Senior Legal Counsel Commercial, IT

Overview:
**PURPOSE**

The Senior Corporate Counsel will provide high-level legal support with a focus on corporate law, governance, and compliance for our global organization, headquartered in Belgium/Netherlands/Switzerland, with global footprint of entities (subsidiaries and branches) in more than 120 countries. This role is crucial in navigating the complexities of operating across different legal jurisdictions and ensuring the legal integrity of the company's global operations. Providing expertise in Legal matters to the Corporate team and ensuring compliance with SITA wide Legal governance.

**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**

Responsibilities will include:

- Supporting the Corporate Team on a variety of issues and projects
- Corporate Law:

- Manage legal aspects of international expansions, including setting up subsidiaries and branches worldwide.
- Corporate Secretariat:

- Corporate secretarial functions for some entities,
- Ensuring compliance with local and international laws in jurisdictions where the company operates.
- Handle legal matters related to the Board of Directors, including preparing for and documenting board meetings and shareholder resolutions.
- Contract Management and Negotiations:

- Draft, review, and negotiate complex international contracts, ensuring alignment with corporate strategies and compliance with multiple jurisdictions’ laws.
- Compliance and Risk Management:

- Lead the development and implementation of global compliance programs, adapting to varying legal requirements in different countries.
- Identify, evaluate, and mitigate legal risks associated with global operations.
- Mergers and Acquisitions:

- Provide legal guidance on international mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, including due diligence, deal structuring, and post-transaction integration.
- Cross-functional Collaboration:

- Liaise with global teams, providing legal guidance on international projects and initiatives.
- Conduct legal training and workshops for global employees to foster a culture of compliance.
- General duties
- Manage external law firms within scope and budget
- Engage and build a strong network across the wider legal team and business
- Provide legal support to the Corporate Team in relation to all business activities under close collaboration of the Associate General Counsel and Group General Counsel
- Plan manage and address areas of legal risk and /or compliance on GEO projects
- Advise and influence management with requisite communication and inter-personal skills
- Ensures delivery against internal Corporate Team customer satisfaction expectations.
- Directly reporting to Group General Counsel or Director Legal Corporate

Qualifications:
**EXPERIENCE**
- Master’s degree level or above
- Qualified lawyer in civil and/or common law jurisdiction
- 8 or more years Legal experience post professional qualification in Corporate and corporate department gained at a leading law firm or in house
- Strong corporate, Corporate, commercial legal skills
- Air Transport Industry experience a plus but not required
- Specialist experience in core Corporate and legal commercial domains
- Experience of managing complex projects/deals of an international nature
- Project management experience
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Confident and resilient under pressure

**KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS**
- Broad knowledge of all areas of commercial and corporate law with particular expertise in one or more areas
- Legal project management: Managing projects on the legal side, seeking for info and clarify issues
- Commercial and Financial awareness
- Excellent understanding of business and finance matters
- Excellent contract drafting and negotiation skills, in English. Other languages preferred but not essential
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence at senior levels
- Customer focused and proactive approach
- Excellent transactional skills and good regional cultural awareness
- Capable of working with management and in an environment of change
- Self-motivated and responsible for setting own goals within the context of the job purpose and strategic plans
- Problem solving and decision making skills
- Right level of escalation on time: Escalation of key info and documents in due time to the Group General Counsel
- Willingness to travel, at times

**PROFESSION COMPETENCIES**
- Business Acumen
- Commercial Acumen
- Financial Acumen
- Negotiation
- Organizational Awareness
- Relationship Management
- Results Orientation
- Risk Management
- Project Management

**CORE COMPETENCIES**
- Adhering to Principles & Values
- Communication
- Creating & Innovating
- Customer Focus
- Developing Talent
- Impact & Influence
- Leading Execution
- Managing Performance
- Strategic & Commercial Thinking
- Teamwork
- Visionary Thinking & Leading Change
- Ability to operate in a team environment and work in a self-directed manner
- Ability to use structured analysis to ass