General Counsel
1245 Corporate Blvd, Aurora, IL, USA, 60505
ALDI is one of the fastest-growing retailers in the nation, on a bold path to expand with plans for nearly 3,200 locations by 2028. We are seeking a strategic and experienced General Counsel to lead and elevate our Legal and Compliance programs. In this role, you will provide expert legal counsel, guide compliance initiatives, and influence company-wide governance to support ALDI's continued growth and success. Join our team and make a significant impact as a trusted advisor to our executive leadership team while upholding ALDI’s core values.
Position Type: Full-TimeStarting Salary: $410,000
Salary Increases: Year 2 - $422,000 | Year 3 - $447,500
Work Location: Aurora, IL
This role is eligible to participate in ALDI’s Hybrid Work Program, which allows remote work up to 2 days per week (i.e., work remotely up to 2 days per week; work in-office at least 3 days per week).
Duties and Responsibilities:
Must be able to perform duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Recruits, relocates, and recommends qualified employees for their team; determines the appropriate training methods/courses for new hires.
• Determines the salary levels for newly-hired or transferred employees reporting to them according to the established company wage structure.
• Understands the overarching company strategy while communicating and modeling the core values of the organization to create a sense of teamwork and membership among employees.
• Establishes, communicates and evaluates job responsibilities and performance expectations to their team to ensure mutual understanding of desired results.
• Recommends best practices in relation to legal and compliance processes and programs.
• Advises on compliance with legal documentation and company policies.
• Manages and liaises with outside counsel on legal matters and litigation from inception to trial.
• Counsels on employment/labor law, employee relations, ethics, privacy, transparency, data collection and storage, regulatory and governmental changes, compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and artificial intelligence matters.
• Forms collaborative relationships with leaders and employees in order to execute strategies and efforts to support the growth/strategic objectives of the company.
• Provides expert and strategic counsel on various legal topics to leaders as requested.
• Consults with executives on the development of their team's strategy.
• Makes recommendations to executives on how to improve, design, and streamline applicable policies, procedures, and practices.
• Manages external consultants accordingly.
• Liaises with directors in other ALDI countries to facilitate the sharing of best practices.
• Evaluates and analyzes any legal cases on behalf of the company, working to provide guidance to all areas of the company's operations.
• Manages litigation and disputes, working with external counsel as needed to resolve legal matters efficiently and effectively. Works to mediate escalated employment matters as appropriate.
• Evaluates and establishes internal governance policies, weighing multiple inputs and impacts, anticipating issues, and estimating risks strategically.
• Identifies proactive and cost-effective solutions that will eliminate and/or mitigate legal and business risks as well as performing pre-litigation work to minimize risks and maximize legal rights.
• Reviews contracts and agreements, negotiating and creating agreements and/or contracts on behalf of the company as appropriate.
• Reviews and coordinates the necessary legal review of advertising, marketing, and other collaterals to ensure compliance with legal requirements.
• Oversees legal aspects of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, contracts, and joint ventures.
• Leads the compliance function, including internal frameworks, policies, monitoring systems, and training programs.
• Leads the compliance function, including internal frameworks, policies, monitoring systems, and training programs.
• Monitors compliance activities and conducts risk assessments within all business units, identifies trends and potential areas of compliance vulnerability and reports accordingly to the CEO.
• Manages the ALDI AlertLine system, including investigations into reports of potential compliance violations, and ensures appropriate action is taken.
• Monitors changes in laws, regulations, and industry best practices, and advises executive leadership accordingly.
• Manages and maintains all company corporate records and related filings ensuring the company meets legal and statutory obligations.
• Monitors changes in laws, regulations, and industry best practices, and advises executive leadership accordingly.
• Manages and maintains all company corporate records and related filings ensuring the company meets legal and statutory obligations.
• Develops and monitors department budget, including internal and external counsel.
• Directs their team by ensuring that all projects and tasks meet business needs as well as expectations for quality and service.
• Establishes team objectives that align with the overall company strategy.
• Participates in international, National and Specialist Committees as required to establish best practice and business consistency.
• Identifies and develops company-wide and individual initiatives for their team.
• Complies with ALDI privacy and security requirements and policies if job responsibilities include possible access to confidential and/or sensitive information.
• Other duties as assigned.
Job-specific Competencies:
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
• Consistently demonstrates the ALDI Acts Competencies as outlined for the role.
• Gives attention to detail and follows instruction.
• Understands the history, strategy, organizational authority, interdependence of job duties, products, systems and services of the company.
• Ability to develop rapport, trust and open communication that enhances the growth and job performance of direct reports.
• Understands cost/benefit analysis.
• Ability to recommend, interpret, and/or apply company policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of the process for recording, classifying, and summarizing financial transactions in accordance with company, statutory, tax, cost, and reporting requirements.
• Knowledge of how legal issues affect organizations and the ability to develop strategies to coordinate legal considerations to business objectives.
• Ability to plan for and use funds to maximize the value of the financial resources of the organization.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with internal and external parties.
• Ability to anticipate legal risks as well as utilize excellent judgement and analytical skills.
• Ability to stay organized and multi-task in a professional and efficient manner.
• Problem-solving skills.
• Ability to compare financial performance with projections and facilitate corrective actions when results differ significantly from plan.
• Ability to facilitate group involvement when conducting meetings.
Education and Experience:
• Bachelor's Degree required.
• Juris Doctor Degree from an ABA-accredited law school required.
• A minimum of 7 years of progressive external or internal experience in both law firm and corporate settings with general knowledge of risk and compliance, corporate/contracts law, litigation, trademarks, labor and employment law, etc. required.
• Completion of the ALDI LEAD (Leadership Enhancement And Development) program (for internal candidates) or equivalent combination of external leadership experience and training required.
Physical Requirements:
• Work may be performed in an office, remote office or a combination of both environment where a computer and office equipment may be used as needed to perform duties.
• Regularly required to sit, reach, grasp, stand and move from one area to another.
• Constantly and repeatedly use keyboard/mouse.
• Occasionally required to push, pull, bend, lift and move up to 25 lbs.
Travel:
• International & Domestic travel required.
• Up to 25%.
ALDI offers competitive wages and benefits, to all employees including:
- 401(k) Plan
- Company 401(k) Matching Contributions
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- PerkSpot National Discount Program
In addition, full-time employees are offered:
- Medical, Prescription, Dental & Vision Insurance
- Generous Vacation Time & 7 Paid Holidays
- Up to 6 Weeks Paid Parental Leave at 100% of pay
- Up to 2 Weeks Paid Caregiver Leave at 100% of pay
- Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Life, Dependent Life and AD&D Insurance
- Voluntary Term Life Insurance
*Full-time employees average 30 or more hours per week within an annual lookback period
**Benefits offered to full-time and part-time employees may vary by state
Click here to learn more about the benefits ALDI has to offerALDI is committed to equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. As a proud Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE), we do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, religion, sex, sexual stereotyping, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), or any other protected characteristic. Employment may be contingent upon ALDI's receipt of an acceptable and job-related drug test, motor vehicle report, and/or reference check, as applicable and permissible by law.
