Associate General Counsel - Commercial Transactions, M&A and Marketing

ALDI is one of the fastest-growing retailers in the nation, and we are charting an aggressive growth course with plans to add 800 new stores by 2028, increasing to nearly 3,200 locations nationwide. You can play a vital part by joining our Legal team.  Our Legal team is key to our strategic direction and the management of a wide range of legal matters impacting the business. As a member of this team, you'll support ALDI in achieving our company initiatives and upholding our core values.

Are you a dynamic and experienced legal professional ready to take on a pivotal role in a leading retail organization? Join ALDI as an Associate General Counsel on our National Legal & Compliance team, where you'll spearhead high-visibility commercial transactions, play a critical role in mergers and acquisition activities, and provide expert counsel on marketing initiatives. This position offers the unique opportunity to partner with key stakeholders across the business, influencing strategic decisions and ensuring compliance in a fast-paced, growth-driven environment. If you're eager to leverage your legal expertise to make a significant impact and contribute to shaping the future of a respected retail leader, we invite you to apply today.

Position Type: Full-Time
Starting Salary: $250,000
Salary Increases: Year 2 - $265,000 | Year 3 - $280,000 
Work Location: Aurora, IL
This role is eligible to participate in ALDI’s Hybrid Work Program, which allows remote work up to 3 days per week (i.e., work remotely up to 3 days per week; work in-office at least 2 days per week).

Duties and Responsibilities: 
Must be able to perform duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Ensures the training, development, and performance of their team’s staff to retain a motivated, professional workforce that achieves their career objectives.
• Recruits and recommends qualified employees for their team’s staff positions.
• Establishes, communicates and evaluates job responsibilities and performance expectations to their team to ensure mutual understanding of desired results.
• 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.
• Serves as the primary legal liaison to the National Board and executive management on matters related to commercial transactions.
• Serves as the lead legal advisor on M&A transactions, managing all stages including strategy development, due diligence, negotiation of acquisition and ancillary agreements, and post-transaction litigation.
• Oversees and drives high-value commercial transactions, including cross-border deals, joint ventures, technology partnerships, and strategic initiatives.
• Represents the company in negotiations with counterparties on complex, high-profile agreements, ensuring alignment with corporate strategy.
• Develops and implements strategies to navigate complex antitrust and regulatory environments, ensuring compliance.
• Drafts and negotiates contracts, including a wide variety of customer and supplier agreements, taking responsibility for the contract lifecycle through execution.
• Partners and liaises with outside counsel and consultants on legal matters, ensuring the efficient use of resources and alignment with company standards.
• Advises leadership to source external vendors for applicable services when appropriate.
• Approves junior counsel work as it relates to substantive legal topics.
• Provides expertise and insight on any legal changes which impact the ALDI business (including participation in various committee and strategy meetings).
• Consults with leadership on the development of their team's strategy.
• Liaises with applicable areas of the business to ensure timely and efficient communication flow.
• Consults with the business to effectively design and streamline applicable processes within the organization.
• Keeps up-to-date on external best practices and relevant changes to their field/area; communicates updates to leadership.
• Evaluates and analyzes legal cases, reporting findings to their direct leader; researches unique legal issues impacting the organization by identifying applicable statutes, judicial decisions, and codes.
• Designs, implements, and drives process improvements and infrastructure solutions to the business; ensures successful implementation and communication of Legal programs in order to enhance the effectiveness of the team while providing visibility to key milestones and progress.
• Performs pre-litigation work to minimize risks and maximize legal rights, at the instruction of their direct leader.
• Manages their team by driving projects and tasks to completion through effective prioritization, work planning, resource allocation, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Identifies cost-saving opportunities and potential process improvements.
• Serves as the primary link between their team’s staff and leadership to ensure understanding of company goals, objectives, and opportunities for improvement.
• 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.
• Ability to recommend, interpret, and/or apply company policies and procedures. 
• Gives attention to detail and follows instruction. 
• Ability to develop rapport, trust, and open communication that enhances the growth and job performance of direct reports. 
• Understands the history, strategy, organizational authority, interdependence of job duties, products, systems, and services of the company. 
• Conflict management skills. 
• Advanced knowledge of United States contract law, commercial law, corporate law, M&A, and/or marketing law  and the ability to assist in defending the company against related litigation.
• 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.
• Understands cost/benefit analyses.
• Ability to anticipate legal risks, as well as utilize excellent judgement and analytical skills.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree required.
• A minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in a legal environment required.
• Experience in a law firm, corporate legal department and/or in-house legal counsel required.
• J.D. from an ABA accredited law school; licensed to practice in Illinois (or immediate ability to become licensed) required. 
• Knowledge of contract law, commercial law, corporate law, M&A, and/or marketing law.
• Or, a combination of education and experience providing equivalent knowledge. 

Physical Requirements:

• Work may be performed in an office, remote office or a combination of both 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 10%.

ALDI offers competitive wages and benefits, including:

• 401(k) Plan
• Company 401(k) Matching Contributions
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• PerkSpot National Discount Program

In addition, eligible 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

ALDI 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.