Senior Counsel / Manager – Governance
Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
The Opportunity
Our client is a leading international energy and investment group headquartered in Abu Dhabi, with a diverse portfolio of strategic investments, operating businesses and partnerships across multiple markets and jurisdictions.
With a focus on long-term value creation and international growth, the organisation operates across a complex business landscape involving cross-border investments, joint ventures and strategic transactions. As its portfolio and governance requirements continue to evolve, it is strengthening its governance capabilities to support effective decision-making, manage risk and maintain robust standards across its group entities.
The organisation is seeking a Senior Counsel / Manager – Governance to play a key role in developing and embedding its governance framework, providing strategic and commercially focused advice, and supporting governance excellence across the group.
The Role
Reporting to the Associate Director of Governance, the successful candidate will provide senior-level legal and governance advice to business leaders and functional stakeholders. The role combines strategic oversight with hands-on involvement in governance matters, requiring the ability to identify and address governance gaps, influence senior stakeholders and drive the implementation of effective policies, procedures and controls.
The individual will take a leading role in the development and continuous improvement of the group’s governance framework, including delegations of authority, terms of reference, training, evaluation and reporting. They will also oversee or support company secretarial activities for relevant committees and work closely with colleagues across the governance function on key strategic initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as a trusted business-facing adviser, providing clear, pragmatic and commercially focused legal and governance guidance to senior stakeholders and functional partners.
- Lead and support the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the group’s governance framework, policies and procedures.
- Develop and maintain governance documentation, including delegations of authority, committee terms of reference and related corporate governance materials.
- Partner with business and functional teams to identify governance requirements and gaps early in the transaction lifecycle, from deal planning and due diligence through approvals, execution and post-completion integration.
- Advise on governance considerations relating to investments, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic partnerships and other complex business initiatives.
- Assess governance risks and opportunities across multiple jurisdictions, including delegated and cascading authorities, regulatory requirements, internal policies and the governance structures of jointly held entities.
- Develop and implement practical solutions to address governance gaps through appropriate documentation, training, approvals and other remediation measures.
- Lead, coordinate and support governance initiatives and projects, working collaboratively with colleagues across the wider governance function.
- Oversee or provide company secretarial support for relevant committees, ensuring appropriate governance processes and documentation.
- Contribute to governance training, framework evaluations, reporting and ongoing improvements to governance effectiveness.
- Identify, assess, mitigate and escalate legal and governance risks throughout the lifecycle of transactions and strategic projects.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate will be an experienced legal or with Company Secretarial professional with strong technical expertise, commercial judgement and the confidence to operate independently in a complex international organisation. They will be comfortable advising senior stakeholders, leading governance initiatives and translating regulatory and governance requirements into practical business solutions.
Essential Experience and Qualifications
- A law degree and/or postgraduate legal qualification, such as a Juris Doctor or Master of Laws, or an equivalent relevant qualification.
- At least 10 years of relevant experience in legal, corporate governance, compliance or regulatory advisory roles.
- Legal Secretary
- Strong experience providing risk-based governance advice within a complex corporate or international business environment.
- Demonstrated ability to develop, enhance and implement governance frameworks, policies and procedures.
- Experience engaging with senior stakeholders, influencing decision-making and constructively challenging business practices where required.
- Excellent analytical, communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to explain complex risks and mitigation strategies clearly.
- Strong judgement, autonomy and the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a commercially pragmatic approach.
Desirable Experience
- Experience supporting cross-border transactions, investments, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures or strategic partnerships.
- Knowledge of governance requirements across multi-jurisdictional groups, including subsidiaries, affiliates and jointly held entities.
- Experience leading or supervising company secretarial activities and committee governance.
- Exposure to the energy sector, financial services, private equity, infrastructure, sovereign investment, asset management or another complex international industry.
- Relevant professional certifications in legal practice, governance, compliance, risk, audit or accounting.
Why Consider This Opportunity?
This is an opportunity to take on a senior governance position within a significant international energy and investment platform, contributing directly to the development of its governance capabilities and supporting a diverse portfolio of strategic investments and business activities.
The role offers substantial exposure to senior stakeholders, complex cross-border transactions and group-wide governance initiatives. It will suit an established legal or governance professional looking to combine strategic influence with practical delivery in a sophisticated, internationally focused business environment.
