Head of Legal

• Fast growing international player in telecommunications sector
• Senior role leading lean global legal team
• Autonomous and diverse legal role offering close interaction with executives

About the client

Our client is a global leader in the communications space. This fast-growing Australian success story has increasing international operations and well-established relationships with major telecommunications providers on a global scale.

About the role

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced commercial lawyer to lead a small legal team supporting the company’s global operations.  Reporting to the CFO, the Head of Legal will be responsible for providing a full suite of legal services to the business including regulatory compliance advice, contract drafting and negotiation, tendering, leases and licenses, contract and workplace law, dispute resolution, software content, security policy, data privacy, digital and telecommunications law, organizational change processes, facilities management, commercial transactions, brand and intellectual property rights, occupational health and safety and insurance and liability issues.

The Head of Legal will also manage the outsourcing of legal services where necessary for specialist advice or litigation support.

Key responsibilities of this newly created Head of Legal role will include:

• Leading the global legal team to deliver independent, timely and quality legal advice.
• Overseeing legal compliance in jurisdictions in and outside of Australia, staying across changes to the legal and regulatory environments in which the business operates.
• Reviewing and negotiating key contracts with enterprise and government customers and suppliers.
• Maintaining and improve standard form agreements.
• Staying across changes to and developments in the legal and regulatory environments and provide strategic advice on maintaining compliance.
• Reviewing key tender obligations and participate in contract negotiations to assist in the mitigation of risk and compliance matters.
• Assisting with routine employment law matters.
• Managing disputes and litigation with customers or suppliers.
• Company secretarial support for the Australian parent entity and oversight of external secretarial support for global subsidiaries, including maintenance of key corporate records.
• Advising on corporate governance, including oversight of contract approval and execution.
• Efficiently brief and manage external lawyers where required.

About you

The ideal candidate will be a commercial lawyer with a minimum of 10 years’ post qualification experience. Demonstrated experience in the telecommunications industry is essential as is a sound knowledge of the regulatory landscape. The successful candidate will have extensive experience in commercial contracting, privacy, IP, technology and telecommunications law.

The ability to provide commercially focused legal support to the business is essential. The candidate will have demonstrated experience in preparing contracts, identifying legal solutions to minimise exposure with a high degree of commercial acumen as well as being an effective negotiator.

Excellent written and verbal communications skills with the ability to communicate to people in a wide range of positions is required. Any prior experience leading a legal team is desirable or at least the capability to lead an experienced team. Strong project management skills and an ability to manage competing priorities and escalations is required.

The successful candidate must have the ability to work autonomously with high level practice management skills, sound commercial judgment, and an ability to independently manage a wide range of matters and stakeholders.
 
What this role offers you

As Head of Legal, this role offers considerable autonomy, responsibility and a variety of cutting-edge legal work in a fast-growing major international player in the telecommunications industry. This senior role will give you managerial responsibilities and close interaction with key executives across this successful global business.

For further information on this position please contact John Egerton:

Ref: 1444962
P: (02) 9241 1199
E: john.egerton@mahlab.com.au

Mahlab is Australia’s leading independent legal search firm. We specialise in placing lawyers into corporations and private practice law firms throughout Australia and internationally.

For industry and salary advice, or to submit an enquiry, please visit our website www.mahlab.com.au or contact us in Sydney (02) 9241 1199 and Melbourne (03) 9629 2111.