External Job Description
Job Title: Legal Manager, Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL)
Reports to: Corporate Relations & Legal Director
Context/Scope:
UBL is majority owned by East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL). It produces markets and sells alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages in Uganda. EABL has operations across East Africa and is a subsidiary of Diageo Plc, the global alcoholic drinks company.
This is an Executive Role on the UBL Exco and provides legal support to the whole Uganda business. The role reports into the UBL MD with a strong reporting line to the Regional Counsel East Africa.
UBL operates in a very competitive environment being one of two large alcoholic beverage providers in Uganda.
The role will be part of the Diageo legal function and will participate in Diageo legal function activities/meetings and initiatives.
Leadership Responsibilities:
- Proactively provide commercial and pragmatic legal advice and solutions for all aspects of UBL’s business.
- Being a lead driver in ensuring that Diageo/EABL’s codes and policies are adhered to as well as driving sustainable behaviours where the local laws may be less rigorous than the codes and policies, including provision of on point training.
- Management of day to day issues including
- Drafting and helping to administer contracts covering the whole spectrum of the business, employment matters, litigation, regulatory issues, product liability and counterfeit products, IP support for Group brands and appropriate liaison on Diageo owned brands, as applicable; Marketing Code review of advertising and promotions.
- Providing assistance to the EABL Company Secretary in managing UBL Board, Board Committee and General Meetings;
- Responsible for ensuring good corporate governance including advising on best practice and training across a number of functions.
- With the assistance of Diageo Global Compliance and Diageo Legal Function the Legal Counsel is responsible for aspects of the Company’s compliance agenda.
- Review current processes and ways of working with the aim to embed proactive and commercial legal support for UBL in particular in the context of being a part of EABL and Diageo and with the context that UBL has only recently had direct legal support.
- Work closely with the Diageo Legal Function (and Diageo Company Secretary Function, where applicable) to take advantage of appropriate functional experience and support
Top 3-5 Accountabilities:
- Function as a highly effective legal and business partner. Stay particularly close to the MD, FD and the other Functional Heads.
- Ensure that the Legal Function is an integral part of the UBL and EABL business (including visibility in market) so it receives appropriate commercial and other functional inputs.
- Embed functional best practice in the Group.
- Achieve the right balance between hands on “doing” of legal work, managing external lawyers and training of staff on relevant topics.
- Be a proactive member of the UBL executive team.
Qualifications and Experience Required:
- Formal legal qualifications and training as required by law to work as a legal practitioner in Uganda.
- Strong commercial law background especially in the negotiation and documentation of commercial contracts relevant to the Group’s business and giving advice in relation to marketing, sales and promotion activities. Preferably in house experience.
- A good working knowledge of the following legal areas – contracts, product liability, IP, employment, antitrust, litigation, corporate governance.
- Strong, analytical, drafting and negotiating skills.
- Open and outward looking attitude.
- Ability to work confidently and stand ground with more senior managers.
- Strong commercial and pragmatic approach.
- Strong coaching and leadership skills.
- Ability to impact and influence upwards.
- At least 4 years post qualification experience as a lawyer.
