Senior Paralegal

At Abbott, we are committed to helping people live their best possible life through the power of health. For more than 130 years, we have brought new products and technologies to the world – in nutrition, diagnostics, medical devices, and branded generic pharmaceuticals. These products create more possibilities for people at all stages of life. Today, over 114,000 of us are working to help people live not just longer, but better, in the more than 160 countries we serve.

We are recruiting a Senior Paralegal to be based in our office in Zaventem, Belgium.

The Senior Paralegal is responsible for providing commercial advice and legal support to Abbott’s businesses in the Northern Europe Region, as well as on occasion for specific projects elsewhere in the EMEA region, and supporting the Legal team. This position reports to the Senior Legal Counsel – BeNeLux & Nordics.

As a Senior Paralegal, you will:

· Support the business in the achievement of business objectives by communicating advice of the Legal Department and managing legal risks to the corporation.

· Perform substantive legal work that requires knowledge of legal concepts and identify moderately complex legal issues related to assigned matters; propose alternative solutions.

· Manage the internal Legal Intake System, which handles all legal requests submitted by the businesses, triages work to Counsels within the Legal Team, and tracks metrics.

· Resolve routine and moderately complex to complex legal matters on projects involving multiple disciplines within the Legal Division and/or multiple functional areas or divisions within Abbott, with minimal supervision.

· Perform independent analysis of unique problems and propose solutions to Counsels.

· Provide assistance in drafting and reviewing other types of commercial and supplier contracts, as needed.

· Identify training needs and assist in the development and presentation of training and education regarding legal requirements and developments.

· Maintain positive relations with all divisions, outside counsel and professionals, business partners, customers, consultants (including physicians), vendors, and the general public as needed.

· Develop a thorough understanding of and familiarity with Abbott business, its people, products, markets, facilities, customers, and competitors, and use this knowledge in providing guidance and counsel to Abbott’s business.

· Educate clients on the basics of contracting and use of self-service templates.

· Assist in managing external counsel across Europe, including engagement responsibilities.

· Review databases for new laws relevant to Europe.

Your Profile:

· Law degree or equivalent experience.

· Prior experience as a paralegal in either private practice and/or in-house.

· Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of standard commercial contracting.

· Understand terms and forms of contracts; can draft routine or moderately complex documents for review by supervisors; ability to think critically about business objectives during contract drafting; able to assist in follow-up negotiations on contract and commercial issues.

· Expertise in Microsoft Office products and Adobe Acrobat, as well as being comfortable with using systems and technologies.

· Strong process and analytical skills.

· Excellent time management skills and ability to manage competing priorities while ensuring timely completion and follow-up.

· Strong communication skills (verbal and written).

· Adept at follow-up and teamwork.

· Dynamic, proactive, and mature.

· Self-starter with strong bias for action and attention to detail.

· Excellent judgment and discretion with confidential matters.

· Ability to work well both independently and in a team environment.

· Ability to review and improve systems and processes.

· Languages: English and French, working knowledge of Dutch or German is considered a plus.

Our Offer:

Abbott Legal offers interesting, challenging, and rewarding work that encompasses a diverse portfolio of products – from consumer products to innovative medical technologies. We provide the opportunity to interact with customers and colleagues from around the world. Like the Abbott businesses we support, Abbott Legal is a dynamic organisation, and we are committed to developing our employees to meet the evolving needs of the company.

Abbott is regarded as an employer of choice for our commitment to workplace excellence. Our employees are given the tools to succeed, lead, and grow, with challenging opportunities and work that makes a difference. Discover a world of opportunities at Abbott.