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-Time
Starting 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. • 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. • 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%.