Assistant Manager - Legal & Corporate Affairs

Zafco Group Holding; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Zafco Group Holding in Dubai leads the regional legal function for APMEA, guiding governance, compliance, corporate structuring and litigation across multiple jurisdictions. The Assistant Manager acts as a primary legal business partner for operations in the region, partnering with Finance, HR, Compliance and external counsel to protect the company’s interests.

Responsibilities span contract review, corporate records, regulatory filings, audits and IP coordination, with a focus on timely

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in law (LLB) is required.
• LLM is an advantage.
• Bar admission or equivalent qualification preferred.
• Company Secretary qualification is a plus.
• 5–7 years post-qualification legal experience.
• At least 2 years in a multinational or regional corporate environment.
• Exposure to multiple jurisdictions in MEA and APAC preferred.
• Strong drafting, incorporation, restructuring, compliance and governance experience.
• Experience coordinating with external counsel, regulators, and government departments.
• Experience in trading, distribution, logistics, manufacturing or multinational businesses is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Oversee legal governance and compliance for APMEA entities.
• Draft review and negotiate contracts and agreements.
• Coordinate with external counsel and regulators.
• Manage corporate structuring, registrations and records.
• Support litigation, disputes, and risk management.
• Maintain statutory registers and governance documentation.

Skills

Contract drafting

Company incorporation

Litigation management

Corporate governance

Regulatory coordination

Risk assessment

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Law (LLB)

Master's Degree in Law (LLM)

Bar admission or equivalent

Company Secretary qualification

Job description

The Assistant Manager - Legal Corporate Affairs for APMEA is responsible for managing legal corporate governance compliance company structuring and litigation matters across the Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa regions The role serves as the primary legal business partner for the APMEA operations ensuring that all regional entities operate in compliance with applicable laws andregulations while protecting the Company s legal and commercial interests The incumbent will work closely with the Corporate Legal function Finance HR Public Relations external legal counsel government authorities and regional management teams to support businessoperations manage legal risks and ensure effective corporate governance

Responsibilities

Contract Review Legal Advisory

• Draft review negotiate and manage commercial contracts supplier agreements customeragreements lease agreements NDAs MOUs service agreements and other legal documentation
• Identify legal and commercial risks and recommend appropriate mitigation measures
• Provide legal advice and guidance to business units on contractual and commercial matters
• Maintain a centralized contract management system ensuring timely renewals andcompliance with contractual obligations
• Coordinate with external legal counsel on specialized legal matters when required

Corporate Structuring Company Management

• Manage the incorporation registration restructuring liquidation and closure of legal entitiesacross the APMEA region
• Coordinate with government authorities external consultants and corporate serviceproviders on company formation and corporate restructuring
• Support changes relating to shareholders directors authorized signatories and corporategovernance documentation
• Maintain statutory registers constitutional documents licenses and corporate records for allAPMEA entities
• Ensure corporate records remain aligned with Group governance requirements

Legal Compliance Corporate Governance

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive legal and compliance framework for APMEA entities
• Create and maintain a Regional Compliance Calendar covering all statutory regulatory licensing and governance requirements
• Coordinate compliance audits with external consultants and internal stakeholders
• Drive implementation of compliance audit findings across regional entities
• Monitor ongoing legal and regulatory compliance and provide periodic compliance reports tothe COO
• Stay updated on legislative and regulatory developments across the APMEA region and advisemanagement on potential business impacts

Regulatory Corporate Affairs

• Ensure all regional entities comply with applicable corporate commercial licensing labour and regulatory requirements
• Coordinate with Finance regarding corporate legal requirements relating to statutory filings corporate tax matters and other regulatory obligations
• Liaise with regulatory authorities government departments and external legal advisors
• Provide legal support for business expansion acquisitions restructurings and strategicprojects within the region

Litigation Dispute Management

• Manage litigation arbitration mediation and commercial disputes across APMEA
• Coordinate and oversee external legal counsel in handling litigation matters
• Maintain a litigation register and monitor the progress of all legal cases
• Review legal notices claims and settlement proposals
• Advise management on legal risks dispute resolution strategies and settlement options
• Support insurance claims recoveries and other legal proceedings where required

Compliance Monitoring Audit

• Coordinate compliance audits for major regional entities through external consultants wherenecessary
• Monitor implementation of compliance recommendations across business units
• Conduct periodic reviews of compliance submissions received from regional entities
• Verify compliance reports on a selective basis and recommend corrective actions
• Support internal and external audit activities relating to legal and regulatory compliance

Intellectual Property Coordination

• Coordinate with the Corporate Legal function on trademarks copyrights and otherintellectual property matters affecting APMEA
• Monitor validity and renewal of regional intellectual property registrations
• Identify gaps in intellectual property protection and recommend appropriate actions
• Maintain records of regional intellectual property assets

Legal Documentation Corporate Records

• Maintain all legal statutory licensing and governance documentation for APMEA entities
• Prepare board resolutions powers of attorney shareholder resolutions and corporatedocumentation as required
• Support legal documentation relating to company restructuring acquisitions financing andstrategic initiatives
• Ensure proper document retention confidentiality and version control

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Law (LLB).
• Master's Degree in Law (LLM) is an advantage.
• Admission to the Bar or equivalent legal qualification is preferred.
• Company Secretary qualification will be an added advantage.
• Experience5–7 years of post-qualification legal experience.
• Minimum 2 years in a multinational or regional corporate environment.
• Exposure to multiple jurisdictions within the Middle East, Africa, or Asia Pacific is preferred.
• Strong experience in contract drafting and review, company incorporation and restructuring,legal compliance, corporate governance and litigation management.
• Experience coordinating directly with external legal counsel, consultants, regulatoryauthorities and government departments.
• Experience in trading, distribution, logistics, manufacturing, or multinational businesses willbe an advantage.