If you are currently employed at Smithfield, please log into Workday and submit your application through the Jobs Hub. A great job-and a great future-awaits you at Smithfield Foods. We’re an $18 billion U.S. food company with nearly 60,000 employees worldwide. We’re looking for motivated people who want to join our team and grow lasting and meaningful careers with us. Join our family today. Apply Now! Your Opportunity The Associate General Counsel, Contracts provides legal advice to the Company and supports the Law Department and individual business units with a wide range of commercial contracting matters. This role works closely with the Company’s Law Department leadership, other members of the Law Department and individual business units to achieve business objectives within acceptable risk profiles and performs duties consistent with legal and ethical requirements, as well as Company values, standards, culture and business practices. May manage attorneys, paralegals or other staff handling contracts work. This role allows for a flexible, hybrid workplace schedule, which is anticipated to be 50-75% remote. Core Responsibilities Drafting, analyzing and negotiating complex and routine commercial contracts, including non-disclosure agreements, master services agreements, SOWs, SaaS agreements, supply chain agreements, transportation agreements, licensing and other technology agreements. Familiarity with information technology and infrastructure is strongly preferred. Managing a contract matter throughout the process, from intake or drafting through negotiation and execution, and assisting the business in on-going contract management and dispute resolution, including advising on performance issues and available contractual remedies. Preparing negotiation strategies that reflect an advanced knowledge of contract terms and conditions, legal requirements for compliance with applicable laws and regulations and the Company’s overall strategies. Preparing executive summaries detailing contract negotiation schedules, issues and risks. Supporting the Law Department in contract lifecycle management, template creation and the development of contracting standards applicable to the organization to achieve organization-wide consistency. Researching and evaluating contract management products and other legal technology tools to streamline legal processes. Assisting in implementing innovative legal products and procedures. Preparing and delivering trainings and tool kits for the business and helping to develop contracting processes. Supervising and training junior attorneys and paralegals. Actively managing outside counsel. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. May perform other duties as assigned. Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions. Juris Doctorate Degree from an accredited law school and 10 years of relevant experience, required. Admitted to practice in at least one state. Minimum of seven years of substantive experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts with a corporate legal department or a well-regarded law firm. Skilled lawyer with the ability to effectively and efficiently manage multiple matters and changing priorities and to complete projects in a timely and accurate manner. Detail-oriented. Excellent communication (oral and written), organization, analytical and interpersonal skills. Ability to clearly communicate complex concepts to internal clients and externally. Sound judgment: ability to think critically, make and articulate well-reasoned recommendations and determine who should be kept informed. Ability to counsel internal clients on the risks associated with various options and to present creative solutions to difficult problems to achieve the desired business outcome while appropriately managing risk. Performance-driven with good business sense, a strong work ethic and a sense of urgency, honesty and fairness. Strong sense of ownership over matters. Ability to be respectful, approachable and team-oriented while building strong working relationships and a positive work environment. Committed to be an engaged partner to internal clients. Ability to work well with others in fast paced, dynamic environment. Ability to be respectful, approachable and team-oriented while building strong working relationships and a positive work environment. Willing to travel on an occasional basis. EEO/AA Information Smithfield is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, gender identity, protected veterans status, status as a disabled individual or any other protected group status or non-job characteristic as directed by law. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment selection process, please call us at 757-357-1595. Salary Range $170,500.00 - $255,250.00 At Smithfield, good food starts with good people. Our nearly 60,000 team members across the globe drive our success. We strive to create a fair, ethical and rewarding work environment, offer excellent benefits packages and education and career advancement opportunities and cultivate a welcoming workplace through our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. For Smithfield, "Good food. Responsibly.®" is more than just our tagline; it's what we do. We provide good jobs. We take good care of our animals. We are good stewards of the environment. We do good in our local communities. Smithfield is proud to offer robust, flexible and affordable benefit plans and programs to support our team members and their loved ones, and with out-of-pocket costs, on average, 20 percent less than plans offered by other employers. Beyond our medical plans, our Be Well programs offer tools and resources to enhance your quality of life, at no additional cost. These programs are uniquely tailored to our Smithfield team and provide support for elective surgeries, weight loss, mental health, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, smoking cessation, asthma, maternity management and more. In addition, Smithfield offers tuition assistance and tuition reimbursement. In partnership with Guild, Smithfield provides upfront tuition assistance, covering up to 100% of tuition costs for various degree and certificate programs and offering partial funding for other learning programs to help team members accomplish their personal and professional goals. Smithfield offers more than 200 fully or partially funded programs across 60 learning partners, including college degrees and certificates in high-growth areas like business, technology, engineering, sustainability and more; high school completion and college preparatory programs; and English language learning. Full-time and part-time Smithfield team members are eligible on their first day of employment. Learn more at smithfield.guildeducation.com. Smithfield’s Education Reimbursement Program provides financial reimbursement to team members who want to further their formal education by obtaining a GED/High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma or by pursuing an academic degree at an accredited college or university that is not a Guild learning partner. To learn more about Smithfield's benefits, visit smithfieldfoods.com/careerbenefits. Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is a U.S. food company that employs nearly 60,000 people in seven countries and partners with thousands of American farmers. As one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies, we are dedicated to producing “Good food. Responsibly.®” to feed a growing world population. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30% across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan's Famous®, among many others. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com and connect with us on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads. Not finding the right fit? Let us know you're interested in a future opportunity by clicking Get Started below or create an account by clicking 'Sign In' at the top of the page to set up email alerts as new job postings become available that meet your interest!