Paralegal

Job Description

Sysco (whose operating companies in GB are made up of Brakes, Fresh Direct, kff & Medina Foodservice) are currently recruiting for a Paralegal to join its International Legal Team on a 12-month Fixed Term Contract, reporting into the Assistant General Counsel.

Sysco is the global leader in foodservice, with customers in 90 countries, a turnover of over $70billion and over 70,000 employees worldwide. The Sysco International Legal Team supports the legal needs of Sysco businesses in the UK and the EU. We are a small team with a busy and incredibly varied workload, including commercial contracts, technology, IP, data privacy, competition, M&A, regulatory and compliance. 

As the Paralegal, you will support senior lawyers in the team in providing legal and commercial advice to Sysco colleagues in Great Britain and Ireland. This is an opportunity to gain really varied and hands-on legal experience across disciplines and to hone your commercial skills. You will manage your own workload and have increasing autonomy as your skills develop.     

This role is offering a hybrid working contract, with 3 days per week in our Ashford, Kent office and occasional visits to other GB offices, so you must be within a commutable distance of Ashford and open to travel.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities:

• Review and draft customer and supplier contracts, ensuring the commercial position of Sysco is protected to the fullest extent
• Check, proofread and format templates and documents
• Perform legal research for the team on a wide range of topics, as required
• Assist team members with producing training materials, delivering legal training and developing legal systems and legal technology
• Represent the interests of the Legal Team on internal employee and communications forums and keep the Legal Team informed on internal communications matters, as required
• Assist with the management and administration of the GB and Ireland Sysco trade mark portfolio
• Liaise directly with colleagues across all functions within Sysco GB and Sysco Ireland, to provide them with legal advice on a variety of topics, under the supervision of senior lawyers
• Build strong working relationships with colleagues across all functions within Sysco GB and Sysco Ireland
• Show commercial acumen and be able to balance conflicting priorities and pivot flexibly when required, to deliver positive outcomes for the businesses.
• Proactively engage in learning about the various operating companies and ways of working, and in keeping abreast of legal and regulatory developments and bringing these to the attention of the team
• Able to identify legal matters that must be escalated to more senior members of the team, for guidance and/or decision

About you:

To be successful in this role you will have a strong academic background, coupled with a law degree (or equivalent legal qualification). You will have previously worked as a Paralegal (or have had equivalent commercial legal work experience) within an in-house legal team or in a private practice. To be effective, the Paralegal must be a strong team player with a ‘can do’ flexible attitude and commercial approach, who is able to build good relationships with colleagues across business functions within the Sysco GB and Ireland operating companies, as well as colleagues in other jurisdictions, customers, supplier and third-party partners. You will also need to exercise discretion with sensitive/confidential information and be open to changing priorities and new areas of work, managing multiple tasks within specific timeframes.

What you’ll receive:

• A competitive salary
• Pension scheme
• Generous holiday allowance of 25 days, with option to purchase additional holidays + bank holidays
• Huge discounts on all sorts of lovely food and award-winning products through our staff shop
• Discounts on Cinema tickets, shopping and earn cashback on purchases through Sodexo.
• Recognition awards and Incentives
• Real career opportunities - being part of Sysco, the world’s leading foodservice business, opens up a world of possibility