Job Description

Role Purpose

Lead the legal function across India, the Middle East and the UK, providing strategic, commercially focused legal advice, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing legal risks and supporting business growth and expansion.

Partner with the CEO, Executive Leadership Team and key functions to ensure business decisions are legally sound, commercially viable and appropriately risk managed. Oversee external counsel and coordinate legal matters across jurisdictions.

Key Responsibilities

1. Legal Strategy & Leadership

Develop and implement the Group's legal strategy and governance framework.
Advise the CEO, Board and senior leadership on legal, commercial and strategic matters.
Identify and mitigate legal and regulatory risks.
Build a proactive, business-oriented legal function.

2. Commercial Contracts

Draft, review and negotiate customer, supplier, partnership, M&A, technology, employment, property and international agreements.
Manage contractual risks, liabilities, indemnities and disputes.
Develop standard templates, approval processes and contract playbooks.

3. Compliance & Corporate Governance

Ensure compliance with applicable laws across India, Middle East and UK.
Advise on corporate governance, statutory obligations, licences, registrations and regulatory matters.
Support Board, shareholder, subsidiary, JV and restructuring matters.

4. Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Oversee litigation, arbitration, claims and dispute resolution.
Manage external law firms, legal strategy and legal expenditure.
Maintain oversight of material claims and potential exposures.

5. Employment & Labour Law

Advise HR and management on employment contracts, disciplinary matters, termination, restructuring, grievances and employment disputes.
Ensure HR policies and practices remain legally compliant.

6. International & Cross-Border Legal

Advise on cross-border transactions, international contracts and market entry.
Coordinate with local counsel on jurisdiction-specific matters.
Support establishment of new entities and international expansion.

7. Risk, Privacy & Intellectual Property

Maintain a Group-wide legal risk framework and risk register.
Advise on data protection, privacy, technology agreements and information security.
Protect and manage trademarks, copyrights, confidential information and other IP.

8. Ethics & Compliance

Promote ethical business conduct and legal compliance.
Support anti-bribery, anti-corruption, conflict-of-interest and investigation processes.
Conduct legal and compliance awareness initiatives.

9. External Counsel Management

Appoint, manage and evaluate external legal advisors and law firms.
Negotiate legal fees and optimise external legal spend.
Build internal capability to reduce unnecessary external dependency.

Qualifications & Experience

LLB or equivalent Law degree is mandatory; LLM or relevant postgraduate qualification preferred.
15+ years of relevant legal experience, preferably in Manufacturing, Engineering or a diversified/multinational organisation.
Strong in-house experience across commercial contracts, corporate law, litigation, compliance and risk management.
Experience managing legal matters across India and international jurisdictions, preferably the Middle East and UK.
Proven experience working with CEOs, Boards and senior leadership.
Strong experience managing external legal counsel and multinational law firms.

Travel

Domestic and international travel as required.