Description:
The Role:Circle K's business engages in complex, high‑stakes commercial relationships—alliances and joint ventures, private label sourcing, procurement and long‑term strategic partnerships. This role sits at the center of those relationships, balancing growth enablement with risk management. The Director, Legal Commercial Operations (U.S.) will serve as a strategic legal partner to the business, bringing structure, foresight, and judgment to transactions that materially impact revenue, operations, and brand.
Reporting to the Head, Legal Commercial Operations (U.S.), the Director, Legal Commercial Operations (U.S.) enables enterprise growth while protecting the company in high‑value, high‑risk commercial and strategic transactions.
The successful candidate will get to make their mark as they assist in the building of the U.S. commercial law function, becoming an elite member of a team designed to be the go-to legal partner to a dynamic group of business stakeholders.
What You'll Do:
- Provide legal support for Operations and Commercial Optimization, Operational Excellence, Merchandise and Category Management, Food Service and Restaurants, Category Intelligence and Enablement, Technology, and Sourcing and Supply Chain functions.
- Lead legal support for a broad portfolio of sophisticated commercial agreements including, but not limited to, strategic alliances and joint ventures; key customer contracts; supply chain; private label sourcing, manufacturing and distribution.
- Structure, negotiate, and draft complex agreements that balance commercial objectives with legal and operational risk.
- Manage junior attorneys in their support of day-to-day contracting needs of the named functions.
- Develop contract templates, standards, and negotiation playbooks, as well as self-service tools.
- Design and provide relevant training to business stakeholders.
- Identify and mitigate FTC and state‑level regulatory and antitrust risk related to pricing, competition, and trade practices, and other risks inherent in the subject matter areas.
- Provide due diligence and integration support to M&A legal team and provide additional support, as needed.
What You'll Need:
- JD or equivalent from an accredited institution and admission to at least one US state bar.
- 10+ years of experience, with a minimum of 7 years leading teams and/or functions (in-house and law firm).
- Deep experience negotiating complex, high‑value agreements with major counterparties, large CPGs, suppliers, manufacturers, wholesalers/ distributors, logistics companies, restaurant franchisors, technology companies, and enterprise customers.
- Proven ability to navigate ambiguity, balance risk and growth, and operate effectively in fast‑moving, commercial environments.
- Experience in retail, consumer, or multi‑site operating businesses strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated credibility with senior business leaders and executives.
- Pragmatic, business‑oriented legal advisor with a strong risk‑based mindset.
- Collaborative partner who can drive alignment across legal, finance, compliance, strategy, and operational teams.
- Deep knowledge of anti-trust and anti-corruption laws and compliance.
- Comfortable advising on a broad and shifting array of retail legal issues, including the enthusiasm to counsel on new and trending areas of law.
- Ability to work comfortably while processes and systems are being established.
- Collaborative spirit with a sense of humor.
Why you should work here:
Our job openings in stores and offices allow you to grow quickly within a global company, while benefiting from a dynamic work environment that puts people first. Wherever you are in your journey, we have a place for you. Here are some of the attractive benefits we offer:
- Competitive Salary
- Complete benefits packages (medical, dental, deferred compensation plan, employee stock plan, etc.).
- People Perks which allows for great discounts on food and fuel.
- Vacation / PTO time
- Work in a collaborative, dynamic and high performing team.
- Work for a leading, innovative, and growing company in convenience stores operations.
- Fortune 500 company and a 5-time Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award Winner.
- Tuition reimbursement of $5,000 per year.
- Learning opportunities to develop new skills and to evolve professionally in a fast-growing company.
