Global Head of Legal

Koala

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Koala is seeking a Global Head of Legal, the most senior legal appointment in the business. This role reports directly to the CFO, sits on the Global Leadership Team, and holds joint Company Secretary responsibility. The Head of Legal will be the primary legal partner to the Board, CEO, and CFO, leading a deliberately lean function supported by external firms. The incoming leader will build a high-performing legal function through strong playbooks, smart use of external counsel and AI-enabled tooling, and deep business relationships. The role requires calibrating legal advice to the context of four distinct markets (AU, JP, US, UK), each with different legal jurisdictions and risk profiles. The business needs pragmatic, solution-centric advice, a calibrated risk posture, and a trusted partnership with the leadership team. The Global Head of Legal will reshape how the legal function operates, focusing on building playbooks, relationships, and standards rather than maintaining the status quo. This role has direct access to decision-making processes.

Requirements

• Admitted as a legal practitioner in Australia with a current unrestricted practising certificate.
• Minimum 10 years' post-admission experience.
• Significant in-house experience, ideally spanning both private practice (top or mid-tier firm) and in-house leadership.
• Experience in a high-growth/scaling organization, preferably with retail/consumer goods experience.
• Demonstrated exposure to listed-company or equivalently governed environments (direct ASX or listed-company experience, advising on public markets and continuous disclosure, subsidiary of a listed parent, or a pre-IPO business operating under institutional governance).
• Breadth across commercial law, employment, IP, regulatory and compliance, and corporate governance.
• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions and managing matters through in-market external counsel.
• Experience managing or operating with a lean team and a managed external panel.

Nice To Haves

• Some retail/consumer goods experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead on high-value commercial agreements, including master supply agreements, brand partnerships, major sponsorships, technology platform agreements, and B2B/corporate partnership structures.
• Manage M&A and corporate transactions, coordinating due diligence and instructing specialist external counsel.
• Own global IP strategy and execution, including managing trademark portfolios, filing, registration, enforcement, and defending against third-party claims.
• Provide clear, fast legal input on marketing and promotional activities, including competition rules, advertising claims, and terms and conditions.
• Support product compliance obligations across all markets, such as packaging regulations, EPR obligations, product safety, and labeling requirements.
• Manage property matters across all markets, including retail, office, and warehousing leases, make-good obligations, and landlord negotiations.
• Provide employment legal support across all markets, covering compliance, policy frameworks, disputes, misconduct investigations, ESOP and STIP documentation, restraints of trade, and WHS.
• Provide legal support on technology and data matters, including platform and SaaS agreements, data processing arrangements, and privacy compliance.
• Own contract playbooks and self-service templates for high-volume commercial work to reduce turnaround time and enable business self-sufficiency.
• Build legal awareness across the business by advising teams on material risks and developing in-house capability for issue identification and escalation.
• Lead crisis response when legal issues escalate, including ACCC complaints, consumer law disputes, tribunal proceedings, and matters carrying reputational or regulatory consequences.
• As Joint Company Secretary, own the annual governance calendar and forward agenda for the Board, Audit & Risk Committee, and People, Culture and Remuneration Committee.
• Own and operate the continuous disclosure framework, including maintaining the disclosure register and advising on disclosure obligations.
• Administer the Securities Trading Policy, including pre-clearance requests and blackout periods.
• Maintain the Delegations of Authority framework.
• Own Board and Committee minutes, ensuring accuracy and timely sign-off.
• Review and maintain Board and Committee charters and terms of reference.
• Manage all ASIC and ASX regulatory filings, corporate records, and statutory registers.
• Manage equity scheme administration, including ESOP, LTIP, and option grants.
• Support shareholder communications, including AGM logistics and investor queries.
• Maintain the compliance obligation register across all four markets.
• Maintain the corporate risk register and report to the ARC.
• Participate in regulatory horizon scanning and advise on material legal and regulatory changes.
• Own the corporate policy framework, developing, maintaining, and retiring policies.
• Support ELT owners in their compliance domains with regulatory interpretation and legal sign-off.
• Coordinate ELT compliance sign-offs for Board and ARC reporting.
• Lead the legal response when compliance matters escalate.
• Own ESG-related legal obligations where Legal holds direct ownership.
• Manage the corporate insurance program, supporting renewal processes and claims.
• Maintain the whistleblower program and ensure clear escalation pathways.
• Lead, develop, and retain the legal team, providing direction and feedback.
• Build the function's capability through playbooks, templates, and training.
• Contribute to GLT discussions with a commercial perspective.
• Build direct relationships with the Chair and independent NEDs, providing governance advice.
• Manage the external legal panel with commercial discipline, focusing on cost and quality.

Benefits

• Hybrid working (~3 days in office, rest WFH/WFB)
• Generous time off (volunteer, parental, Koala life leave)
• Fully stocked kitchen with healthy local produce (bougie brekky, salad bar, kombucha on tap, monthly barbies)
• Pet-friendly office
• Free Koala products with 'mates rates' for friends and family
• Employee Assistance Program (unlimited sessions for financial, work, relationship, family or wellbeing support)
• Learning Management platform for career acceleration
• Individual and team growth budgets
• Dedicated days for learning and development
• BCorp Certified
• WWF Partnership
• Volunteer days
• Member of SoftLanding
• 1% contribution

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed