Head of Legal & Compliance, APAC (Medical Devices)

• Established Japanese Medical Devices MNC
• Greenfield opportunity to build the legal & compliance function from the ground up
• Base salary $12k - $15k/month + AWS + PB

We are partnering with a well-established Japanese Medical Devices manufacturer with over 60 years of track record and a strong regional presence across Asia. The company is highly regarded for their high-quality standards and comprehensive portfolio spanning consumables and capital equipment. As they are setting up their APAC regional hub in Singapore, they are looking for a Head of Legal & Compliance to establish and lead the legal and compliance function across the region.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the MD, APAC, you will serve as the sole legal and compliance lead for the APAC region, acting as a trusted advisor to senior management on a broad range of legal and regulatory matters. You will provide practical legal counsel on commercial contracts, corporate matters, and regulatory issues, identify and mitigate legal risks, and liaise with external counsel where necessary.

On the compliance side, you will build and implement the regional compliance framework from scratch, such as developing policies, procedures, and internal controls aligned with both HQ requirements and local regulatory environments across APAC. You will oversee compliance risk assessment, monitoring, and reporting, manage whistleblowing and Speak Up programmes, and support internal audits and investigations. A key part of the role is acting as the bridge between HQ and local entities by translating global standards into practical, locally applicable compliance practices, and ensuring timely implementation of policy changes across the region.

Requirements

The ideal candidate is someone with at least 5 – 8 years of experience in legal, compliance, or corporate governance, ideally within the Medical Devices, Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, or other highly regulated industries. A law degree or professional legal qualification is preferred but not essential. Prior exposure to a regional headquarters or APAC-facing role will be a strong advantage, as this role requires comfort working across multiple jurisdictions and engaging with diverse stakeholders. You should be commercially pragmatic and confident to operate as the first legal hire in a newly established regional structure.

If you would like to be considered for this opportunity, please apply to the advertisement or forward a copy of your full CV to [Confidential Information].

Business Registration Number: 202509847W | Licence Number: 25S2778 | EA Registration Number: R1653095