Legal Counsel

Overview

• Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Alef_Abu_Dhabi)

• Office - Flexible

• Fulltime
• Who we are
• Alef Education began with a bold idea: that every learner deserves a personalised and meaningful education experience.
• What started in 2016 as a small pilot programme in Abu Dhabi has evolved into one of the world’s most dynamic EdTech companies—reshaping how millions of students engage with learning across the globe.
• Today, Alef is proudly headquartered in the UAE, working hand-in-hand with ministries of education, schools, and teachers to bring smart, data-powered platforms into classrooms in over 14,000 schools.
• Supporting over 1.1 million students and 50,000 teachers across the UAE, Indonesia & Morocco our AI-driven platforms generate 16+ million data points every day, helping drive smarter learning decisions.
• Whether it’s improving national exam results, boosting classroom engagement, or supporting educators with world-class tools, Alef is committed to impact at scale.
• In 2024, Alef made history as the first EdTech company to list on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), cementing our role as a regional innovator with global reach.

About The Role

Key Responsibilities

• *Commercial, corporate and advisory support*
• Review, draft and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, statements of work, procurement documents and business arrangements in line with company standards and risk appetite.
• Provide day-to-day legal advice to internal stakeholders on general commercial, corporate, governance, compliance, employment and operational matters.
• Support corporate governance matters, including board and committee materials, internal approvals and maintenance of legal records.
• Advise on data privacy, IP and technology-related legal issues relevant to Alef Education’s products, operations and strategic initiatives.
• *Compliance and risk management*
• Support the implementation, review and tracking of legal and compliance policies, procedures and awareness initiatives.
• Assist with legal risk identification, remediation tracking and periodic reviews of templates, policies, practices and controls.
• Develop and implement a compliance awareness program for employees on applicable laws and regulations as well as the company’s own internal policies and procedures.
• Help manage employment-related legal matters and external counsel support where required.
• *Legal Operations*
• Lead day-to-day legal operations improvements, including matter intake, contract workflows, template management, approval trackers and document management.
• Identify and implement practical process improvements, standardisation opportunities and legal technology solutions to enhance team efficiency.
• Develop basic legal KPIs, dashboards and reporting for the Head of Legal on workload, contracts and key legal initiatives.
• Promote consistent use of playbooks, templates, trackers and legal processes across the business.

To Be The Right Fit, You'll Need

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Law.
• Certifications/Licenses: Local Bar or equivalent admission.
• Minimum 3 years’ post-qualification experience with, preferably, a mix of private practice and in-house experience.
• Strong grounding in commercial contracts, corporate/governance support and general in-house advisory work.
• Prior exposure to legal operations, including process improvement, contract management, reporting, templates or legal technology.
• UAE/GCC experience preferred. Technology sector experience required; education sector experience desirable.
• Familiarity with data privacy, IP and compliance frameworks relevant to a regulated, technology-enabled business.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and legal analysis skills.
• Organised, detail-oriented and able to manage a varied workload with minimal supervision.
• Commercially pragmatic with sound judgment and a solutions-focused approach.
• Strong process mindset, including ability to improve workflows and implement fit-for-purpose legal controls.
• Confident stakeholder management and ability to build credibility across business teams.
• Fluency (written and verbal) in English; Arabic is desirable.
• High integrity, discretion and ability to handle sensitive matters confidentially.
• What we offer
• We believe our people are our greatest advantage.
• We value curiosity, purpose, and the drive to make a real difference.
• When you join Alef, you join a mission — and a team that’s just as passionate about transforming education as you are.
• Here’s a glimpse of what we offer:
• Annual flight allowance
• Annual performance bonus
• Education allowance
• Life insurance
• Enhanced leave policy
• A hybrid work model and up to 40 remote working days per year to work from anywhere (with flexibility built in)
• At Alef, we don’t just imagine a better future for education.
• We build it — together.