Head of Legal & Compliance — Industrial, M&A & Growth

Taj HR; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Taj HR seeks an experienced Senior Legal Manager to establish, develop, and lead the legal function within the industrial sector in Riyadh. The role demands hands-on, in-house expertise across corporate matters and regulatory compliance.

You will independently manage day-to-day legal tasks, support investments and strategic transactions, mitigate risks, and build scalable legal processes as the function grows. English proficiency is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Law or equivalent; Western postgraduate preferred.
• 8+ years of relevant legal experience.
• In-house legal experience in industrial, manufacturing, construction or related companies.
• Strong corporate/commercial law, contract negotiation and regulatory compliance.
• Experience in investments, M&A, joint ventures or corporate restructuring.
• Experience establishing legal processes or leading a small legal team.

Responsibilities

• Establish and develop the company's legal function, including policies and controls.
• Manage day-to-day corporate matters and provide practical legal advice to management.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage commercial and industrial contracts.
• Ensure compliance with laws, licensing requirements, and industry restrictions.
• Identify legal/regulatory risks and recommend mitigation.
• Support investment activities, M&A, restructuring, and strategic transactions.
• Coordinate due diligence for acquisitions, investments, and partnerships.
• Manage regulators, authorities, external counsel, and other stakeholders.
• Develop practical processes to support business operations and growth.
• Build and organize the legal team with clear responsibilities and workflows.
• Provide guidance on governance, risk management, and dispute resolution.
• Work independently on complex matters and engage external counsel as needed.

Skills

In-house legal

Commercial law

Contract negotiation

Regulatory compliance

M&A

Stakeholder management

Legal function development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Law

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Senior Legal Manager to establish, develop, and lead the company's legal function within the industrial sector.

The ideal candidate will have substantial hands-on, in-house legal experience within an industrial, manufacturing, construction, or related business, with a strong understanding of applicable laws, regulatory frameworks, and industry-specific compliance requirements.

This role requires a proactive legal professional who can independently manage day-to-day legal matters, support investment and corporate transactions, mitigate legal risks, and establish effective legal processes and policies. The successful candidate should be comfortable building the legal function and working directly on legal matters rather than relying primarily on external law firms.

Key Responsibilities

● Establish and develop the company's legal function, including legal policies, procedures, templates, and internal controls.

● Manage day-to-day corporate legal matters and provide practical, commercially focused legal advice to management.

● Draft, review, negotiate, and manage commercial agreements, industrial contracts, construction contracts, and other business-related legal documents.

● Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, licensing requirements, and industry-specific restrictions relevant to the company's operations.

● Identify legal and regulatory risks associated with industrial activities and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.

● Support investment activities, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate restructuring, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions.

● Conduct or coordinate legal due diligence for acquisitions, investments, and strategic partnerships.

● Manage relationships with regulators, government authorities, external legal counsel, and other relevant stakeholders.

● Develop practical legal processes that support business operations, investment decisions, and sustainable growth.

● Build and organize the legal team over time, establishing clear responsibilities, workflows, and reporting mechanisms.

● Provide legal guidance on corporate governance, risk management, dispute resolution, and contractual obligations.

● Work independently on complex legal matters while engaging external counsel when specialized expertise is required.

Requirements

● Bachelor's degree in Law or an equivalent legal qualification. A postgraduate degree or legal qualification from a Western country is preferred.

● At least 8 years of relevant legal experience.

● Proven in-house legal experience within an industrial, manufacturing, construction, engineering, or related company.

● Strong practical experience in corporate and commercial law, contract negotiation, and regulatory compliance.

● Demonstrated exposure to investments, mergers and acquisitions, acquisitions, joint ventures, or corporate restructuring.

● Experience establishing legal processes or working within a small legal team is highly desirable.

● Strong understanding of industry-specific regulations, operational restrictions, and legal risk management.

● Excellent written and spoken English, with the ability to negotiate and draft complex legal documents.

● Strong stakeholder management, commercial judgment, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.

● Ability to work independently, take ownership of legal matters, and build a legal function from the ground up.

Key Competencies

● Hands-on legal execution

● Corporate and commercial law

● Industrial regulatory compliance

● Investment and M&A transactions

● Contract drafting and negotiation

● Legal function development

● Commercial awareness and risk management

Stakeholder and government relations