Legal Counsel

Roquette is a family-owned global leader in plant-based ingredients and a leading provider of pharmaceutical excipients.

Want to help us make a difference?
Using plant-based resources, we collaborate with our customers and partners to imagine and offer ingredients to better feed people and treat patients.
Each of our ingredients responds to unique and essential needs, and they enable healthier lifestyles.

To support our growth ambitions and sustainable projects, we are looking for our next Junior Legal Counsel – Projects & Contracts within the Global Legal team This position is based in (Lille).

Our teams   

Roquette legal department is composed of over 60 members operating in 5 functions (Compliance / Corporate, Global Operations, M&A, IP, Regulatory) and 3 regions (EMEA, Americas and APAC).

As business partners and true pillars to Roquette’s growth strategy, the legal function provides strategic legal advice and guidance on the Group’s activities, projects and transactions.

To secure the Group’s ambitions, the legal department’s members have an active involvement upstream in projects and in the design of commercial or partnership strategies, working closely with internal teams (buyers, sales, customer care, quality, engineering, project managers, products managers, researchers) to deliver consistent and pragmatic advice, guidance, recommendation and support in the implementation of the solutions.

An opportunity has arisen to recruit for an experienced business lawyer to sit in the company’s headquarters in the North of France (Lille / La Madeleine). Attached to the Group Headquarters, you will play an important role to support the Head of Legal Global Operations.

The mission?   

Provide legal support to Senior Legal Counsels and Head of Legal Global Operations on large capex projects and initiatives of the Group. Provide legal support to allocated purchasing categories globally;

Develop and implement as mandated by Head of Legal Global Operations processes and standards that ensure (1) stellar drafting, negotiation, conclusion and storage of purchasing agreements and related documentation; (2) flawless coordination between global and regional / local legal teams on purchasing activities; and (3) efficient contract management; and

Provide strategic legal advice to large capex projects allocated by Head of Legal Global Operations.

Your experience and talents will make the difference to:   

Provide effective and business oriented legal advice and support to allocated purchasing categories and associated operational functions

Identify and report to the Head of Legal Global Operations key legal and contractual risks, and suggest/develop strategies to mitigate those risks

Advice on full cycle of contracts (contract management) and provide solutions in light of the contractual provisions and applicable laws to support of the Group’s objectives and Global Operations’ considerations (go-to market, etc.)

Prompt management of contractual disputes/litigation: resolve, settle and/or escalate contractual disputes in concert with in-house and external counsel when necessary

Leadership in drafting, negotiating as business partner a wide range of agreements that allocate risk, responsibility and reward for performance of services / delivery of goods (purchase agreements, engineering agreements, EPC, EPCm, construction contracts, etc.)

Support the Head of Legal Global Operations in developing governance, policies, processes, best practices, reporting, templates, KPI… towards a One Legal approach on purchasing activities within the group (templates, legal procedures relating to purchasing, tools)

Support the Head of Legal Global Operations in launching governance, policies, processes, best practices, reporting, templates, KPI… towards a One Legal approach on contract management within the group

Instruct and manage external counsels as needed (advisory, litigation)

Provide effective and business oriented legal advice and support to allocated large capex projects and associated operational functions (incl. permitting, financing, partnering and contracting) of allocated large capex projects

Act as a champion within the Legal Global Operations function and look for opportunities to improve the efficiency and culture of the function

Support the Head of Legal Global Operations in implementing a flawless coordination between global and regional / local legal teams on purchasing activities

What will we love about you?  

Ability to structure and solve complex contractual issues and develop an overall contractual strategy for projects (procurement, CAPEX, supply chain, maintenance, etc.) entailing lots of different contracts or contracts applying on multiple products / in multiple jurisdictions

Strong negotiator that ensures full alignment with the project and business teams to secure the best result possible for the Group

Team-player with excellent interpersonal and communications skills

Strong ethics, comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with cross-functional and multi-cultural teams – whilst promoting a well-being environment (one of Roquette’s value)

Business acumen and ability to understand technical matters

High level of professionalism

Pragmatic and creative problem-solving ability

Detail-oriented, knowledgeable, and ability to influence others

Good organizational and multitasking skills

Comfort working in a matrixed organization

Excellent client-facing skills

Cultural awareness and open minded

Management of outside counsels

Focus on results

And also...  

Education: Master 2 Business Law, ideally completed with a commercial degree type MBA or M Sc.

Experience: 1 to 3 years’ experience

Specific requirements:

Knowledge on business and legal processes & tools

Transversal topic management & ability to influence others

Technology and software knowledge (competent in using Word, Excel, PowerPoint and storytelling and mind mapping tools)

Full working proficiency in English

Business Trips (Percentage): up to 20 %

If you identify yourself in this position, please apply by uploading your resume and let's start the journey together

Roquette is proud to be a global company where you can find personal and professional growth through multiple diverse experiences.

Roquette believes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion must be woven into everything we do, from the products we make, through the relationships we build with our partners, and most importantly within the teams we create and how we interact together.

As we continue to grow, Roquette understands that to be successful we must always be inclusive in our approach, by creating a workforce that represents the world we live in, and the communities and customers we serve.

To find out more about our products, values and sustainable development ambitions visit us at and at