Reference Number
VL/BE/LAW/4390/26
Position
In House Legal Counsel – Permanent – Wetteren
Company
Van de Velde Packaging Group is a Belgian group headquartered in Wetteren. Founded as a family business, the group has grown into an international provider of innovative, carton‑based packaging solutions and packaging machinery. Van de Velde Packaging supports its customers throughout the entire packaging process, from design and development to printing and production, with a strong focus on quality, service, sustainability and long‑term partnerships.
Role Overview
The Legal Counsel will act as a first‑line legal advisor to the group, working closely with the CFO and senior management, and coordinating with external legal advisers where required. The role is based in Belgium and expects to work from the headquarters in Wetteren at least two days per week.
Key Responsibilities
* Drafting, reviewing and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts, including customer, supplier, distribution, licensing (IP) and service agreements;
* Protecting the organisation against legal risks related to contracts, disputes and claims;
* Providing pragmatic legal support in the context of restructuring, reorganisation and change processes;
* Supporting senior management on legally sensitive matters, enabling well‑informed decision‑making;
* Monitoring legal and regulatory developments and assessing their impact on the business, ensuring appropriate implementation where required;
* Providing clear and practical legal advice to internal stakeholders across finance, sales, HR and operations;
* Coordinating and supervising external legal counsel and ensuring the efficient use of external legal support;
* Budget ownership of the legal cost centre;
* Contributing to corporate governance and group‑level legal housekeeping.
Profile
* Master’s degree in Law;
* 5 to 9 years of relevant legal experience, gained in a respected law firm and/or in‑house;
* Excellent business partner;
* Broad legal background, with a strong focus on commercial contracts and corporate matters;
* Interest in, or exposure to, restructuring, turnaround or change environments and M&A or Exit;
* Pragmatic, hands‑on and solutions‑oriented mindset;
* Drives harmonisation & standardisation, e.g. customer contracts;
* Able to work autonomously in a lean organisation;
* Business‑minded and able to prioritise;
* Efficient with tools: document management, AI & collaboration tools;
* Fluent in English and Dutch.
Offer
Van de Velde Packaging Group offers a challenging in‑house legal role with real impact. It is an opportunity to work close to decision‑making, take ownership over a broad legal scope and actively contribute to the future of the group. The position is a full‑time payroll role, with a competitive remuneration package in line with experience and internal context.
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