Senior Legal Counsel – Contracts

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee contract drafting, review, negotiation support, finalization, execution, renewal, and termination across the group companies spanning multiple industries
• Ensure timely, accurate, and risk-aligned contract support for wide range of agreements (sales, distribution, purchase, AMC, subcontracting, service, licensing, NDAs, MoUs, etc.)
• Oversee drafting and review of contracts using approved templates and clause libraries, while managing deviations in line with Group risk appetite
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support negotiation of high-value, high-risk, and strategic contracts and resolve legal issues
• Implement and enforce Group-wide contract governance standards, policies, and approval frameworks in alignment with the Group Legal function
• Ensure all contracts comply with Group policies, Delegation of Authority (DoA), regulatory requirements, and internal controls
• Identify, assess, and escalate material contractual risks to the Group Legal Director and relevant stakeholders
• Support internal and external audits by ensuring contract documentation, approvals, and governance requirements are met
• Act as the business owner for the Group’s Contract Management tool (CMT) implementation
• Lead definition of functional requirements, process design, and implementation in coordination with Legal, IT, and other business stakeholders
• Drive adoption of the CMT platform across Group companies, ensuring standardized usage for drafting, approvals, repository management, and reporting
• Define and track KPIs to measure CMT effectiveness, user adoption, and value realization
• Develop and maintain standardized contract templates, clause libraries, and negotiation playbooks across contract types
• Continuously improve contracting processes to reduce turnaround times, minimize rework, and enhance contract quality
• Promote automation and self-service contracting for low-risk, high-volume agreements, where appropriate
• Benchmark Group contract practices against regional and industry best practices and implement improvements
• Lead and manage a centralized contracts team comprising contract managers working for different business clusters such as Tech, Energy and other businesses
• Set clear performance objectives and monitor team KPIs, including turnaround time, SLA adherence, and quality metrics
• Deliver legal training programs and develop team capabilities in contract drafting, negotiation support, risk assessment, and system usage
• Drive a culture of accountability, quality, and continuous improvement within the contracts function

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Business Administration, Finance, Engineering, or a related discipline
• Formal exposure to contract drafting and commercial agreements

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree or postgraduate qualification in Law, Business, or Management
• Professional certifications in contracts or procurement (e.g., IACCM / WorldCC, CLM certifications)
• 14–18 years of experience within large organizations, family groups, or conglomerates
• Prior experience leading a centralized or group-level contracts function
• Direct involvement in implementation or rollout of a Contract Lifecycle Management / Contract Management Tool

Benefits

• None specified

About the Company

Actively engaged in multi-asset class investment activities across various geographies, carried out by a highly qualified and experienced in-house team of investment professionals using an ‘Asset Allocation Matrix’ to realize risk adjusted returns on invested capital over a long-term period. Investment activities include direct investments in startups, taking stakes in established businesses, acquisitions of business enterprises and setting-up new businesses through collaborative joint venture routes. Ghobash Trading & Investment is also active in private financial investments, including private equity and debt, venture capital, real estate and publicly listed financial investments.