Group Senior Vice President Legal - Global Logistics

Role Overview

Group Senior Vice President Legal - Global Logistics at DP World. The role is based primarily in Dubai, with international travel as required by business needs.

Company Overview

DP World is a global logistics organization with regional entities and a senior management structure spanning multiple business verticals.

Role Purpose

Lead the legal function for Global Logistics, providing strategic legal and regulatory advice to senior management across the global logistics business. Oversee risk management, contract negotiation, and governance matters while coordinating regional legal teams and ensuring alignment with global logistics strategy and policies.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Leadership

• Lead the global legal function for Global Logistics and advise senior management on all legal and regulatory issues relating to the logistics business.
• Lead and support Regional legal heads in implementing Global Logistics strategy.
• Oversee and be responsible for the provision of legal advice by direct reports.
• Promote and demonstrate positive behaviours in harmony with DP World's Principles, values and culture.

Risk Management & Governance

• Assist in the identification, management and control of legal and related operational risks relating to all aspects of Global Logistics business.
• Ensure appropriate risk allocation between Global Logistics and affiliated regional DP World entities.
• Implement applicable Global Logistics policies, including freight forwarding guidelines, NVOCC governance, and litigation reporting.
• Identify and analyse legal issues arising in business initiatives and new collaborations or partnerships with customers or suppliers.
• Make clear and commercially focused recommendations in respect of identified legal issues.

Contracts & Commercial Negotiation

• Review, draft and negotiate a broad range of global logistics contracts, including framework customer contracts for freight forwarding and contract logistics, global terms and conditions, and agency agreements.
• Develop and maintain standard template documents for commonly used logistics legal agreements.
• Manage projects from a legal perspective, including their implementation.
• Ability to effectively negotiate legal issues and contractual documentation with counterparties.

Tender & Regional Coordination

• Lead, review and coordinate responses on global tenders from a legal perspective.
• Lead regional collaboration and coordination among regional legal teams, addressing legal issues at vertical and regional levels.
• Resolve legal or compliance problems identified in the regions which require guidance from Global Logistics.
• Maintain indirect (dotted line) reporting from regional heads of legal for all logistics-related matters.

External Counsel & Document Management

• Manage relationships and maintain strong links with external legal counsel.
• Select appropriate external legal counsel for work to be outsourced.
• Ensure that external legal counsel selected have sufficient expertise for specific work and offer best value in relation to the service provided to DP World.
• Manage external legal spend for projects for which the job holder has day-to-day responsibilities.
• Maintain an effective document management system in respect of executed legal documentation.

Reporting & Policy

• Provide effective reporting to the Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel.
• Work with senior managers within DP World in conjunction with other functional specialists to create and implement best practice policies and procedures to enhance efficiency and minimize risk relating to day-to-day business activities.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Experience

• Law Degree from an accredited university.
• Qualification to practice law from a recognised legal regulatory body.
• 10+ years' experience in an internationally recognised law firm and/or multinational company.
• Substantive experience in the logistics industry, including familiarity with freight forwarding, contract logistics, market access issues, intermodal transportation, and/or logistics park operations.
• Previous experience of managing people and providing leadership.

Skills & Competencies

• Advanced commercial awareness and understanding of business needs.
• Awareness and sensitivity to differing international legal and cultural business practices, and flexibility to work within different cultural environments.
• Excellent analytical, organisational and leadership skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, enabling effective communication with all levels within DP World, joint venture partners, board members, government and regulatory representatives and external legal counsel.

Additional Information

• Based primarily at head office in Dubai.
• Required to travel abroad as and when business needs dictate.