Senior Corporate Counsel

Make a +Difference at Kraton!

At Kraton, we make a +Difference, and we are looking for individuals who are also looking to make a difference in their jobs, for our customers and to the world. We are looking to hire a key member of our Legal team at our Global Headquarters in The Woodlands, Texas.

The Senior Corporate Counsel will provide contract-focused legal counsel to senior leadership, partnering with the business to manage risk, support strategic initiatives, and navigate complex legal matters.

We believe in making a +Difference, as a global manufacturer of sustainable specialty polymers and biobased pine chemicals, delivering innovative, high-performance solutions.

We’re proud to offer benefits that meaningfully support you—at work, at home, and everywhere in between. Some of the benefits offered are:

• Medical Insurance, including Tele Doc - multiple plans available with Flexible Spending Account & Health Savings Account options
• Dental & Vision Insurance
• Health Advocate – free support to help you understand your coverage and answer questions
• Life Insurance – base coverage paid for by Kraton with option for additional coverage
• 401k – Kraton provides matching contributions based on enrollment level
• Employee Assistance Program – provided at no cost to employees
• Accident, Disability, and Critical Illness Insurance

Manage legal and compliance risks arising from Kraton’s corporate activities and transformation projects by providing practical, business-oriented legal support, including:

• Advising business stakeholders and shareholder representatives on corporate, employment and benefits, and project-related legal matters
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts and related documentation
• Management of disputes, claims, and pre-litigation matters in coordination with internal stakeholders, shareholder representatives and external counsel
• Assess legal exposure and recommend practical strategies to mitigate risk and resolve disputes efficiently
• Managing relationships with external counsel, including scope of instruction, cost management, and quality oversight
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, internal policies, and global legal standards

This role will be required to show a high level of critical thinking, commercial acumen, and prioritization skill in order to:

• Sum up complex issues and provide guidance on decision making, whilst being mindful of the commercial stakes involved
• Act as a business partner by balancing legal risk with commercial objectives and providing pragmatic, solution-oriented advice
• Prioritize competing demands from the businesses

This role will interface with various stakeholder across the organization, with the key Interfaces including:

• Kraton’s General Counsel, Kraton’s leadership located in Houston, and other business stakeholders
• Assistant General Counsel (Americas) for escalation of commercial matters
• Senior Legal Counsel (Jacksonville) for coordination on regional matters, procurement and IT
• Senior Paralegal (Houston) –for matter management, contract administration, and process efficiency

• Excellent drafting skills and knowledge of relevant laws and regulations
• Knowledge of employment and benefits laws and regulations (mastery of US laws with broad understanding of EU applications and implications), with the ability to provide practical, risk-based advice on employee relations, compensation, incentive plans, and benefit-related matters
• Analytical, counselling, communication and interpersonal skills with sound legal, ethical and commercial judgment
• Proven experience interacting with and leading business and legal professionals
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills needed to be effective
• Good judgement and a strong ability to deal with ambiguity are essential
• Ability to prioritize competing demands from multiple stakeholders is essential
• Must possess a strong blend of legal and commercial skills and sound judgement

• Legal master/Academic
• 7 – 10 years qualified lawyer
• Working experience in a large complex organization and/or within a leading law firm
• Demonstrated familiarity with areas of corporate, contracting (procurement and supply chain is a plus) and regulatory law (such as product liability and general compliance related laws)

Kraton’s internal talent acquisition team manages our recruiting efforts and from time to time works with pre-selected/pre-approved external staffing agencies. We do NOT accept unsolicited resumes or candidate referrals from recruiters and/or agencies who are not pre-selected/pre-approved.

Kraton is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.