Mars, Incorporated – Assistant General Counsel (Sustainability, Human Rights & Supply Chain Due Diligence)


salary - $216,000 – $297,000 (base, plus bonus and benefits)

remote type - Onsite / Hybrid (Headquarters-based)

location - McLean, Virginia, United States

time type - Full Time

experience level - Executive / Senior (12–15+ years)


About Mars

Mars operates with a long-game philosophy wrapped inside its Sustainable in a Generation Plan. The ambition is not subtle:

Healthy planet
Thriving people and pets
Inclusive, responsible global systems

With over 180,000 employees, this is a machine. Your role is to make sure that machine moves ethically, legally, and intelligently across borders.


The Opportunity

This is not a support role. It is architect-level legal influence.

You are the global lead on:
Business and human rights
Supply chain due diligence
Responsible sourcing legal frameworks

You will define how Mars interprets and operationalizes rapidly evolving regulations across jurisdictions that do not agree with each other. That alone should tell you how politically and intellectually demanding this job is.


What You’ll Do

Enterprise Legal Strategy

Own the global legal approach to human rights and supply chain due diligence
Design legal guardrails, governance structures, and escalation frameworks
Translate regulation into practical, enterprise-wide application

Regulatory Leadership

Lead legal work on major frameworks including:
CSRD
CS3D
LkSG
EUDR
Forced labor regulations

Track emerging laws and enforcement trends like a radar system scanning the horizon


Risk & Investigations

Handle high-risk human rights issues and sensitive escalations
Support internal investigations tied to sourcing and supply chains
Balance legal exposure with reputational reality


Cross-Functional Influence

Act as the connective tissue between:
Legal
Sustainability
Procurement
Finance
Public Affairs

No formal authority in many cases. Influence is your currency.


Governance & Implementation

Develop policies, playbooks, templates, and training
Enable consistent execution across regions without breaking local ownership
Build systems that scale, not just advice that sounds good in meetings


External Interface

Advise on policy, advocacy, and multi-stakeholder engagement
Support positioning in industry forums and regulatory discussions
Ensure Mars speaks carefully when the world is listening


What They’re Looking For

You are not just a lawyer. You are a systems thinker with legal precision.

Core requirements:

Law degree and active qualification in a relevant jurisdiction
12–15+ years of experience
Deep expertise in:
Human rights law
Supply chain due diligence
Forced labor and responsible sourcing
Sustainability regulation

Strong judgment under pressure
Ability to influence senior stakeholders without relying on hierarchy
Experience in global, matrixed organizations


Preferred Advantage

In-house experience at a multinational company
Exposure to public policy or government relations
Experience managing high-risk investigations
Familiarity with adjacent ESG domains like:
Deforestation
Sustainability reporting
Packaging regulation


What Makes This Role Different

Most legal roles interpret rules.
This one helps define how rules become reality inside a global system.

You are effectively:

Part legal strategist
Part risk architect
Part diplomat
Part internal regulator


PWhy This Role Matters

Supply chains are where values either hold or collapse.

This role determines whether commitments to human rights are:
A paragraph in a report
Or embedded into how billions of dollars move across the world

That is real leverage.


Apply

Apply via Mars Careers



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