooks, and policies to promote consistency, supplier governance and disciplined risk management.
• Provide guidance on legal and regulatory considerations impacting commercial agreements, including data protection, operational risk and privacy issues related to vendor relationships.
• Contribute leadership, mentorship, and best practices within the legal department and support broader corporate initiatives as needed.
• Perform or assist in special projects as directed by the Deputy General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer

Benefits

• medical, dental and vision insurance
• variety of other well-being resources focused on mental, physical and financial health
• Tuition Reimbursement Program (Non-Union)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree