Executive Assistant & Legal Coordinator

Job description

Job Description: Purpose of Role The Executive Assistant & Legal Coordinator plays a critical role in supporting the Pet Nutrition Europe Legal Team by combining executive support and legal operations responsibilities. This role acts as a key operational partner to the Associate General Counsel and the Legal Team, helping ensure efficient delivery of legal services across Pet Nutrition Europe. The Associate coordinates legal processes, legal reporting – including litigation, manages legal budgets and external counsel administration, facilitates governance and compliance activities, maintains legal knowledge resources, and serves as a trusted point of contact for internal and external stakeholders. The role requires a highly organized, proactive, and collaborative individual who can manage multiple priorities, drive process excellence, and contribute to the continuous improvement of the Legal function. Principal Accountabilities Executive Assistant & Legal Coordination Support Provide executive and administrative support to the Associate General Counsel. Manage selected calendar, travel, communication, and coordination activities as required. Coordinate team meetings, leadership calls, workshops, and off-site events. Prepare agendas, track actions, maintain meeting records, and support follow-up activities. Legal Operations & Process Management Coordinate legal matters and projects, including stakeholder follow-up, document collection, tracking of actions and reporting obligations. Coordinate and execute internal legal processes across the region, including litigation reporting. Drive continuous improvement of legal processes, templates, workflows, and operational efficiencies. Support implementation of Legal Operations initiatives and technology solutions. Knowledge Management & Legal Resources Maintain and continuously improve the Legal team's SharePoint sites, knowledge management, and collaboration platforms. Develop, maintain and continuously improve legal playbooks, templates, guidance documents and training materials to support efficient self-service by business stakeholders. Support the development and maintenance of self-service legal resources. Support adoption of legal technology, automation and AI-enabled knowledge management solutions. Budget & External Counsel Management Coordinate legal budget administration Pro-active monitoring and follow-through of external counsel budget Support accruals and forecasting activities. Coordinate interactions and administrative processes with external law firms. Compliance & Ethics Maintain documentation and reporting related to compliance initiatives. Partner with Legal and Compliance teams to support ethics and compliance programs and communications. Supporting Competencies Integrity & Trust Planning & Organizing Priority Setting Action Orientation Continuous Improvement Communication Key Functional Skills & Knowledge Executive Support & Coordination Strong organizational and planning skills Ability to manage multiple priorities and stakeholders Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English High attention to detail and proactive follow-through Stakeholder Management & Collaboration Digital & Collaboration Tools Strong proficiency in Microsoft 365, SharePoint and collaboration platforms Ability to adopt and leverage new technologies and tools Legal Operations & Business Support Understanding of legal, compliance or governance processes Experience coordinating projects, budgets, reporting and external vendors Ability to handle confidential information, exercise sound judgment, and demonstrate sensitivity to legal and compliance matters Strong attention to detail and ability to identify, escalate and follow through on legal and business risks appropriately Key Experiences 1-2 years of experience in legal operations, legal coordination, executive support, compliance, governance, project management or similar corporate functions. Experience coordinating multiple stakeholders, projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced international environment. Experience supporting legal, compliance, governance or other corporate functions through process management, reporting and operational support. Experience managing budgets, invoices, external vendors or professional services providers is desirable. Strong proficiency with Microsoft 365, SharePoint and collaboration technologies. Desired Education Degree in Law, Legal Studies, Business Law, or a related field preferred. Equivalent professional experience will also be considered. Additional qualifications or experience in legal operations, compliance, governance, contract management or project management are advantageous. At Mars, we are guided by our Five Principles: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom . We are looking for an associate who demonstrates integrity, collaboration, curiosity, ownership, and a passion for continuous improvement while helping the Legal Team deliver practical, business-focused legal support across Pet Nutrition Europe.