Senior Legal Counsel

Manulife Insurance Berhad; Kuala Lumpur; Hybrid; MYR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Manulife Insurance Berhad in Malaysia is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to join the Legal & Corporate Governance function. You will provide practical, commercially focused legal, regulatory and governance guidance across multiple regulated entities.

You will engage with senior management to influence decisions, manage high‑risk matters, and coordinate regulatory responses with regulators such as Bank Negara Malaysia and the Labuan Financial Services Authority.

Qualifications

• Qualified advocate and solicitor with current practising certificate.
• Experience in high-risk commercial, regulatory and governance matters.

Responsibilities

• Operate as a senior member of the Legal & Corporate Governance function, taking ownership of legal, regulatory and governance matters.
• Engage with senior management to provide commercially focused legal and regulatory advice and influence decision-making.
• Support complex and higher-risk matters and manage simpler ones from instruction to resolution.
• Lead or coordinate regulatory engagements with Bank Negara Malaysia and Labuan Financial Services Authority, driving timelines and submissions.
• Provide strategic and day-to-day advice on corporate, commercial, regulatory, insurance, Takaful, data privacy and other legal matters across regulated entities.
• Draft, review and negotiate complex commercial agreements including distribution, outsourcing, technology and procurement.
• Advise on new products and strategic projects, including Takaful expansion and risk mitigation.
• Develop templates, playbooks and risk-management processes to improve consistency and control; deliver training.
• Contribute to priorities, knowledge management and mentoring junior staff.

Skills

Commercial awareness

Regulatory affairs

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Tools

Legal drafting

Job description

The Senior Legal Counsel is a key member of the Legal & Corporate Governance function, providing practical and commercially focused legal, regulatory, and governance advice across multiple regulated entities. The role manages complex legal matters, supports strategic business initiatives including business expansion, and partners with senior stakeholders to navigate evolving regulatory requirements and drive sound business outcomes.

Position Responsibilities

• Operate as a senior member of the Legal & Corporate Governance function, taking ownership of assigned legal, regulatory and governance matters with appropriate guidance and escalation, and enabling the General Counsel Malaysia to delegate work effectively.
• Engage directly with senior management and key business stakeholders to provide commercially focused legal and regulatory advice, influence decision-making and help shape business outcomes, rather than solely providing legal review.
• Support complex and higher-risk legal, regulatory and governance matters and directly manage less complex matters from instruction through resolution, exercising sound judgement and consulting or escalating where appropriate.
• Lead or coordinate regulatory engagements and responses, including matters involving Bank Negara Malaysia and Labuan Financial Services Authority, with responsibility for driving timelines, aligning internal stakeholders and ensuring clear, accurate and defensible submission
• Provide strategic and day-to-day advice on corporate, commercial, regulatory, insurance, Takaful, distribution, digital, data privacy, employment and general legal matters across the Group’s regulated entities.
• raft, review and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including distribution, outsourcing, technology, procurement, services, confidentiality and strategic partnership arrangements. Advise on new products, initiatives, transactions and strategic projects, including Takaful expansion, identifying material legal and regulatory risks and recommending practical mitigation measures that support responsible growth. Develop and maintain legal templates, guidance, playbooks and risk-management processes to improve consistency, efficiency and control. Deliver legal training and build stakeholder awareness of key legal obligations and emerging risks. Contribute to Legal function priorities, knowledge management, process improvement and the development of more junior team members. Undertake other legal responsibilities assigned by the General Counsel / Head of Legal.

Required Qualifications

• Qualified advocate and solicitor, or equivalent common-law legal qualification, with a current practising certificate where required.
• Typically 6–9 years of relevant post-qualification experience gained in a reputable law firm and/or an in-house legal function.

Preferred Qualifications

• Recent, substantive general commercial legal practice, with demonstrated ability to take ownership of assigned matters, exercise sound judgement and manage complex or higher-risk matters with appropriate support and escalation.
• Strong experience in financial services, insurance, Takaful, asset management or another highly regulated industry, preferably supporting multiple regulated entities.
• Strong knowledge of Malaysian corporate and commercial law, with demonstrated experience supporting regulatory engagements and coordinating responses involving Bank Negara Malaysia, Labuan Financial Services Authority or comparable regulators.
• Proven drafting, negotiation, legal analysis and stakeholder-management capability

When you join our team

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want.
• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words.
• As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy‑related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact ••••@manulife.com .

Working Arrangement

Hybrid