Senior Paralegal, Mergers & Acquisitions

Kraft Heinz • Chicago, IL

6d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior M&A Paralegal is responsible for providing advanced paralegal support to attorneys and business stakeholders on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, strategic investments, corporate restructurings, and other complex strategic transactions. This role will help manage transaction workflows from initial diligence through signing, closing, and post-closing integration/separation, coordinate with internal teams and external counsel, maintain transaction records, assist with external counsel budget tracking, and independently anticipate and execute legal tasks under attorney oversight. This is a hybrid role requiring 3 days onsite weekly at our office in Chicago.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher with excellent academic credentials
• 5+ years of paralegal experience in a law firm and/or corporate legal department
• Significant experience supporting M&A, divestitures, strategic investments, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, or other complex transactions strongly preferred
• Excellent analytical skills, with demonstrated ability to analyze legal advice and then apply it to the business needs
• Strong transaction management skills, including the ability to coordinate multiple transaction workstreams, deadlines, stakeholders, and deliverables simultaneously
• Sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism in handling confidential business information, legal advice, and privileged transaction materials
• Excellent written, oral, and presentation skills with ability to speak to audiences of every level
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, virtual data rooms, document management systems, e-signature platforms, and legal matter management or billing systems
• Interest in developing broad knowledge of Kraft Heinz’s business, portfolio strategy, transaction processes, and cross-functional operating model

Nice To Haves

• Paralegal certificate program a plus

Responsibilities

• Support attorneys on all phases of M&A and strategic transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, minority investments, carve-outs, internal restructurings, and post-closing integration matters
• Assist with management of virtual data rooms, including preparing diligence request lists, organizing and uploading responsive materials, tracking open diligence items, coordinating Q&A processes, and maintaining document control
• Coordinate cross-functional diligence with Legal, Finance, Tax, Accounting, Treasury, HR, IT, Procurement, Operations, Regulatory, and other business teams
• Assist with preparation, review, execution, and organization of transaction documents, including confidentiality agreements, term sheets, purchase agreements, disclosure schedules, ancillary agreements, officer certificates, resolutions, powers of attorney, and closing deliverables
• Assist with maintenance of transaction checklists, signing and closing agendas, diligence trackers, issues lists, post-closing obligation trackers, and other project management tools
• Coordinate signing and closing mechanics, including collecting signatures, managing closing sets, tracking conditions to closing, organizing funds-flow and wire-related deliverables, and coordinating with external counsel and counterparties
• Develop and maintain repeatable M&A processes, templates, playbooks, diligence materials, execution checklists, and transaction filing protocols
• Support legal intake, external counsel RFPs, matter opening, budgeting, invoice review, and external counsel coordination for strategic transaction matters
• Track key transaction milestones, approvals, regulatory filings, contractual deadlines, consent requirements, and post-closing obligations
• Maintain organized electronic transaction files and records in accordance with legal department standards, privilege considerations, and document retention requirements
• Research and summarize corporate, transactional, regulatory, and filing requirements as needed to support deal execution
• Assist with preparation of corporate resolutions, written consents, secretary and incumbency certificates, good standing certificates, certified organizational documents, and other governance deliverables needed for signing and closing
• Coordinate with Corporate Legal team to support Know Your Customer, beneficial ownership, sanctions, anti-bribery, and other onboarding or counterparty diligence processes related to transactions

Benefits

• Medical coverage
• Dental coverage
• Vision coverage
• 7% 401(k) matching
• Business Resource Groups (BRGs)
• High discretionary bonus
• Affordable access to healthcare
• Protection
• Saving for the future
• Events, resources, and learning opportunities that inspire a physical, social, emotional, and financial well-being lifestyle
• Employee Assistance Program
• Family Support Programs
• Life insurance
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment insurance
• Disability insurance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior