Job Title: Senior Legal Manager
Location: Doha, Qatar
Department: Legal & Compliance
Reports to: General Counsel / Head of Legal
Role Overview
The Senior Legal Manager will lead and manage the legal function for the company's Qatar operations. Acting as the primary legal partner to senior management, this role ensures strong legal governance, full regulatory compliance, and effective risk management across commercial operations, major projects, partnerships, and entertainment assets.
The role requires a hands-on senior lawyer capable of independently structuring, negotiating, and closing complex commercial and project agreements, including concession, PPP and BOT-style arrangements where applicable, while overseeing the full contracts management lifecycle and corporate governance of multiple entities.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Legal Advisory
- Serve as the lead legal advisor to management on corporate, commercial, regulatory, and operational matters.
- Provide practical, business-focused legal solutions to support growth, investments, and new ventures.
- Advise on structuring and negotiation of public-private partnerships (PPP), concessions, and BOT/BOOT or long-term operating models with governmental or quasi-governmental entities where relevant.
- Interpret and apply Qatari laws and regulations impacting entertainment, events, venues, and public-facing operations.
2. Advanced Contracting & Contracts Management
Draft, review, negotiate, and manage high-value and complex agreements, including:
- Vendor, supplier, and outsourcing contracts
- Entertainment, event, talent, and content agreements
- Lease and property-related contracts
- Joint ventures, shareholder, and partnership agreements
- Service-level and operating agreements
- Development, construction, EPC and project-related contracts
- Concession agreements and PPP/BOT/BOOT project structures where applicable
- Project development and (where relevant) project financing agreements for large-scale venues and destination projects
Lead the end-to-end contracts management lifecycle, including:
- Standardisation of templates
- Negotiation and approval workflows
- Contract repository and version control
- Amendments, renewals, and performance/obligation tracking
- Contract governance and compliance with internal policies
3. Corporate Governance & Structuring
- Oversee corporate secretarial matters, board and shareholder resolutions, and statutory/regulatory filings.
- Maintain compliant and efficient corporate structures for all Qatar entities.
- Implement and monitor governance frameworks, delegations of authority, and internal legal policies.
4. Regulatory Compliance & Government Liaison
- Lead engagement with ministries, regulators, municipalities, and licensing authorities.
- Secure and maintain all required permits, approvals, and operational licenses for entertainment and venue activities.
- Monitor regulatory developments and ensure proactive, company-wide compliance.
5. Risk Management, Disputes & External Counsel
- Identify legal and contractual risks and implement mitigation strategies early.
- Manage disputes, claims, litigation, and arbitration through external counsel.
- Oversee legal aspects of insurance, liability, and incident management.
6. Business, Projects & Commercial Support
- Provide legal support on new projects, expansions, acquisitions, and strategic transactions.
- Support large-scale asset and destination developments from structuring to operation.
- Advise on branding, IP, marketing, sponsorships, digital media, and content licensing.
- Provide guidance on HR and employment law matters and internal policies.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Law (LLB or equivalent); LLM is an advantage.
- 812+ years of post-qualification legal experience.
- Strong in-house experience in asset-heavy, regulated sectors such as real estate, hospitality, entertainment, leisure, retail, or large mixed-use developments.
- Proven expertise in complex commercial contracting and full contracts management.
- Experience in large-scale development or infrastructure-style projects, with exposure to PPP, BOT/BOOT, or concession-based models is a strong advantage.
- GCC experience required; Qatar experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to manage external law firms and multi-stakeholder projects.
Skills & Competencies
- Excellent commercial drafting and negotiation skills.
- Deep understanding of contract governance and lifecycle management.
- Strong knowledge of corporate governance and regulatory compliance.
- Ability to interface effectively with government and regulatory bodies.
- High level of independence, ownership, and sound judgment.
- Strong leadership, analytical, and risk-assessment capability.
- Fluent English; Arabic is a strong advantage.
What This Role Offers
- Ownership of the legal function for a high-profile, fast-growing entertainment platform in Qatar.
- Direct involvement in major commercial deals, concessions, and large-scale projects.
- Strategic exposure to PPP/BOT-style structures and government partnerships.
- Close collaboration with executive leadership and public authorities.
- Opportunity to build and institutionalise best-in-class contracts and governance frameworks.
