Associate General Counsel-Legal Counsel

Job Summary:
The role holder leads and oversees the legal operations function within the company. This position is responsible for managing all legal aspects of the business, including contract management, legal disputes, corporate advisory, and interactions with government authorities. The role will manage a team of in-house lawyers and regularly collaborate with the management team.

Key Accountabilities:

• Lead and oversee the Legal Operations section, ensuring high-quality and timely legal support across business units.
• Manage the full lifecycle of contract drafting, review, and negotiation, including procurement, commercial, and other business-related contracts.
• Develop and maintain standard contract templates and contracting policies to improve efficiency and reduce legal risk.
• Manage external counsels. 
• Manage all legal disputes, litigation, and arbitration matters involving the company.
• Collaborate with external counsel where necessary and supervise legal strategies for ongoing disputes.
• Advise internal stakeholders on a wide range of corporate legal matters including governance, business structure, regulatory obligations (excluding compliance), and strategic initiatives.
• Ensure legal consistency and risk mitigation across all areas of the company’s operations.
• Serve as the primary legal contact for interactions with government authorities, regulators, and industry bodies.
• Monitor and assess regulatory developments that may impact the business and advise management accordingly.
• Lead, manage, and mentor a team of qualified lawyers.
• Promote professional development and ensure a high-performance legal team.
• Work closely with the senior management team to align legal strategy with business objectives.

Desired Candidate Profile:

• Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB or equivalent); LLM or JD is an advantage.
• Minimum 15 years of post-qualification experience, with significant experience in corporate/commercial legal practice, preferably extensive knowledge of legal systems and business practices in the Middle East.
• Proven experience in managing a legal team in a complex, multinational, or regional environment.
• High proficiency in Arabic (spoken and written) is an additional advantage.
• Deep understanding of Middle Eastern legal systems, commercial practices, and regulatory frameworks.
• Strong experience in handling commercial contracts, dispute resolution, and corporate advisory.
• The ideal candidate must have excellent negotiation and drafting skills, strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management abilities,
• High level of integrity, strategic thinking, and problem-solving capability and ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver under pressure.