Senior Legal Counsel - Marketing

About the role

Cochlear, a global leader in implantable hearing solutions, is hiring a permanent, full-time Senior Legal Counsel for its Macquarie University, Sydney office. This is a senior individual-contributor role within Legal, Compliance and Secretariat (LCS), reporting to the Deputy General Counsel - R&D, IP & Global Strategic Marketing. The role partners with Global Strategic Marketing and advises senior stakeholders on advertising, competition and consumer law, commercial contracts and brand and marketing disputes.

Key responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day legal work for Global Strategic Marketing, giving independent advice and constructive challenge to senior stakeholders.
• Advise on advertising, promotional and product-claim matters, including claim substantiation, Australian competition and consumer law and the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code.
• Draft and negotiate complex commercial agreements such as services, consultancy, sponsorship, talent, marketing, content acquisition, licensing and collaboration deals.
• Provide IP advice and design contractual positions protecting Cochlear's brands, content, technology and data.
• Lead or manage marketing-related disputes and regulatory or competitor challenges, coordinating internal stakeholders and external advisers.
• Monitor legal, regulatory and market developments and turn them into practical implications for the business.
• Build guidance, precedents, training and process improvements, and use data, systems, automation and approved AI tools responsibly.
• Coach junior colleagues on legal reasoning, drafting and stakeholder management.

Required profile

• Qualified to practise law in Australia (unrestricted), with about 8-12 years' relevant post-qualification experience (or equivalent).
• Experienced commercial lawyer able to lead complex matters independently and negotiate complex agreements.
• Strong judgment in ambiguous situations, integrating legal, commercial, regulatory and reputational considerations.
• Track record of building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and delivering practical, independent advice.
• Desirable: in-house experience in medical devices, healthcare, pharmaceuticals or technology; experience with the Therapeutic Goods Advertising Code, IP, privacy or disputes; experience coaching junior lawyers.

Required skills

• Strong technical experience in Australian competition and consumer law, especially advertising and marketing claims.
• Portfolio and project management, including managing external legal advisers on scope, quality, timing and cost.