Associate Director - Employment Legal

Aquis Search has partnered with a global financial services analytics firm in their search for an Associate Director Legal in Mumbai to support legal matters across the group's businesses globally.

The role will have a strong focus on employment law, providing day-to-day legal advisory and support on employment-related matters across multiple jurisdictions. The successful candidate will partner closely with Human Resources, business leaders and other functional stakeholders on employment law issues, workplace matters, employee relations, and employment-related risk.

In addition to employment law, the role will support vendor contracting and information security-related legal matters, including negotiation and review of technology and other strategic vendor agreements, data protection, information security, confidentiality and related contractual risks.

This is an individual contributor role requiring a hands-on lawyer who can independently manage matters, work across functions and geographies, and provide practical, commercially oriented legal advice.

The ideal candidate is likely to come from a large IT/ITeS, technology, SaaS or technology-enabled business, with significant exposure to employment law and experience supporting a global workforce. Candidates from BFSI and other regulated sectors may also be considered where they have substantial experience supporting technology/IT businesses.

Key Responsibilities

1. Global Employment Law & HR Advisory

• Provide day-to-day legal advice to HR and business stakeholders on a broad range of employment law matters across India and international jurisdictions.
• Advise on employee lifecycle matters including hiring, employment terms, transfers, promotions, performance management, disciplinary actions, exits, terminations and separation arrangements.
• Advise on complex employee relations matters, workplace issues, grievances, investigations and disciplinary proceedings.
• Support HR and business teams on employment-related disputes, claims and litigation, working with external counsel where required.
• Review and advise on employment contracts, offer letters, policies, employee handbooks, confidentiality agreements, restrictive covenants and other employment documentation.
• Advise on employment law implications of organisational restructuring, workforce changes, business transfers, outsourcing and other strategic initiatives.
• Partner with HR on the development, review and implementation of employment policies and processes across jurisdictions.
• Advise on local employment law requirements and coordinate with external counsel on jurisdiction-specific matters where required.
• Identify employment-related legal and regulatory risks and provide practical, business-oriented recommendations.

2. Vendor Contracting

• Draft, review and negotiate agreements with technology vendors, IT service providers, consultants, outsourcing partners and other strategic suppliers.
• Manage the legal aspects of vendor relationships from contract negotiation through execution and, where required, renewal or termination.
• Ensure appropriate contractual protections around confidentiality, data protection, information security, intellectual property, service levels, business continuity and liability.
• Partner with procurement, information security, technology and business teams to assess and manage contractual risks.
• Support negotiations with global vendors and manage legal issues arising during the vendor lifecycle.

3. Information Security, Data & Technology Legal

• Provide legal support on information security and technology-related contractual matters.
• Review and negotiate contractual provisions relating to information security, cybersecurity, data protection, privacy, data processing, incident notification and business continuity.
• Partner with Information Security, Technology, Privacy, Procurement and business teams on legal requirements arising from technology and vendor arrangements.
• Support the legal review of security questionnaires, data processing arrangements, security addenda and related customer/vendor documentation.
• Advise on contractual and legal implications of data breaches, security incidents and other information-security-related matters, in coordination with relevant internal teams and external counsel.
• Stay abreast of developments in employment, privacy, data protection and technology laws relevant to our client's global operations.

4. General Legal Advisory

• Provide day-to-day legal support across businesses and corporate functions on matters falling within the role's areas of responsibility.
• Identify legal and regulatory risks and provide clear, practical and commercially appropriate advice.
• Work closely with senior HR, business, technology, information security, procurement and other functional stakeholders.
• Manage external counsel on specific matters where specialist or jurisdiction-specific advice is required.
• Support senior members of the Group Legal team on strategic or high-risk matters as required.

5. Legal Processes & Governance

• Support the development and continuous improvement of legal templates, policies, playbooks and standard positions.
• Help establish consistent approaches to employment, vendor contracting and information-security-related legal matters across the organisation.
• Maintain appropriate documentation, trackers and records for legal matters.
• Contribute to initiatives aimed at improving legal processes, turnaround times and stakeholder experience.

Skills & Competencies

• 9–12 years of relevant post-qualification legal experience, with significant exposure to employment law and corporate legal advisory.
• LLB from a reputed university.
• Strong hands-on experience advising on employment law matters across multiple jurisdictions, preferably in a global organisation.
• Significant experience partnering with HR and senior business stakeholders on complex employee relations, disciplinary, termination, restructuring and employment-risk matters.
• Experience reviewing and negotiating technology/vendor agreements, particularly with IT, SaaS, outsourcing or technology service providers.
• Strong understanding of contractual provisions relating to information security, data protection, privacy, confidentiality and cybersecurity.
• Experience working in a global IT/ITeS, technology, SaaS, fintech or technology-enabled organisation would be strongly preferred.
• Candidates from BFSI or other regulated sectors will also be considered where they have substantial exposure to technology/IT businesses and global employment matters.
• Ability to independently manage matters across multiple businesses, functions and jurisdictions.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to advise senior HR and business leaders.
• Practical, commercially minded approach to legal risk.
• High level of ownership, attention to detail and ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• Comfortable working as an individual contributor with limited supervision.

If this sounds like you, please click apply or drop a note on [Confidential Information] for a confidential chat.