Legal Counsel Real Estate – Action

Our Client

In just 31 years, Action has grown from a single store in Enkhuizen to over 2,900 stores and 15 distribution centers across 12 European countries (with country number 13 and 14 to follow this year), offering customers surprising products at remarkably low prices. As one of Europe’s fastest-growing retailers, Action continues to expand, adding more stores and entering new countries each year.

With over 79,000 employees from 159 nationalities, Action offers a dynamic and international workplace driven by a positive, no-nonsense attitude. The Legal team plays a crucial role, supporting all business areas and Action’s central group functions, such as Supply Chain, Technology, Procurement (NfR), Marketing, Buying, and Real Estate.

Action is committed to sustainability, working to reduce its carbon footprint, improve product sustainability, and support initiatives like the Johan Cruyff Foundation and SOS Children’s Villages. The company also invests in upholding human and labor rights in its supply chain. ’More information about this all can be found here: Action Sustainability

Due to the company’s expansion, Action is recruiting a Legal Counsel with a focus on Real Estate to strengthen the team at their international HQ.

The Position

Als Legal Counsel Real Estate you will be the legal expert supporting the Real Estate organization on a wide variety of matters related to real estate and facilitate the required real estate framework to enable the rapid growth of Action’s store base in an efficient and controlled manner.

Together with your colleague, the Senior Legal Counsel Real Estate your responsibilities will, inter alia, be:

• setting the group’s central direction for leases (templates, must-haves) and real estate-related agreements (e.g., general contractor and maintenance agreements, installation agreements)
• monitoring and safeguarding the quality of leases and real estate-related agreements across the countries, including compliance with key KPIs set for real estate
• drafting and reviewing group wide supplier agreements for various real estate related goods and services
• providing training and creating awareness within the real estate domain on key legal topics
• liaising with the real estate legal managers in the countries where necessary
• participating in quarterly meetings with the country real estate legal managers
• setting up the real estate framework and documentation for new countries
• monitoring and controlling the real estate related outside counsel spend

This role offers variety, challenge, and responsibility in a dynamic international environment.

You proactively seek ways to improve the legal quality and efficiency of real estate processes and agreements, provide legal training to relevant target groups, and develop templates and guidelines to enhance legal uniformity and scalability. You ensure new laws and regulations are correctly implemented and occasionally handle disputes.

You will be part of a team of currently seven lawyers at Action’s international headquarters. Each lawyer has their own focus areas, and together, you support all parts of the Action group. The team is pragmatic, deeply involved in the business, and quick to make decisions, contributing to Action’s rapid international expansion. In this role you will be directly reporting to the Head of Legal.

You will work closely with the real estate organization at both a central and local country level, as well as with other teams where it comes to real estate related matters.

The role involves regular travelling to the countries Action is currently present or will be expanding to.

The Profile

For this role, we are seeking a dynamic, pragmatic, and decisive lawyer with a strong personality and a sharp business acumen. A hands-on and communicative lawyer, able to build good working relationships in different cultural environments quickly. The variety and unpredictability of diverse challenges energize you.

What you bring to the table:

• A master degree in law (LL.M. or equivalent)
• 5 to 10 years of experience as a real estate lawyer
• Experience with commercial leases is essential, experience in multiple jurisdictions or an international commercial environment is a strong plus
• Exceptional verbal and written skills in English, and preferably in one or more other European languages
• Willingness to travel

The Offer

• Enjoy a rewarding compensation package based on a 38-hour workweek (fulltime).
• Benefit from both short- and long-term incentive plans.
• Choose between a lease car or a car allowance.
• Embrace hybrid working options, combining office and remote work (60/40%).
• International HQ in Zwaagdijk-Oost is just a 30-minute, traffic-free drive from Amsterdam and accessible via a shuttle bus from Hoorn train station.
• Access a robust pension scheme and collective health insurance.
• Work closely with senior management, including our executive board.
• Advance your career in a rapidly expanding company.

Thrive in a diverse workplace with colleagues from many nationalities at Action’s IHQ.