AVP Legal

Job Description

Job Role

Legal Counsel

Department

Legal / Group Risk (as applicable)

Location

Dubai (or specify if role will support multi‑country operations)

Job Purpose

The Legal Counsel will provide end‑to‑end legal support on all vendor‑related contracting activities, ensuring that the company’s third party engagements are governed by robust, compliant, and commercially optimized agreements.

The role will focus on drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and managing vendor contracts—including MSAs, NDAs, SLAs, licensing agreements, outsourcing arrangements, and procurement‑related documentation—while partnering closely with Procurement, Finance, IT, Security, Data Protection, and business teams.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Contract Drafting, Review & Negotiation
• Draft, review, and negotiate vendor contracts, including MSAs, NDAs, SLAs, SaaS/technology agreements, outsourcing and professional services agreements.
• Identify legal, commercial, operational, cybersecurity, and data‑privacy risks in vendor proposals and documentation.
• Ensure that all vendor agreements align with internal policies, group contracting standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Maintain and enhance standard vendor contract templates and playbooks.
• Vendor Governance & Compliance
• Conduct legal due diligence on new and existing vendors, including sanctions checks, regulatory compliance, data‑protection alignment, and financial/operational risk review.
• Ensure adherence to applicable laws, including data‑protection, outsourcing, payments, AML/CFT, consumer protection, bribery/anti‑corruption, labour, and sector‑specific regulations.
• Support internal and external audits relating to vendor governance, procurement, outsourcing, and third‑party risk.
• Work closely with Procurement and business stakeholders to ensure ongoing vendor compliance throughout the vendor life cycle.
• Risk Identification & Mitigation
• Flag contractual and operational risks and propose practical mitigation strategies.
• Support development and implementation of vendor‑related legal policies, contract governance frameworks, and best practices.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments impacting vendor engagements and advise the business on required changes.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
• Partner with Procurement, Finance, Technology, Information Security, Data Protection, Business teams, and external legal counsel (when needed).
• Provide actionable legal advice that balances commercial objectives with compliance and risk management.
• Support vendor performance reviews by assessing contractual obligations, service‑level compliance, breaches, and remedies.
• Internal Support & Administration
• Ensure proper documentation, filing, and contract lifecycle management.
• Support digital contracting initiatives (e‑signatures, CLM systems, automation tools).
• Represent the Legal function in internal meetings related to vendor onboarding, procurement onboarding process , and risk assessments.
  
  

• Bachelor’s degree in Law from a recognised and accredited university.
• Membership in a recognised Bar/Legal Association.
  
  

• 2–5 years of PQE in commercial contracting, preferably with experience in technology, outsourcing, fintech, payments, or multinational corporate environments.
• Strong background in drafting and negotiating complex vendor and technology contracts.
  
  

• Excellent contract‑drafting and negotiation skills.
• Strong understanding of data‑protection laws, outsourcing regulations, and third‑party risk principles.
• Ability to analyse and communicate legal issues in practical, business‑friendly language.
• High attention to detail, strong organisational skills, and ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• Collaborative mindset, ability to work cross‑functionally, and comfort managing competing demands.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; experience with CLM tools preferred.
• Strong English (drafting, verbal, and negotiation).
  
  

• High integrity and professionalism.
• Proactive, solution‑oriented, and commercially pragmatic.
• Calm under pressure and able to operate in fast‑paced environments.
• Strong stakeholder‑management skills, including with senior executives.