VP, Head of Legal, North America

Opella is the self-care challenger with the purest and third-largest portfolio in the Over-The-Counter (OTC) & Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements (VMS) market globally.  

Our mission is to bring health in people’s hands by making self-care as simple as it should be. For half a billion consumers worldwide – and counting.

At the core of this mission is our 100 loved brands, our 11,000-strong global team, our 13 best-in-class manufacturing sites and 4 specialized science and innovation development centers. Headquartered in France, Opella is the proud maker of many of the world’s most loved brands, including Allegra, Buscopan, Doliprane, Dulcolax, Enterogermina, Essentiale and Mucosolvan.

As a globally certified B Corp company, we are active players in the journey towards healthier people and planet. Find out more about our mission at www.opella.com.

We are seeking a dynamic and business-oriented legal leader to serve as Head of Legal for North America, overseeing legal operations in the United States and Canada. This role is a key member of both the North America Leadership Team and the LEX Leadership Team, playing a pivotal role in supporting the company’s strategic growth and operational excellence in the region.

The ideal candidate will bring deep legal expertise, strong commercial acumen, and a pragmatic approach to risk management in a fast-paced, private equity-owned environment.

Job Purpose:

• You drive the regional and local legal strategy for the North America Region in Opella.
• The Opella Legal Team is built on the aspiration “Serve adding value as trusted partners to the business, enabling its sustainable growth, caring about our consumers and people”
• We do so by delivering qualitative and timely legal advice, optimizing processes and resources, spotting trends and shaping the external environment, leveraging on legal teams and sharing accountability with the business for successes and failures
• Embracing these principles is key to succeeding in the position. Role modelling the Opella challenger mindset behaviors is critical.

• Strategic Legal Leadership: Act as the primary legal advisor for North America, providing strategic counsel to senior leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Commercial & Regulatory Support: Advise on commercial contracts, marketing claims, consumer protection, regulatory compliance (FDA, Health Canada), and product-related legal matters.
• Standards & Processes: Contribute and assist in drafting and implementing policies, providing relevant trainings to regional Opella teams. Drive executional excellence through simplification initiatives, optimization of ways of working, leveraging on technology -if applicable.
• Transactions: Support M&A, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions in the region.
• Litigation Management: Oversee all litigation and dispute matters in North America, including coordination with external counsel, internal stakeholders, and insurers. Provide risk assessments and estimates for reserve booking when appropriate.
• Legal Budget Oversight: Manage the legal budget for North America, including forecasting, cost control, and reporting. Ensure efficient use of external counsel and alignment with business priorities.
• Risk Management: Identify and mitigate legal risks while enabling business agility and innovation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with functions such as Marketing, Sales, Regulatory, Quality and Science to proactively address legal issues and support business initiatives.
• Team Management: Lead and develop a high-performing legal team of two lawyers, fostering a collaborative and business-focused culture.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate closely with business leaders and the Global Legal team to inform on key developments in the region and ensure alignment with global legal strategy. Shape the local legal environment, representing Opella in local legal or industry forums.

• Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent legal qualification; admission to practice law in the US.
• Minimum 15 years of legal experience, including in-house counsel roles within consumer healthcare, OTC, or FMCH-related sectors.
• Strong understanding of US and Canadian regulatory frameworks for consumer healthcare products.
• Proven experience in a private equity-backed environment is desirable. 

• Exemplary ethical behavior; be a role model to team members and other functions
• Demonstrated ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.
• Sound judgement and critical thinking skills; analytical and problem-solving skills; able to analyze issues and propose pragmatic solutions
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; able to succinctly summarize and present complex concepts to business partners
• Leadership and influencing skills; able to navigate and lead resolution of challenging situations and influence stakeholders across all levels
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment while demonstrating flexibility and a willingness to adapt assignments to meet company’s needs
• Creative thinker who is ready and willing to challenge the status quo and innovate
•  Adaptability to embrace a dynamic and diverse working environment

Opella and its U.S. affiliates are Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employers committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender, gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

North America Applicants Only

The salary range for this position is:

240,000 - 347,000 USD Annual

At Opella, you will enjoy doing challenging, purposeful work, empowered to develop consumer brands with passion and creativity. This is your chance to grow new skills and be part of a bold, collaborative, and inclusive culture where people can thrive and be at their best every day.

We Are Challengers.

We are dedicated to making self-care as simple as it should be. That starts with our culture. We are challengers by nature, and this is how we do things:

All In Together: We keep each other honest and have each other's backs.

Courageous: We break boundaries and take thoughtful risks with creativity.

Outcome-Obsessed: We are personally accountable, driving sustainable impact and results with integrity.

Radically Simple: We strive to make things simple for us and simple for consumers, as it should be.

Join us on our mission. Health. In your hands.

www.opella.com/en/careers

#GD-SA

#LI-SA

#LI-HYBRID