Senior Legal Secretary/Executive Partner

Description

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

This is a senior, high-trust role supporting the Group General Counsel and wider Legal function. Blending executive support, legal administration, and business partnering, this position is critical to ensuring the function operates with clarity, structure, and momentum in a fast-paced environment. 

You will operate as a trusted right hand—anticipating needs, removing friction, and enabling senior leaders to stay focused on what matters most. 

Key responsibilities

Executive & Leadership Support

• Proactively manage the Group General Counsel’s time, priorities, and focus
• Prepare high-quality briefs, papers, and presentations
• Ensure meetings are structured, purposeful, and follow through on outcomes
• Anticipate challenges and remove blockers before they arise
• Provide support to the legal senior leadership team who are based in Naas

Legal & Governance Administration

• Maintain legal documentation with a high level of accuracy and control
• Coordinate contract workflows, approvals, and execution processes
• Support governance activities, including board and committee materials
• Act as a dependable operational support across legal processes

Intellectual Property (IP) Operations & Formalities

• Manage end-to-end preparation and execution of IP legal documents including
• Ensure all documentation is accurate, compliant, and correctly executed
• Coordinate document execution across multiple jurisdictions and stakeholders
• Maintain structured, auditable records of all IP documentation
• Manage legalisation processes including notarisation, apostille, and consular requirements
• Partner with external notaries, agents, and global legalisation providers 
• Track timelines and proactively flag risks to avoid delays

Business Partnering & Operational Support 

• Act as a connector across Legal and the wider business
• Bring structure and clarity to competing priorities
• Support planning, coordination, and delivery of key functional activities
• Identify opportunities to simplify and improve processes

Workflow & Delivery

• Track actions, commitments, and deadlines with discipline
• Ensure consistent follow-through—nothing gets missed or delayed
• Bring order to ambiguity without overcomplicating solutions
• Leverage AI and digital tools to improve efficiency and automation

Stakeholder & Relationship Management 

• Build strong, trusted relationships with senior stakeholders
• Collaborate effectively across the legal team and EA community
• Operate with confidence internally and externally

Experience & Capability

• Significant experience supporting senior leaders in legal, corporate, or executive environments
• Strong background in legal administration and document management
• Proven ability to manage complexity, pressure, and competing priorities
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills
• High levels of discretion, judgement, and integrity
• Knowledge of international legalisation and documentation processes
• Good powerpoint skills and openness to leverage AI 

Personal Attributes

• Experienced and composed – bringing calm, confidence, and perspective
• Practical and outcome-focused – prioritising value over process
• Adaptable – willing to step in wherever needed
• Proactive – anticipating needs and acting decisively
• Growth-minded – continuously improving ways of working

Why join us?

This is a unique opportunity to operate at the heart of a growing global legal function, partnering closely with senior leadership and playing a key role in how the function delivers impact across Kerry’s business.