Senior Manager, Legal and Compliance

Purpose of Position

The Senior Legal Advisor acts as a trusted partner to management and business functions, ensuring that operations, initiatives, and transactions comply with legal, regulatory, and governance requirements. By driving proactive risk management, contract governance, dispute oversight, and compliance programs, the role safeguards the organization’s interests and supports sustainable growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Legal Advisory & Contract Governance (30%) Provide practical, commercially focused legal advice on operational and strategic matters. Draft, review, and negotiate contracts and legal documents. Oversee contract governance, including risk assessment, lifecycle management, and compliance with statutory requirements. Coordinate with external counsel when specialist input is required.
  
• Risk Management & Dispute Resolution (30%) Identify and mitigate legal and regulatory risks across operations and projects. Lead litigation, claims, investigations, and disputes, advising management on strategies, settlement options, and resolution approaches to protect organizational interests.
  
• Compliance & Corporate Governance (30%) Monitor regulatory developments and assess their impact. Develop and implement compliance policies, procedures, and controls. Provide guidance on anti-bribery, data protection, competition law, consumer protection, and intellectual property. Collaborate with risk and internal control teams to address gaps and strengthen governance.
  
• Knowledge Development & Compliance Culture (10%) Conduct training and awareness programs for employees and management. Develop templates, best practices, and guidance materials. Mentor team members to build legal and compliance capabilities, fostering a culture of ethical conduct and risk ownership.
  

Decision-Making Authority

• Independently review agreements (e.g., NDAs, dealer contracts, purchase agreements) and advise on execution.
  
• Provide statutory and regulatory guidance to management.
  
• Escalate complex transactions, disputes, or high-risk matters to senior management for direction.
  

Major Challenges

• Ensuring business initiatives align with internal policies and external regulations.
  
• Managing high volumes of queries across departments, often requiring quick turnaround and clear guidance.
  
• Balancing operational demands with proactive risk mitigation.
  

Financial & Supervisory Scope

• Department-level budget responsibility.
  
• Supervises 1 direct report.
  

Communication & Relationships

• Internal (70%): Engage with operational staff, managers, heads of department, and senior leadership.
  
• External (30%): Liaise with external counsel and company secretaries.
  
• Communication requires expert-level influence, often shaping opinions and decisions.
  

Skills & Requirements

• Education: LL.B from a recognized university; qualified advocate & solicitor.
  
• Experience: 10–12 years PQE, with exposure to both law firm and in-house environments. Commercial and compliance experience in the automotive/manufacturing industry is advantageous.
  
• Skills: Strong stakeholder management, legal research, drafting, analytical and communication skills. Fluent in English and Bahasa Malaysia.
  
• Training: Legal drafting, PDPA, competition law, consumer protection, and compliance-related programs.