Head of Legal

About the role

The Head of Legal provides strategic legal leadership to support the organization’s business objectives while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and corporate governance standards. Reporting to senior leadership, this role oversees all legal operations, manages risk, and protects the company’s interests across its activities.

Key responsibilities

• Act as the primary legal advisor to senior leadership on all legal and regulatory matters, offering strategic guidance aligned with business goals.
• Develop, implement, and monitor internal legal policies, controls, and corporate governance frameworks to ensure compliance with applicable laws.
• Review, draft, negotiate, and approve contracts and agreements, ensuring they protect organizational interests and minimize exposure.
• Identify legal risks, devise mitigation strategies, and manage disputes, investigations, and regulatory matters, including oversight of litigation and coordination with external counsel.
• Partner with business units, HR, finance, and operations on legal aspects of mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, and transformation projects.
• Lead and develop the legal team, establishing best‑practice processes and driving continuous improvement within the department.

Required profile

• Law degree (Juris Doctor preferred) and a valid license to practice law.
• Extensive experience in corporate legal practice, preferably within financial institutions or shared‑service environments.
• Proven leadership experience managing legal teams or functions.
• Strong knowledge of corporate law, labor law, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, and decision‑making abilities.

Required skills

• Contract negotiation
• Dispute resolution
• Corporate governance
• Regulatory compliance