Legal & Compliance Counsel - UAE & Oman

About This Role

The Legal & Compliance Counsel for the UAE & Oman is a hybrid role responsible for providing comprehensive legal support and ensuring robust compliance oversight across both jurisdictions. Reporting directly to the Head of Legal & Compliance, the Legal & Compliance Counsel will maintain a balanced focus between legal advisory and the execution of the Local Compliance Officer (LCO) mandate. The role requires a dynamic approach, with responsibilities and performance objectives distributed between legal and compliance frameworks as directed by the Head of Legal & Compliance to meet evolving business requirements and operational needs.

Legal Advisory & Support

• Provide legal advice and risk analysis to all business teams;
• Ensure the legal risks are identified and mitigated, and legal issues have been resolved;
• Ensure proper validity, filing and timely renewal of titles, licenses & permits with stakeholders and PROs;
• Draft, negotiate and review all types of contracts such as: NDAs, purchase/sale agreements, distribution, supply, EPC, lease agreements, tenders, employment contracts and all agreements/addendums related to the general business operations of the business units;
• Draft and review all types of legal documents (Power of attorney, resolutions, etc.);
• Advise and assist the People Department in diverse labor tasks (resignation/termination), drafting of settlement agreements, implementation of changes of laws in templates, questions on employee overtime and others;
• Advise, draft, review internal policies and procedures and secure the required internal approvals;
• Support corporate secretary activities (prepare board meetings, draft minutes and resolutions);
• Provide advice on legal disputes with the support of external lawyers: visit the courts (if required) and provide clear recommendations and updates to the management;
• Monitor new regulations and communicate to the management the legal updates on a regular basis;
• Provide training on fair competition law (for new joiners and recurring trainings);
• Work closely with Internal Control to ensure the full compliance with Holcim’s Minimum Control Standards requirements;
• Be the point of contact with external lawyers, auditors, national and federal authorities, as well as notaries.

Compliance Oversight & Mandate

Strategy & Organization:

• Support the Head of Legal & Compliance with the preparation and implementation of the annual Country Compliance Plan;
• Provide compliance-related advice to the local management regarding compliance risk exposure areas.

Support of the Group Functions:

• Contribute when required to investigations of potential compliance issues;
• Support and assist local management to mitigate or resolve local compliance risks.

Local Implementation of the Group Compliance Program:

• Contribute in the implementation of new or revised compliance-related policies, directives and guidance;
• Ensure effective implementation of compliance-related processes (e.g., Third-Party Due Diligence) and adequate training of all relevant functions;
• Adapt and deliver compliance trainings that meet needs of local employees and the requirements of the training program;
• Contribute to new business projects by anticipating and addressing key compliance risks (e.g., via Compliance Due Diligence) and / or mitigation plans.

Reporting and Monitoring:

• Ensure reporting from country level on various key indicators related to implementation and health of the Compliance Program;
• Help local management to promote speaking up culture and support Code of Ethics breaches recording;
• Maintain appropriate documentation of Compliance support activities and monitor remediation resulting from conducted investigations;
• Review internal / external audit reports in which compliance issues are raised at country level and support remediation.

Regulatory:

• Maintain a solid understanding of applicable local law and regulation developments;
• Support the Head of Legal & Compliance when interacting with local authorities or regulators regarding compliance matters.

Level of education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Law from a reputable Law School / University. Ideally, supplemented by a post-graduate degree from a reputable Law School / University.
• Excellent academic credentials.

Specific work experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant work experience in a multinational corporate environment;
• Majority of experience in areas of immediate relevance to the role, including the handling of commercial contracts and strong compliance focus (particularly in areas of anti-bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering, trade sanctions, data privacy). Ideally experience with compliance management systems and corporate investigations;
• Proven track record of working successfully in an international and decentralized environment and in cross functional and cross-cultural teams.

Linguistic skills:

• Bilingual English and Arabic (or Hindi)

Behavioral competencies:

• General agility and sound judgment;
• Highest levels of ethics, integrity and discretion;
• Highly developed legal and commercial acumen with a pragmatic and solutions-oriented approach;
• Proven ability to operate effectively (incl. influence and when needed diplomatically but firmly challenge stakeholders at all levels);
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills to ensure the right organizational outcomes and impact;
• Strategic and wide-ranging thinker who is comfortable taking commercial and other positions to advance the interests of the organization as a whole but always in an ethical and legal manner which is consistent with group policy and directives;
• Forward looking, self-motivated and outcomes-orientated, with experience in managing in dynamic, complex, challenging and or ambiguous environments.

Mobility requirements: (time spent travelling nationally): up to 20%