Legal Counsel - International Sanctions

Lay the groundwork for tomorrow with Kubota!

Since 1890, Kubota has evolved in a unique way worldwide. With a strong will to solve problems in food, water and the environment, we have leveraged our strength as a manufacturer and a solutions provider. Spanning across 120+ countries and employing more than 50,000 people in Asia, Europe and North America, Kubota generates revenue in excess of $20 billion. From agricultural and industrial machinery, and overall water solutions, to any other living environment solution, our question, and our challenge was always the same:
what can we do to meet the demands and enhance our lives for tomorrow?

Explore this exciting career opportunity and join us on the journey as we seek to be an 'Essentials Innovator for Supporting Life'.

My job, Our future

Role description:

As a Compliance Officer for International Sanctions , you will report to the Director of Group Trade & General Compliance and be based in Nieuw-Vennep, the Netherlands . You will be one of our key players when it comes to fostering Kubota's compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements with regards to Kubota's Trade and Export program as well as its overall compliance program. A strong focus of the role will be to take our Trade and Export policies and processes to the next level and support to fulfill the team's roadmaps. In doing so you will a) perform reviews, b) optimize our internal processes, c) fulfill reporting and notification obligations, d) coordinate audits and third-party due diligence, and e) advise and train Kubota's employees.

Your contribution will provide the opportunity to shape our current & upcoming products / services, in a way that avoids unnecessary risks and mitigate those that are too high for Kubota's risk appetite, and to implement.

Responsibilities:

Advising and supporting Kubota Holdings Europe BV and its European affiliates about Trade and Export (including but not limited to international sanctions) issues and queries; coordinating with compliance teams, as well as various clients and departments (IT, Legal, Procurement, Sales, Export, Marketing and others) throughout the organisation
Staying abreast of regulatory updates from various authorities (i.e. US OFAC, UN Security Council, Swiss SECO, UK OFSI, Council of the EU etc.) in relation to commodities trading and shipping industry
Supporting in mapping out of the business processes including risks and tracking remediation, policy reviews, process mapping (including but not limited to relationships reviews, KYC, and onboarding-related enquiries)
Participating, in collaboration with the various internal departments, in the identification, assessment and prioritization of risks, as part of the improvement of their mapping
Making pragmatic recommendations, preparing reports, ensuring that corrective action plans are defined and implemented, and validating the closure of certain issues - including but not limited to the implementation of the package of European sanctions against Russia
Participating in the development of the Group's IT tools and information systems
Building, participating in and working closely with the network of compliance liaison officers in the Business Units and local entities
Collecting internal information in response to regulatory and/or administrative requests
Carrying out due diligence on third parties
Regularly updating the Trade and Export programs and adaptation to local laws with a goal of ensuring compliance with laws and reducing the Company's risk exposure and potential for penalties
Actioning the Trade and Export monitoring plan through audits, which include conducting reviews of existing processes, documentation and information to ensure they remain up to date
Serving as the first point of contact in case of a Sanction Breach, while supporting local entities with advice and feedback even if the incident is only local
Responding to general advisory requests to the Export and Trade policies from colleagues across Business Units and local entities
Managing requests for exceptions to policies
Working with the Director of Compliance to produce regular reports and metrics on the Trade and Export program to various audiences, including senior management and other boards/committees
Developing - in collaboration with the Director of Compliance - the Trade and Export trainings and other awareness programs, including issuing group-wide communications
Enhancing and ensuring the effective deployment of the awareness and training programs for the stakeholders most at risk
Coordinating internal projects and joint topics with Trade and Export topics at Japan headquarters level
Research and document future requirements driven by upcoming Trade and Export (including international sanctions) legislation
Review, draft and negotiate Trade and Export contractual terms
Coordinating the use of external law firms when it is required to
Managing ad hoc queries issued through various channels and preparing materials on key sanctions compliance topics

Must-have:

Master's degree in Law
Around 4 years of relevant experience in sanctions compliance or similar legal roles in an international environment
Strong understanding of regulatory frameworks in the USA , EU , UK and Norway
Familiarity with sanctions screening tools and official databases
Excellent communication and influencing skills, and the ability to adapt your communication style to different audiences including:
authorities, auditors, management, and other
Service mindset, proactive (strong affinity for efficient and effective processes) and detail-oriented (keen eye for continuous process improvements)
Capability to work both independently and in multicultural teams
English (B2+)

Nice-to-have:

Proven ability to manage and complete tasks across multiple business units and commitment to work collaboratively with numerous stakeholders at all levels throughout the organisation
German/French (B2+)

We offer:

An international and growing Group of companies with customers all over the world
Opportunities to develop and grow across multiple disciplines and geographies
A positive & dynamic working environment
Market-conform salary, travel allowance & 40 holidays
Additional benefits, in accordance with the CLA Metalektro labour agreement
Hybrid work schedule & a focus on work-life balance