Senior Counsel

Position: Senior Counsel

Location: New York City (hybrid-3 days in-office)

Reports to: Global Data Privacy Officer

ABOUT THE WELLA COMPANY

Together, WE enable individuals to look, feel, and be their true selves.

Wella Company is one of the world’s leading beauty companies, comprised of a family of iconic brands such as Wella Professionals, Clairol, OPI, Nioxin and ghd. With 6,000 employees globally, presence in over 100 countries, Wella Company and its brands enable consumers to look, feel, and be their true selves. As innovators in the hair and nail industry, Wella Company empowers its people to delight consumers, inspire beauty professionals, engage communities, and deliver sustainable growth to its stakeholders.

Position Summary

The Senior Counsel, Corporate Governance will be a key member of the Legal team, reporting to the VP, Legal – Corporate, Governance & Securities..

This role reflects the continued growth of the Corporate & Securities function and requires a strong foundation in U.S. corporate and securities law, ideally from a nationally recognized law firm. Experience with private and public companies and SEC and capital markets matters is required, with global exposure a significant plus. Experience with procurement contracting in manufacturing, IT contracting, and familiarity with the beauty industry are also a plus. The position involves close partnership with colleagues across the legal team and broader business, including cross-border collaboration. A strong work ethic, initiative, and practical, solutions-oriented approach are essential. This role will be based in New York and requires in-office three days per week.

Key Responsibilities

Corporate & Securities

• Advise on securities law compliance, including disclosure obligations and review of investor communications and external materials.
• Support development of public-company governance frameworks, including securities trading, Regulation FD, and disclosure controls.
• Contribute to public reporting processes, including proxy statement and management of Section 16 reporting.
• Provide legal support for capital-raising and financing activities.
• Support equity compensation programs and related compliance.
• Develop governance best practices and monitor emerging trends.
• Partner with EU Corporate Senior Counsel, Tax, and Finance on global entity optimization.
• Support cross-border governance, entity management, and compliance as part of a global structure, including preparation of meeting materials and drafting corporate minutes and resolutions.
• Manage digital governance tools, subsidiary management platforms, entity management systems, databases, and internal repositories (e.g., SharePoint).
• Support setup and administration of diligence portals and virtual data rooms.

Supply Chain & Procurement

• Provide legal support to supply chain and procurement teams, including drafting and negotiating procurement agreements in manufacturing and IT contracting.
• Ensure compliance with laws and regulations affecting supply chain and procurement operations.

General Legal Support

• Work closely with Corporate and Procurement legal team members, contributing to a cohesive, collaborative legal function and supporting shared objectives.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to provide practical, business-focused legal advice across corporate and procurement matters.

Support compliance with corporate policies and continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) with strong academic credentials; active NY Bar membership.
• 7+ years of corporate law experience at a leading law firm required; in-house experience preferred.
• Strong U.S. corporate and securities background required
• Strong US corporate securities background required
• Experience working within a global organization or supporting cross-boarder entities preferred
• Experience with capital markets and related transactions.
• Industry experience in beauty, CPG, manufacturing, or related sectors a plus.
• Experience with supply chain, procurement, and IT contracting a plus.
• Proven excellent negotiation, drafting, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated initiative, independence, and ability to drive matters to completion.
• Strong work ethic and practical, solutions-oriented problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects under tight timelines.
• Experience with diligence portals, virtual data rooms, subsidiary management tools, and collaboration platforms (e.g., SharePoint).
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel for tracking and analysis.

We disclose the compensation range for positions in compliance with local law. Actual salaries will vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, skills and in comparison to internal incumbents currently in similar roles. Pay Range: $150,000-190,000 salary per year. The range listed is just one component of Wella Company's total rewards package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonus plan or variable pay, depending on the role. In addition, Wella Company provides a rich variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance, life and disability insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, paid holidays and paid time off (PTO).

NOTICES

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, please email NA.Recruiting@wella.com. This email account will not respond to inquiries regarding the status of a candidate’s application.

[For CA located postings ONLY]: Qualified Applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. 

Information regarding your rights: Know Your Rights and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision.