Regional Compliance Counsel- EMEA

Job Purpose

The Ethics & Compliance Counsel serves as a legal advisor and regional strategic leader responsible for the regional execution and continuous improvement of Valvoline Global Operations’ global ethics and compliance program. This role ensures alignment with applicable laws, regulatory requirements, and organizational values while enabling business objectives across diverse regional markets. The position plays a critical role in fostering a culture of integrity, managing legal and reputational risk, and providing support and insights to regional leadership.

How You Make an Impact (Job Accountabilities)

Regional Ethics & Compliance Program Leadership

• Provide regional support for VGO’s global ethics and compliance program, ensuring a risk-based, scalable framework aligned with regulatory requirements, industry standards, and company values across all wholly owned entities and joint ventures.
• Provide regional support for key compliance program elements, including Code of Conduct, policy governance, ABAC, global trade compliance, ESG-related compliance, product regulatory compliance, and third-party risk management.
• Provide regional support for compliance risk assessments, monitoring, and reporting processes to evaluate program effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.
• Stay abreast of evolving regulatory, enforcement, and ESG reporting landscapes and proactively advise business leaders on emerging risks and required actions.

Investigations & Reporting Programs - Regional Oversight

• Provide regional support for compliance investigations, assessing allegations of misconduct to determine potential violations of law, regulation, or company policy.
• Plan, scope, and lead complex, high-risk, and confidential internal investigations from inception through resolution.
• Review and provide guidance on investigation work conducted by investigators or regional resources to ensure consistency and quality.
• Ensure timely and appropriate documentation, reporting, and closure of investigations, including tracking remediation actions through completion.

Policy, Training & Culture

• Lead the regional compliance efforts associated with global ethics and compliance policies.
• Oversee the development, implementation, and maintenance of regional compliance procedures and workflows to operationalize policies effectively.
• Oversee the design and deployment of regional compliance training and communications to promote awareness of legal requirements, ethical expectations, and regulatory obligations.
• Advance a strong speak-up culture and reinforce non-retaliation principles.

Cross-Functional & Global Partnership

• Partner cross-functionally with regional HR, Finance, Security, Product, Supply Chain, ESG, and Internal Audit teams to proactively identify legal, compliance, and governance risks and implement practical, defensible solutions.
• Coordinate with Global Compliance as well as regional legal teams to deliver consistent, pragmatic guidance on ethics, ABAC, export controls, environmental compliance, and product regulatory matters.
• Support compliance aspects of internal audits, Aramco compliance audits, ESG reporting reviews, and other regulatory assessments, including tracking, remediation, and reporting of findings across wholly owned entities and joint ventures.
• Advise on compliance aspects of regional cross-border transactions, third-party relationships, and market expansion activities to proactively identify and mitigate compliance risks.

Third-Party Risk Management & Regulatory Compliance

• Support VGO’s third-party risk management program, including onboarding, implementation, and optimization of third-party due diligence processes.
• Support risk-based due diligence and monitoring of third parties, with a focus on ABAC, export controls, sanctions, ESG considerations, and product compliance risks.

Privacy & Data Protection/ AI Regional Support

• Provide regional support for the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Valvoline’s global data privacy and AI programs, ensuring alignment with applicable laws and business objectives.
• Provide regional legal counsel on global data protection and AI laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, EU AI Act and other emerging frameworks), translating requirements into practical guidance.
• Participate in and support regional core privacy program operations, including data protection and AI impact assessments (DPIAs/PIAs), AI impact assessments, data subject rights processes (DSARs), and records of processing activities.

Product Regulatory & ESG Compliance

• Provide regional legal oversight and guidance on global product regulatory compliance, including chemical regulations, product safety requirements, and product stewardship obligations.
• Support Global Compliance and the global ESG team with environmental and ESG-related regulations and reporting frameworks, including environmental disclosures, sustainability reporting, and related governance expectations.
• Advise on regional compliance with global chemical regulatory frameworks (e.g., Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS)) and applicable regional requirements.
• Partner with Product, Supply Chain, and ESG teams to provide regional legal guidance on product lifecycle management, including labeling, safety data sheets, storage, transportation, and disposal requirements.
• Monitor regional regulatory developments related to environmental, health, safety, and product compliance, and translate requirements into actionable business guidance.

Risk Mitigation & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor regional investigation trends, case data, compliance metrics, and ESG-related risks to identify systemic issues and implement preventative legal, policy, and training solutions.
• Lead or support enterprise compliance initiatives, including ESG integration, regulatory readiness, risk assessments, and audits.
• Ensure effective follow-up on corrective and disciplinary actions to confirm timely and appropriate implementation.

What You Bring to the Role (Job Qualifications / Education / Skills / Requirements / Capabilities)

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and active license to practice law.
• Significant experience (typically 5–8 years) in ethics & compliance, internal investigations, regulatory law, ESG compliance, or related legal roles within a global organization.
• Demonstrated expertise in compliance program management, including ABAC, global trade, ESG compliance, and product regulatory frameworks (e.g., chemical regulations, product safety, transportation compliance).
• Strong knowledge of environmental and product-related regulatory regimes, including GHS, DOT hazardous materials regulations, and global product stewardship standards.
• Proven ability to lead complex, sensitive internal investigations and provide clear, risk-based recommendations.
• Experience interacting with executive leadership and Board-level stakeholders, including preparation of formal reports and presentations.
• Experience managing outside counsel and working across multiple jurisdictions.
• Exceptional analytical, judgment, and problem-solving skills with the ability to operate independently in high-stakes situations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey complex legal and regulatory concepts to non-legal audiences.
• High level of integrity, discretion, and professional ethics.

Competencies Desired

• Strategic Risk Leadership: Ability to anticipate, assess, and mitigate complex legal and compliance risks while aligning solutions with business strategy.
• Executive Communication & Influence: Effectively communicates complex issues to senior leadership, influencing decisions through clear, concise, and data-driven insights.
• Investigative Rigor: Applies structured, thorough, and objective approaches to investigations, ensuring defensible outcomes and high-quality documentation.
• Global Perspective: Demonstrates understanding of cross-border legal and cultural considerations, applying consistent compliance standards across diverse regions.
• Program Leadership & Continuous Improvement: Drives ongoing enhancement of compliance frameworks, leveraging data, trends, and best practices to strengthen program effectiveness.

Working Conditions / Physical Requirements / Travel Requirements

• Primarily office-based or hybrid work environment with extended periods of sitting and computer use.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced, global environment.
• Occasional travel (approximately 20–30%) to support global investigations, training, audits, and business engagement.
• May require availability outside standard business hours to support global operations and urgent compliance matters.