Job Summary: 

The Assistant General Counsel will provide strategic legal support across the International Americas region, including Canada, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Panama, and to Sysco’s export company.  The Assistant General Counsel is responsible for providing legal counsel and risk assessment across a broad range of matters including commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, international trade, employment law, and real estate. Serves as the primary legal support for a variety of business professionals, primarily senior management, company executives and/or leadership of key functions within the region.  Manages and selects outside counsel and develops strategies for commercial contracts/negotiations and dispute resolution.  Directs pre-litigation employment matters and responses to complaints received by opposing counsel and government agencies.  Partners with leadership of key region functions, including Sales, Operations, Finance, Merchandising, Human Resources, Safety and Compliance, to support key initiatives for the overall organization.  

Responsibilities: 

• Provide daily legal advice and counsel to business leaders across the International Americas region. 

• Direct, manage, and develop strategy for respective legal matters. 

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements including customer, vendor, supplier, and distribution contracts.  Support standardization of agreements across the region. 

• Support strategic initiatives including expansion into new markets, integration of subsidiaries, and development of new business models. 

• Conduct training and prepare materials for internal stakeholders on legal and compliance matters. 

• Manage outside counsel relationships and legal spend to ensure cost-effective support. 

• Monitor and advise on regulatory developments in international trade, employment law, and compliance. 

• Participate in cross-functional teams to support enterprise-wide initiatives and policy development and implementation. 

• Support subject matter experts with real estate transactions, mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures within the region. 

Education/Experience: 

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited U.S. law school, or a law degree from a foreign jurisdiction plus an LLM from an accredited U.S. law school. 

• Texas law license or eligibility to become licensed in Texas. 

• Minimum of 5–7 years of legal experience, which may include a combination of law firm and in-house counsel roles. 

• Experience in international legal matters, including trade, compliance, and cross-border transactions, is strongly preferred. 

Skills: 

• Strong legal acumen with the ability to provide clear, actionable advice in a fast-paced, global environment. 

• Consistently fosters a positive, solution-oriented atmosphere, even when faced with adversity 

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 

• Proven ability to manage multiple complex projects across jurisdictions. 

• Collaborative mindset with strong interpersonal and leadership skills. 

• Ability to work independently and exercise sound judgment. 

• Experience managing external counsel and legal budgets. 

• Bilingual capabilities (English/Spanish) are required. Ability to read and write in Spanish is preferred. 

Language Skills: 

Must be fluent in spoken Spanish. Ability to read and write in Spanish is preferred. Above-average command of English, both oral and written, and excellent grammar, proofreading, punctuation and spelling skills. 

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.   

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.