Senior Legal Counsel

Senior Legal Counsel
Make a difference every day 

We are a multinational organisation with a global team of 50,000 colleagues. In the Middle East we operate in the Transport, Defence & Advisory sectors, delivering services in Asset Management, Customer Experience, Fire & Rescue and Air Navigation Services. We are innovators, committed to redesigning and improving public services to fulfil our purpose to impact a better future by "Bringing National Visions to Life".  
 
Your Opportunity  

We are looking for a Senior Legal Counsel the purpose of this role is to support in the delivery of legal and commercial advice to the Serco Middle East Division and support in compliance with all internal and external governance processes and requirements.

The ideal candidate should have the ability to ability to liaise with staff at all levels in the organisation and with external public and private sector parties, devise workable solutions to complex situations, and ensuring risk remains appropriately mitigated.

This role will be based in our corporate office in Dubai, open to other locations including remote arrangements.

Key Accountabilities

• Interpretation and evaluation of contractual obligations and risks and guiding solutions in-line with Serco’s appetite for such risk. 
• Developing and formulating the most appropriate partnering and delivery options to meet specific project requirements. 
• External stakeholder engagement discussions for and on behalf of Serco with current and prospective clients and partners and representing Serco in all liaison matters with related government and quasi-government stakeholders. 
• Attending meetings with senior internal stakeholders in any of Serco’s active jurisdictions and draft compliance and legal development requirements for new business.     
• Detailed liaison with inter-disciplinary Serco teams (such as general commercial, financial, modelling, procurement and HR) in order to ensure consistency in approach and solution across the organisation.
• Updates to Serco regional licences to ensure Serco is and remains duly licensed, including liaising directly with local Ministries.
• Support key supplier negotiations wto achieve best commercial position for the business, while mentoring and coaching procurement personnel on contract risk allocation and contract negotiations.
• Collation of evidence by interviewing employees and third parties and directing functions and contracts leads to gather and document evidence.
• Managing and overseeing the issuance of POAs, which includes managing the local PROs and the local processes, instructing our notaries in London, liaising with Serco Group Company Secretary and updating the regional Delegated Authority Matrix
• Managing and overseeing the licensing of the various SME entities to ensure annual renewals are done and licences meet business and bidding needs
• Reviewing anti-modern slavery questionnaires with suppliers and carrying out interviews to investigate any perceived issues and providing legal approval where required.
• Drafting and providing ethics and compliance training to internal stakeholders in addition to external agents and partners.
• Assisting both Group and the Division in monitoring and documenting ethical working practices/anti-bribery & corruption measures with a view to sharing responsibility for ongoing compliance with the Serco Management System. 

Specific Requirements 

• Law degree and professional qualification.
• Transactional commercial/projects background with specific experience of procurement and general commercial/project contracts for service delivery with a public client base a particular advantage.
• Strong commercial/projects background
• 10 years corporate/commercial experience with a reputable international company or large law firm.
• Significant experience in negotiating and drafting various forms of agreements (teaming, NDA, services, JV, MOU, partnering).
• Experience of working in a bidding environment.
• Risk Management experience.
• Reviewing anti-modern slavery questionnaires with suppliers and carrying out interviews to investigate any perceived issues and providing legal approval where required.
• Drafting and providing ethics and compliance training to internal stakeholders in addition to external agents and partners.

What’s in it for you? 

At Serco, our core values drive everything we do, and we believe in fairly compensating our colleagues for the value they bring to our organization. We are proud to offer a total reward package at Serco which includes: 

• Competitive monthly pay and allowances that are commensurate with the role and industry standards 

• Comprehensive medical insurance coverage and life insurance, so our employees can feel secure in their health and financial wellbeing 
• We recognize the importance of work-life balance, which is why we offer competitive leave benefits that exceed industry standards 
• We offer an annual airfare allowance to support our expat colleagues to stay in touch and visit their loved ones 
• We pride ourselves on providing a supportive work environment where we foster a positive Safety-First culture 
• We care deeply about our colleagues' wellbeing and offer access to wellbeing programs and platforms to support their physical, mental, and emotional health. 

• As a global organization, we offer a vast array of career paths for our employees to choose from. The scale and breadth of our organization provides our colleagues with opportunities for growth and variety in their career path, both regionally and globally. 

Join Us 

At Serco, we believe there is a place here for everyone. A place where you can bring your authentic self to work every day. Our workplace culture is one that embraces diversity and fosters equity, respect, and belonging for every individual. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and creating an inclusive environment that proudly celebrates the perspectives and backgrounds that each of our employees bring to work every day. 

Join Serco and be part of a values-driven organization that invests in the development and well-being of its employees and offers a rewarding and fulfilling career. 

Serco is committed to Equal Employment Opportunities and is committed to ensuring the safety of all of its employees through its Zero Harm initiative. Please visit www.serco.com/careers for more information.