In-House Legal Counsel

IMCD Group is a leading distributor, formulator and solutions provider in specialty chemicals and ingredients. The company is a publicly listed Netherlands firm, listed at Euronext Amsterdam, and realized revenues of €4,778.9 million in 2025. With a network of global locations and warehouses in EMEA, America and the Asia-Pacific region, IMCD offers its partners tailor made solutions for supra-regional distribution management. The headquarters in Rotterdam support over 5,200 employees in more than 60 countries, advising leading global manufacturers with outstanding expertise.

In South Africa, we are looking for an experienced In House Legal Counsel to ensure the organization operates within legal frameworks while minimizing risks and protecting its interests. The person will be based at the Johannesburg office, reporting into the Managing Director with dotted lines to the Financial and Operations Director and the Legal Counsel EMEA. The role will be part of a dedicated legal department that operates across countries and regions, centrally managed by the General Counsel in Rotterdam.

• LLM with 7+ years of relevant experience
• Good standing with relevant legal licensing authority
• Strong legal knowledge in the field of commercial, distribution and agency law is essential
• Proven experience in drafting and negotiating contracts in a commercial setting
• Knowledge or experience in working in a chemical manufacturing or distribution environment is an asset
• Must be capable of operating autonomously with the highest level of integrity and ability to spot compliance challenges
• Must be able to effectively communicate both verbally and written, in an attentive, friendly, courteous and service oriented manner
• Familiarity with international legal issues and regulations
• Legal experience with mergers and acquisitions, including due diligence
• Proven track record of successfully managing complex legal issues
• Computer literate
• Strong understanding of corporate governance, compliance, regulatory matters and BEE legislation
• Excellent negotiation, drafting, and communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively across various departments and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to work effectively under time constraints and meeting tight deadlines
• Experience in a fast paced, in house legal department environment
• Experience with contract management software such as OnBase by Hyland
• Experience with training software such as Cornerstone

• Legal Advice and Guidance: Provide day to day legal advice and support to IMCD South Africa and Kenya.
• Provide legal counsel to management and other departments on a wide range of issues, including antitrust, export laws, sales, purchasing, distribution, supply chain, HR & labour law, debt collection and other legal matters in relation to the business.
• Contract Management: Draft, review, and negotiate contracts and agreements in alignment with commercial teams to protect the company's interests and ensure compliance with applicable laws. Closing the loop by ensuring all contracts are duly signed and loaded on OnBase. Managing contracts in OnBase. Manage IMCD standard agreements, including terms and conditions.
• Compliance and Regulatory Matters: Act as the African Compliance Officer in leading company compliance programs in the region. Ensure the organization adheres to all relevant laws and regulations, including industry specific compliance requirements. Develop and implement compliance programs and policies. Create and implement policies and best practice to enforce legal compliance. Keep Group and local contract policies and contract management processes up to date and supervise the effective use of these policies and processes in the organizations. Oversee the dissemination and communication of IMCD's Code of Conduct and Business Principles, assisting with training on the code and investigating ethics related issues. Provide regulatory and government compliance guidance.
• Litigation and Dispute Management: Oversee and manage any litigation involving the company. Conduct discovery and support outside counsel in complex litigation matters.
• Intellectual Property Protection: Advise on the company's intellectual property portfolio, including trademarks, copyrights and patents. Advise on IP strategy and enforcement.
• Employment Law Issues: Oversee employment related legal issues, including contracts, employee relations and compliance with labour laws. Provide advice on labour and employment matters.
• Risk Management: Identify and assess legal risks associated with business operations and develop strategies to mitigate those risks. Advise management on contract status, legal risks and legal liabilities associated with different deals.
• Training and Education: Conduct training sessions for employees on legal compliance and ethical practices to foster a culture of legal awareness within the organization.
• Corporate Governance: Monitor governance of IMCD companies in South Africa and Kenya.
• Policy Development: Draft and implement internal policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance and promote best practices.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Work closely with other departments (e.g., finance, HR, marketing) to provide legal input on various projects and initiatives.
• Legal Research: Stay updated on relevant laws and legal developments that may impact the organization and its operations. Research and anticipate unique legal issues that could impact any of the African entities.
• Mergers & Acquisitions: Provide legal support services in connection with entity formation and management, mergers, acquisitions and joint venture arrangements or other strategic partnerships. Assist with coordination of integration projects concerning acquired companies.
• Support the company's strategic initiatives by providing timely legal analysis and guidance.
• Head the Social & Ethics Committee and direct the activities thereof.
• Oversee debt collection re delinquent debtors (currently using third party service provider).
• Company secretarial function, including the preparation of board meeting materials and minutes.
• BBBEE compliance and monitoring.
• Realize the effective retention, management, and efficient use of outside counsel.

Master in Law degree with excellent academic results. Additional degrees (e.g., LLMs) in a specialized area of law is an advantage.

Approximately 5-8 years of work experience in a reputable and internationally oriented law firm or equivalent in house counsel experience. Experience in the chemical or food ingredients industry is an advantage.

Randburg, South Africa.

Minimal.

• A market related CTC salary with attractive benefits and working conditions.
• A corporate culture that promotes performance and is based on partnership with flat hierarchies.