General Counsel, MENAT & SSA regions

Job Summary

The candidate will be involved in a diverse range of legal and compliance activities within the region and be part of the global legal community

Essential Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be involved in a diverse range of legal and compliance activities within MEA including the following:

• Training employees on commercial and legal topics.
• Creating legal forms, templates, trainings, tools and best practices as needed.
• Working with assigned business leadership to evaluate legal risks and develop procedures to mitigate such risks
• Working closely with other legal functional leaders to support related matters (e.g. litigation, sourcing, etc.)
• Participating in business/deal reviews and deal approval meetings – maintaining independence in counsel while supporting the commercial team in meeting their business objectives.
• Responsible for setting overall legal strategy and direction.
• Leading a small team of lawyers, with full responsibility for their work allocation, quality and responsiveness, professional and personal development and retention.
• Supporting the commercial activities of all business units operating in MEA, including tendering, drafting, negotiating and contracting for the sale of high technology products and services, construction of generation and transmission projects etc.
• Supporting the execution of high value complex projects in MENAT and SSA, including support for Contract Managers and Project Managers in managing claims, customer and subcontractor disputes.
• Managing select disputes and litigation with support from HQ and functional experts, including supervising outside counsel and managing budgets, as needed.
• Assisting in investigating compliance issues in MENAT and SSA with discretion and maturity, liaising with Ombuds and compliance leaders, helping to build an open reporting environment.
• Maintaining comprehensive knowledge of relevant industries in order to contribute to the commercial objectives of the business from a legal standpoint and help unite to differentiate itself from the competition

Qualifications/Requirements

• LLB, Juris Doctorate or equivalent from an accredited law school.
• Member in good standing with local Bar or equivalent professional organization.
• Significant experience in relevant commercial transaction area(s) and general corporate law based on experience at a large law firm, financial firm or corporate legal department
• Broad knowledge of commercial law and legal practice in MENAT and/or SSA, especially high value contracts or projects.
• Absolute personal integrity, discretion, trustworthiness, leadership skills and strength of character.
• Transactional experience in domestic and international contract drafting and negotiation.
• Ability to lead and motivate a small but high-performing team.
• Familiarity with turnkey construction contracts and/or long term service agreements as well as of claims and disputes
• Flexibility, ability to deal with ambiguity, embrace rapid change, and resolve legal issues quickly and effectively; ability to cope with pressure and multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Understanding and passion for business issues, and the economic, social, legal and political context in home country and within the region.
• Ability to work in a complex and matrixed organization in a collaborative and boundaryless manner and to simultaneously manage numerous and varied tasks and to exercise sound judgment in prioritizing among them
• Strong oral and written communication and persuasive skills, including executive-level communication.
• Ability to work well independently and in a team setting.
• Strong problem-solving skills, pragmatism and flexibility/resilience
• Ability to interact effectively with senior management and peers and all other levels of the organization
• Experience setting legal organizational strategy
• Fluency in English (required) plus either French and/or Arabic
• Track record of leadership and management
• Other relevant languages : a 3rd language and a 4th language will be a plus
• Very strong experience of claims negotiation and/or dispute resolution would be an advantage
• Familiarity with turnkey construction contracts and/or long term service agreements in the energy sector would be an advantage.