Senior Legal Counsel & Contracts Lead – APAC

Thales; Otago; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Thales’ Legal, Contract and Compliance Department in Southeast Asia seeks a senior Legal Counsel/Contract Manager with a strong international background to lead contract management for InFlyt Experience (IFE) and Aviation Global Services (AGS) within the Region.

You will own the contract lifecycle, lead negotiations, manage risks, ensure governance, and mentor a Contract Manager while collaborating with global teams and external counsels.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Law or related field.
• 10+ years as legal counsel or contract manager in an international context.
• Analytical and synthesis skills with pragmatic problem solving.
• Understanding of major international Group compliance programs.
• Experience with third-party screening and compliance analyses.
• Proactive with stakeholders and able to manage priorities.
• Ability to share knowledge and collaborate across teams.
• Strong listening and communication skills.
• Inter-cultural awareness and interest in diverse teams.
• Proficient with IT tools, data exchange platforms, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

Responsibilities

• Own contract lifecycle delivery for the perimeter.
• Lead negotiation strategy and provide commercial/legal recommendations.
• Manage contract risks and ensure governance processes are followed.
• Maintain auditable contract documentation and reporting.
• Ensure full contractual awareness across the project team.
• Anticipate deviations and manage them through notices, waivers, amendments and claims.
• Drive risk and opportunity strategy with project leadership.
• Coordinate with Litigation when disputes arise and with external counsel.
• Handle contractual aspects of key subcontractors and suppliers.

Skills

Legal counsel experience

Contract management

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Inter-cultural awareness

Travel readiness

Education

Master's degree in Law

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Thales’ Legal, Contract and Compliance Department in Southeast Asia seeks a senior Legal Counsel/Contract Manager with a strong international background to lead contract management for InFlyt Experience (IFE) and Aviation Global Services (AGS) within the Region.

You will own the contract lifecycle, lead negotiations, manage risks, ensure governance, and mentor a Contract Manager while collaborating with global teams and external counsels.