Corporate & Commercial Legal Director – Contracts Specialist

VPA London; Dhahran Compound; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a highly experienced legal professional to lead their commercial legal operations. This role involves strategic leadership, overseeing contract negotiations, and managing complex claims while ensuring compliance and risk management. The successful candidate will build and mentor a dynamic legal team, driving efficiency through innovative legal technologies. This is a unique opportunity to influence business growth while ensuring robust legal governance in a fast-paced environment. If you possess a strong legal background and a passion for leadership, we want to hear from you!

Qualifications

• Advanced legal degree required, with certification in contract or claims management preferred.
• Fluency in English is essential; Arabic skills are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic legal operations focusing on contracts and claims management.
• Build and mentor a high-performing legal team to support commercial growth.

Skills

Contract Negotiation

Claims Management

Legal Risk Management

Leadership

Strategic Advisory

Process Improvement

Legal Compliance

Education

Advanced Legal Degree (LLM)

Tools

Legal Technologies

Job description

Role Overview

Our client is seeking a highly experienced legal professional to lead their commercial legal operations, with a strong focus on contracts, claims, and waiver management. This individual will play a key strategic and advisory role - ensuring that legal risk is minimised while supporting commercial growth through effective governance, negotiation, and leadership.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Set and drive the legal strategy for contract and claims oversight, ensuring all frameworks and policies align with business risk appetite and regulatory expectations.
• Act as a senior legal advisor to executive leadership, delivering actionable insight on emerging legal risks, key transactions, and departmental performance.

Commercial Legal Operations

• Lead high-value contract negotiations and manage complex claims and disputes, always balancing legal protection with business priorities.
• Establish scalable processes for contract review, waiver approvals, and legal compliance across all commercial functions.

Team Leadership & Development

• Build, mentor, and manage a legal team focused on commercial contracting, ensuring high standards of delivery, technical expertise, and collaboration.
• Champion a culture of ownership and continuous improvement, aligning team goals with broader business strategy.

Process Improvement & Reporting

• Oversee the development of systems and tools to monitor contract performance, claim status, and legal process efficiency.
• Provide concise and commercially-relevant reporting to senior leadership, highlighting legal trends and actionable opportunities for process optimisation.

Change Enablement

• Support the business in implementing change initiatives related to contract and claims management by advising on legal considerations and best practices.
• Identify and introduce modern legal technologies to drive efficiency, visibility, and responsiveness across legal workflows.

Qualifications

• Holds an advanced legal degree (LLM or equivalent) and ideally has formal certification in contract or claims management.
• Fluent in English with outstanding written and verbal communication; Arabic language skills are advantageous.

Experience

• Brings a minimum of 13 years’ post-qualification experience in legal roles, with substantial exposure to high-value contracting and dispute resolution.
• Has led legal teams or functions for at least 5 years, demonstrating the ability to manage risk while enabling commercial success.
• Have worked within a global organisation