Senior Counsel, Product & Marketing (AMER)

VF Corporation outfits consumers around the world with its diverse portfolio of iconic lifestyle brands, including Vans, The North Face and Timberland. Founded in 1899, VF is one of the worlds largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies with socially and environmentally responsible operations spanning numerous geographies, product categories and distribution channels. VF is committed to delivering innovative products to consumers and creating long-term value for its customers and shareholders.

At VF, the culture of each of our brands sets us apart and it influences everything we do. Everything we do supports creativity and we are driven by our values. We are determined. We are connected to our consumers and to each other. We are inclusive. We are expressive and Fun. And most of all, we are a family.

VF will grow by creating amazing products and brand experiences that transform and improve the lives of consumers worldwide, while delivering superior returns to our stakeholders.

At VF, we draw on 117 years of experience to continuously transform ourselves in an ever-changing global marketplace. We constantly learn from the past, but live in the future.

Our culture is all about harnessing the power of our brands and our talented associates to capitalize on our greatest opportunities for long-term performance. Across our company, a simplified and strategic mindset differentiates our products and brand experiences. It all adds up to a lasting competitive advantage built on collaboration, agility and execution.

Powerful brands, shaped by shopper insights and fueled by innovation, drive our success by putting us at the heart of consumers lives. With the industrys most diverse family of apparel, footwear and accessories brands, we serve consumers on every continent. Many of our brands lead their respective categories, and some have risen to iconic status. As we look to the future, we will continue to lean on our integrated approach to ensure we embrace our shared learnings as we add value across our portfolio of brands.

Senior Legal Counsel: Become the Newest Member of the Product and Marketing Legal Team

In this role, you will work across the VF portfolio of brands, providing legal guidance and strategy for a wide variety of issues to cross-functional teams and to associates at all levels, including senior leadership for each of our brands. You will handle a broad range of commercial matters, including contracts, advertising, marketing, product collaborations, intellectual property and licensing and distribution and oversee legal product design, development and quality reviews. You will have an opportunity to develop trusted and strategic relationships with the business, deeply understanding each brands key strategies and initiatives in order to help advance them from a legal perspective. You will provide leadership and support to the legal team and the business focused on the proper management of risk in all areas. You will also work closely to collaborate with other VF legal team members to support team initiatives around the world.

The Senior Counsel position reports to the Associate General Counsel, Product and Marketing, and will have direct reports.

How You Will Make a Difference:

In this position, you will provide support for a broad range of complex legal matters arising in the footwear/apparel/accessories space in the digital, wholesale and retail environments. Specific duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• People leader, capable of creating a positive work environment to promote employee satisfaction and engagement.
• Assume primary responsibility for supporting the following substantive legal areas: advertising and marketing, product collaborations, licensing and product design advice and counsel (including initial conversations around potentially protectible elements).
• Structure, draft and negotiate a wide variety of commercial contracts, including increasingly complex multi-million dollar contracts with celebrities, influencers and athletes, as well as complex licensing agreements, sponsorship agreements, athlete agreements, creative services agreements, ad or PR agency agreements, joint marketing agreements, talent and model releases, media, content and entertainment agreements, as well as agreements with suppliers and vendors, and nondisclosure agreements.
• Provide creative and practical legal and commercial advice and counsel to business clients on a wide array of business and contractual issues while coordinating with other Legal team members, Subject Matter Experts and stakeholders as necessary. Collaborate and build trusted advisor relationships with C-suite leaders and other key leaders of the organization.
• Provide advice and direction for the Product and Marketing legal team/Associate General Counsel, including on key marketing stories and strategic initiatives for each of our brands throughout the business, with respect to the development, launch and sale of new and existing products, including assistance with general corporate and commercial research, analysis and advice on a wide range of business and legal issues, managing legal risks and assisting with key transactions and projects.
• Provide direction to product, marketing and creative teams, including the key initiatives involving new products.
• Work with VF trademark and patent paralegals, providing advice and support to each brand with assistance from the paralegals.
• Collaborate with various other departments in the Legal team regarding privacy issues, including but not limited to data protection, waivers for in person events and coordination with privacy teams in other regions (EMEA, APAC, CASA).
• Lead, manage and direct the successful and efficient delivery of services by outside counsel.
• Assist with and/or manage litigation matters with outside counsel.
• Other legal tasks that may be assigned from time to time which contribute to the overall success of each of the brands in the VF portfolio.

Skills for Success:

In addition to being a self-starter, highly organized and able to work well with individuals at all levels, as the ideal candidate, you will have: 10+ years of relevant legal experience, combination of firm and in-house experience preferred

Educational/ Position Requirements:

• J.D. and member of the bar in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
• Experience working with a wide variety of contracts
• Experience with trademark and design patent advice and guidance a plus
• Experience working in the retail and/or footwear and apparel industry a plus

Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced, self-starter environment and capability of developing, maintaining and leading effective professional and collaborative relationships amongst internal and external stakeholders at all levels, including multiple cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple projects at the same time effectively and efficiently, remain flexible, manage clients expectations and appropriate communications in a demanding environment,
• Ability to think strategically and act tactically in prioritizing, re-prioritizing and following through with all tasks, assignments and jobs in a timely manner while anticipating needs and responding to changing demands.
• Capable of building credibility with legal and business groups for the delivery of real-time, business focused and relevant advice
• Skilled and experienced with drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts.
• Experience with advanced licensing deals involving high-profile entities and individuals, multi- dimensional content involving multiple mediums in media, elevated advertising/marketing, innovative media/entertainment, related advanced privacy and intellectual property a plus.
• Continuous demonstration of evaluation which integrates legal and business perspectives and provides clear, practical, strategic, creative, balanced and business-oriented advice to business clients.
• Must be customer-focused in many aspects of the business with strong interpersonal attributes and listening skills.
• Excellent organizational skills, judgement and problem-solving abilities.
• Team player with a positive attitude, self-confidence, enthusiasm and excellent interpersonal, communication (verbal and written) and negotiation skills.
• Independent, self-motivated, professional and proactive with a strong work ethic and sense of pride and accountability in work.
• Intellectual curiosity, engagement and desire and ability to learn and develop new skills.
• Must act with the highest level of character and personal integrity.

Hiring Range:

Incentive Potential: This position is eligible for additional compensation awards that may include an annual incentive plan, sales incentive, or commission potential. Specific details of the additional compensation eligibility for this position will be provided during the recruiting and interview process.

Benefits at VF Corporation: You can review a general overview of each benefit program offered, including this year's medical plan rates on www.MyVFbenefits.com and by clicking Looking to Join VF? Detailed information on your benefits will be provided during the hiring process.

Please note, our hiring ranges are determined and built from market pay data. In determining the specific compensation for this position, we comply with all local, state, and federal laws.

At VF, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individuals race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [email protected]. VF will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.

Pursuant to all applicable local Fair Chance Ordinance requirements, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, VF will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.