Senior Paralegal, Environmental

The Senior Paralegal, Environmental, Safety & Sustainability (ES&S) position is an integral part of the Company’s global ES&S legal and regulatory practice. As the dedicated paralegal for ES&S, you will work closely with the Senior Director and Legal Counsel, Global ES&S, and coordinate with the broader team of attorneys, paralegals, and professionals across the legal function, as well as business clients throughout the company. This position supports all aspects of the Global ES&S legal practice and international ESG legal network across the more than 200 countries where the company operates.  

Deep expertise in at least one, and ideally all, of the following regulatory areas is essential: environmental law, occupational health and safety, sustainability and ESG reporting.  Focused experience supporting or managing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) compliance, Post-Consumer Recycled Content reporting, packaging certification programs, compliance with laws governing sustainability claims and representations in marketing materials and on packaging (Greenwashing laws), emerging contaminant (e.g., PFAS) mitigation, environmental due diligence in M&As and real estate transactions, and voluntary and regulatory environmental remediation projects is highly desirable. Some knowledge of global laws and regulations in these areas, or prior paralegal work for food and beverage or consumer goods clients, would be ideal but not required.  This is a dynamic position that offers exceptional opportunity for career broadening work on the leading edge of rapidly emerging global laws.  

​The ES&S function is high visibility within the company and to its senior leadership, and you will work on many high-profile global initiatives.  This role is part of a small but high functioning and supportive team of attorneys, paralegals, and non-lawyer professionals, who work with some of the top law firms in the world. 

What You’ll Do for Us:  

Under supervision of the Senior Director and Legal Counsel, Global ES&S, you will: 

• Assist counsel and internal clients with all aspects of US and global environmental, safety, and sustainability regulatory compliance and ESG reporting, with particular focus on EPR, PCRC, packaging, marketing, environmental due diligence, site remediation, and emerging contaminants laws. 

• With support from local and OU-level counsels and paralegals, track ES&S legislative and regulatory requirements across 200+ countries and 50 US states to help develop, manage, support and update the company’s global risk mitigation strategy and regulatory programs. 

• Review sustainability claims and representations in marketing materials, on packaging, and in communications to ensure compliance with internal standards and global legal and regulatory requirements (e.g., US FTC Green Guides, EU Green Claims and Empowering Consumers Directives, state-level greenwashing laws, etc.). 

• Manage, track, and facilitate completion of voluntary and regulatory environmental site remediation projects (CERCLA and/or state-level), communicate with outside counsel and environmental consultants to ensure projects do not stall, and track expenditures against corporate reserves. 

• Assist counsel with preparation, review, revision and/or periodic updates of various corporate documents and reports, including policies and procedures, contracts, permits, plans, guidance documents, memoranda, correspondence, legal instruments, accruals spreadsheets, etc. 

• Support data collection and governance for ESG and other reporting programs. 

• Support global sustainability initiatives, including packaging, water replenishment, emissions reduction, sustainable agriculture, and other projects. 

• Manage, organize, and search relevant databases, SharePoints, shared drives, and other sources of information and identify, collect, and compile materials to ensure regulatory compliance and conformance to internal company standards.    

• Manage ES&S data, analytical test results, documents/records (digital and paper) and other information streams to ensure regulatory compliance, substantiation of claims, spot data trends, and identify and help mitigate legal, regulatory, brand and reputational risks. 

• Prepare and update training documents, programs, and resources to help build ES&S expertise across the global ESG legal network, legal function, and within the company’s business units.   

• Manage new matter setup, including outside counsel and vendor onboarding and assignment to matters, and work with the executive assistant and billing specialists to facilitate ES&S billing chargebacks and other internal financial transactions.   

• Track, manage, and calendar various dates, milestones and deadlines, whether legal, regulatory, or business driven.  

• Provide ad hoc assistance to lawyers and other legal professionals in advancement of litigation, arbitration, investigations, and related matters as required. 

Qualifications & Requirements:  

• Education: Associate’s degree or higher in Paralegal Studies from an ABA approved program (certification preferred); alternately, a bachelor's degree or higher in environmental science or related field will meet this requirement if the experience requirement also is met.    

• Experience: 5+ years of environmental, safety or sustainability legal or regulatory experience in a law firm, corporation, and/or government agency required, with 8+ years preferred. Experience supporting clients in the food & beverage or consumer goods industry is desirable. 

• Personal Attributes: Comfort navigating ambiguity in rapidly evolving legal landscapes, an effective multi-tasker, with ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects, initiatives, and deadlines simultaneously, cross-cultural awareness when coordinating with global stakeholders, and excellent business skills (detail oriented, highly organized, and an effective communicator). 

• Technical Proficiencies: familiarity with legal billing and matter management systems, responsible use of AI resources and creation of workflows (Harvey, Co-Pilot, ChatGPT, or similar), and working in/with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, DocuSign, and collaboration tools such as SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, and Yammer strongly preferred.