Legal Specialist

Svitzer Middle East Limited (Dubai Branch); Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Svitzer seeks a Legal Counsel to join the AMEA team in Dubai, UAE. You will act as a trusted adviser to regional leadership, providing strategic, commercially focused guidance across corporate governance, maritime matters, and complex contracts to support sustainable growth.

The role involves negotiating commercial agreements, supporting bids and M&A, overseeing regulatory compliance, and coordinating with external counsel across jurisdictions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Law (LLB or equivalent) and admission to practise.
• 5–8 years of post-qualification legal experience.
• Experience in corporate and commercial legal matters.
• Experience with cross-border transactions and governance across jurisdictions.
• ME region experience preferred; maritime or logistics knowledge desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic, commercially focused legal advice to regional leadership.
• Lead drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Support tenders, bids and new business opportunities with risk allocation.
• Advise on contractual disputes and regulatory matters across the region.
• Oversee corporate governance, entity management and regulatory compliance.
• Support M&A, restructurings and other strategic corporate transactions.
• Provide maritime and operational legal guidance; coordinate with external counsel.
• Drive standardisation and improvement of contracting and governance practices.
• Contribute to regional legal strategy and cross-border collaboration.

Skills

Commercial mindset

Strong communicator

Proactive

Organised

Independent

Integrity

Education

LLB or equivalent

Job description

About the role

Svitzer is looking for a Legal Counsel to join our team in Dubai, UAE. In Svitzer, our teams are lean, responsibilities are broad, and everyone contributes. As Legal Counsel for AMEA, you will play a key role in supporting Svitzer’s business across the region, providing strategic, commercially focused legal advice across a diverse and dynamic international environment. You will act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders and business stakeholders, helping the business navigate complex commercial, corporate, maritime and regulatory matters while enabling sustainable growth and managing legal and commercial risk. You will work closely with regional and global colleagues and external legal advisers, with the opportunity to shape legal governance, standardise practices and contribute to Svitzer’s regional legal strategy.

Who we are

Svitzer is a global leader in towage and marine services, helping customers safely and efficiently maneuver large vessels in and out of more than 200 ports and terminals worldwide. We build on almost 200 years of experience. Today, our 4,587 colleagues operate 510 vessels across 38 countries, helping keep goods flowing, businesses moving and communities connected. Guided by our values (Constant Care, Humbleness, Uprightness, Our Employees and Our Name), we are also shaping a cleaner, smarter future for towage through digital solutions, greener technologies and new partnerships.

What you can look forward to

You'll be part of a high-performing, growing and very collaborative Svitzer AMEA regional team where you'll have opportunity to work at the intersection of law, commercial strategy and maritime operations. This role presents a diverse portfolio spanning commercial contracts, corporate governance, maritime matters, disputes, joint ventures, M&A & strategic projects. In this high-impact regional role, you will have chance to influence and strengthen legal governance, contracting practices and risk management across the region - helping the business find practical solutions and enabling growth.

What you will do

• Act as a trusted legal adviser and business partner to regional leadership and senior stakeholders across AMEA, translating complex legal and regulatory matters into clear, practical and commercially focused advice.
• Identify, assess and mitigate legal and commercial risks while supporting sound business decisions.
• Lead the drafting, review and negotiation of complex commercial agreements, including charter parties, joint ventures and strategic agreements.
• Provide legal support for tenders, bids, commercial negotiations and new business opportunities, ensuring appropriate risk allocation and compliance.
• Advise on contractual disputes, claims and contentious matters, working towards practical and commercially balanced solutions.
• Provide legal oversight on corporate governance, entity management and regulatory compliance across the regional portfolio.
• Support M&A, restructurings, joint ventures and other strategic corporate transactions across the region.
• Provide legal advice on maritime and operational matters, including charter parties, vessel transactions, flag‑state requirements and cabotage regulations.
• Work with external counsel across jurisdictions on regulatory matters, company registrations and corporate structuring.
• Drive best practices, standardisation and continuous improvement across contracting, legal processes and governance.
• Contribute to the development and execution of the regional legal strategy.
• Provide legal support to Svitzer activities outside AMEA when required.
• Time to time travel if needed to support business on legal matters.

Who we are looking for

• A Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB or equivalent) and qualification/admission to practise law with a recognised legal regulatory body.
• 5 - 8 years of post-qualification legal experience.
• Experience supporting corporate and commercial legal matters within an international business environment.
• Knowledge of cross-border commercial transactions and corporate governance across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Experience working in the Middle East is preferred, with candidates currently based in the region being advantageous.
• Maritime, shipping or logistics industry experience is desirable but not essential.
• Experience supporting mergers and acquisitions would be advantageous.

You are

• Commercially minded, with the ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.
• A trusted partner and strong communicator, able to make complex legal concepts clear and actionable for non-legal audiences.
• Proactive and solution-oriented, focused on finding practical ways forward rather than simply identifying risks.
• Highly organised, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Comfortable taking ownership, working independently and using initiative while collaborating effectively across regional and global teams.
• Demonstrate integrity, professionalism and sound decision-making.
• Adaptable and resilient, with a continuous improvement mindset and enthusiasm for working in a dynamic multinational business.

Why join Svitzer

At Svitzer, you will be part of a global organisation with almost 200 years of maritime heritage and a strong commitment to safety, operational excellence and our people. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact as a trusted legal partner to the business, working with senior leaders and stakeholders across the AMEA region. You’ll have broad regional exposure, genuine ownership and the opportunity to influence strategic decisions, navigate complex legal and commercial matters, and enable sustainable growth across a dynamic global business.

Building a Diverse Workplace

In Svitzer we value the diversity of our talent and will always strive to recruit the best person for the job – we value diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs. We are proud of our diversity and see it as a genuine source of strength for building high performing teams.

Don’t meet every single requirement?

Studies have shown that members from some under-represented groups are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet every single qualification. At Svitzer we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles, and we are excited about hearing from you!

Svitzer is a people company

Offering uninterrupted marine solutions requires not only the best equipment but also the best people. Our ambition is to attract and continuously develop the industry’s best craftsmen. Both at sea and on land - worldwide, wherever our customers do business. We are driven by skilled, professional and dedicated people and we work together as one company to provide safe, reliable and efficient services to our customers. We support and develop our people’s skills and capabilities and we care for the development of both teams and individuals. To best serve our customers, we strive to ensure the right people and the best teams for the job, every time and we believe diversity is a strength.

Building a diverse workplace

In Svitzer we value the diversity of our talent and will always strive to recruit the best person for the job – we value diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs. We are proud of our diversity and see it as a genuine source of strength for building high performing teams.