Corporate Counsel - Commercial Contracts

Niagara Water•Diamond Bar, CA

16h•Onsite

About The Position

Niagara Bottling, LLC is a leading bottled water and beverage manufacturer in the United States and internationally. We are seeking a talented Corporate Counsel to join our dynamic, collaborative Legal team. In this high-impact role, you will serve as a strategic business partner and trusted legal advisor to our Sales and Beverage business teams, helping to drive commercial success while proactively managing risk. You will have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of commercial transactions, support cross-functional initiatives, and contribute to a company that is reshaping the beverage industry through innovation, operational excellence, and environmental stewardship.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school
Active bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state (California bar preferred)
8+ years of relevant legal experience, including substantial experience in commercial contracts, transactions, and/or sales-related legal matters
Significant experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial agreements (MSAs, supply agreements, distribution agreements, license agreements, etc.)
Proven track record of serving as a trusted legal advisor to business stakeholders in a fast-paced, high-volume environment
Experience may include a combination of law firm and in-house practice
Exceptional legal acumen with strong issue-spotting, analytical, drafting, and negotiation skills
Outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building skills with a customer-service orientation
Proven ability to build trust and credibility with business partners at all levels, from plant managers to C-suite executives
Strong executive presence and ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly to non-legal audiences
Expert knowledge of contract law, commercial transactions, and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) as applied to sales and purchasing
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Copilot) and contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems; experience with Icertis, Legal Tracker, HarveyAI, Smartsheet, or Oracle a plus
Highest ethical standards and a positive, collaborative approach that contributes to a healthy, high-performing team culture

Nice To Haves

10+ years of relevant legal experience with progressive responsibility
Prior in-house experience at a consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage, or manufacturing company strongly preferred
Intellectual property law knowledge in the context of drafting, revising and negotiating commercial agreements
Experience supporting national retail accounts or large-scale and complex commercial relationships
Familiarity with food and beverage regulatory frameworks, product labeling, and supply chain compliance
Familiarity with or interest in emerging legal topics such as data privacy, sustainability/ESG, AI governance, compliance and regulatory topics
Experience in consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage, or manufacturing industries highly valued
Demonstrated leadership and strategy abilities and potential for growth within the legal function
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and meeting tight deadlines
Self-starter mentality with strong initiative, adaptability, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively
Enthusiasm for leveraging legal technology, including AI-powered tools, to drive efficiency and innovation in legal service delivery

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end contract management for primarily sales and customer-focused commercial agreements, including intake, prioritization, drafting, negotiation, and execution of master agreements, amendments, addenda, NDAs, and related documents with minimal supervision.
Serve as the primary legal point of contact for the Water and Beverage Sales teams, providing real-time commercial legal support and strategic counsel on customer-facing transactions and relationships.
Act as a trusted advisor and strategic business partner to internal stakeholders across multiple business units, translating complex legal concepts into practical, actionable business guidance.
Develop, maintain, and continuously improve contract templates, playbooks, and processes to drive efficiency and scalability across the legal function.
Build and maintain strong cross-functional relationships with internal business teams (e.g., Sales, Operations, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Product Development, Product Engineering, Compliance) and external partners, including key customer stakeholders.
Partner proactively with business teams by participating in pipeline meetings, deal reviews, and strategic planning sessions to provide early-stage legal input and become deeply embedded in business operations.
Identify, assess, and mitigate commercial and contractual risks, escalating material issues to legal and business leadership and recommending risk mitigation strategies that enable business objectives.
Manage and help resolve pre-litigation disputes, customer claims, and commercial controversies, working collaboratively to achieve favorable outcomes while preserving important business relationships.
Support special projects, M&A / joint venture due diligence, and other strategic initiatives as requested by the Associate General Counsel, Sales and Beverage and/or the General Counsel / Vice President of Legal Affairs.
Design and deliver training programs for cross-functional business partners and plant personnel on contract processes, legal risk awareness, and compliance-related matters.
Stay current on legal developments, industry trends, and emerging issues affecting the food and beverage and CPG industries.

Benefits

Competitive compensation and benefits packages
Paid Time Off for holidays, sick time, and vacation time
Paid parental and caregiver leaves
Medical, including virtual care options
Dental
Vision
401(k) with company match
Health Savings Account with company match
Flexible Spending Accounts
Expanded mental wellbeing benefits including free counseling sessions for all team members and household family members
Family Building Benefits including enhanced fertility benefits for IVF and fertility preservation plus adoption, surrogacy, and Doula reimbursements
Income protection including Life and AD&D, short and long-term disability, critical illness and an accident plan
Special discount programs including pet plans, pre-paid legal services, identity theft, car rental, airport parking
Tuition reimbursement, college savings plan and scholarship opportunities