Legal & Compliance Counsel GCC

Sandoz; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 260,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandoz in Riyadh seeks a Senior Compliance & Legal Counsel to lead local compliance with the Code of Ethics, third‑party risk management and regulatory standards.

You will implement SOPs, support investigations, and advise on regulatory matters across the business, ensuring alignment with global policies and local laws.

Qualifications

• Law degree from a recognized university.
• Minimum 5 years of regional experience in legal and compliance roles.
• Fluency in English and Arabic (spoken and written).
• Experience in the pharmaceutical industry, compliance-focused.

Responsibilities

• Establish compliance standards based on policies and laws.
• Oversee contract lifecycle management and approvals.
• Monitor mandatory trainings and risk assessments.
• Support investigations, root-cause analysis and remediation.

Skills

English

Arabic

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Law degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

• Establish compliance standards based on internal policies such as the Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest requirements, Sandoz Global Policy for External Professional Interactions, and the Third‑Party Risk Management framework and on applicable law and regulations including but not limited to industry codes
• Establish processes and SOPs, covering all promotional/non-promotional activities including promotional/non-promotional materials, interactions with HCPs, grants, gifts and event.
• Ensure compliance training for local organization.
• Monitor the e-learning mandatory trainings.
• Conduct compliance risk assessments.
• Drive a strong culture of integrity, promoting ethical behaviour, speak‑up culture, and awareness of compliance expectations across the organization
• Ensure document retention and archiving practices meet internal and external requirements for inspections and audits
• Support investigations and incident management, including documentation, root cause analysis, and remediation actions in case of potential misconduct, breaches, or compliance concerns.
• Perform monitoring and auditing activities, including spot checks, transactional reviews, event assessments, and sampling of high‑risk processes to ensure policy adherence

Major Accountabilities

• Establish compliance standards based on internal policies such as the Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest requirements, Sandoz Global Policy for External Professional Interactions, and the Third‑Party Risk Management framework and on applicable law and regulations including but not limited to industry codes
• Establish processes and SOPs, covering all promotional/non-promotional activities including promotional/non-promotional materials, interactions with HCPs, grants, gifts and event.
• Ensure compliance training for local organization.
• Monitor the e-learning mandatory trainings.
• Conduct compliance risk assessments.
• Drive a strong culture of integrity, promoting ethical behaviour, speak‑up culture, and awareness of compliance expectations across the organization
• Ensure document retention and archiving practices meet internal and external requirements for inspections and audits
• Support investigations and incident management, including documentation, root cause analysis, and remediation actions in case of potential misconduct, breaches, or compliance concerns.
• Perform monitoring and auditing activities, including spot checks, transactional reviews, event assessments, and sampling of high‑risk processes to ensure policy adherence

Compliance Responsibilities

• Establish compliance standards based on internal policies such as the Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest requirements, Sandoz Global Policy for External Professional Interactions, and the Third‑Party Risk Management framework and on applicable law and regulations including but not limited to industry codes
• Establish processes and SOPs, covering all promotional/non-promotional activities including promotional/non-promotional materials, interactions with HCPs, grants, gifts and event.
• Ensure compliance training for local organization.
• Monitor the e-learning mandatory trainings.
• Conduct compliance risk assessments.
• Drive a strong culture of integrity, promoting ethical behaviour, speak‑up culture, and awareness of compliance expectations across the organization
• Ensure document retention and archiving practices meet internal and external requirements for inspections and audits
• Support investigations and incident management, including documentation, root cause analysis, and remediation actions in case of potential misconduct, breaches, or compliance concerns.
• Perform monitoring and auditing activities, including spot checks, transactional reviews, event assessments, and sampling of high‑risk processes to ensure policy adherence

Corporate Governance

• Ensure the company’s corporate governance activities comply with local laws, regulatory requirements, and global Sandoz governance standards.
• Maintain and update corporate documents (e.g., commercial registry records, signatory matrices, power of attorney structures).
• Support coordination and preparation of board and shareholder resolutions, filings, regulatory submissions, and annual renewal requirements.

Contract Management

• Oversee end-to-end contract lifecycle management, including drafting, reviewing, and negotiating agreements.
• Ensure contracts are aligned with global templates, approval workflows, and delegation of authority requirements.
• Provide guidance on contract compliance, risks, and mitigation actions.

Legal Advisory Support

• Provide legal advice on matters affecting business operations, including regulatory law, commercial law, anti-bribery/anti-corruption laws, data protection, and competition law.
• Advise internal teams on interpretation of local legislation, corporate policies, and global processes.
• Collaborate with global and regional legal teams to ensure alignment with Sandoz legal standards and to implement new global requirements locally.
• Support the business in responding to legal queries, risk assessments, product-related issues, and interactions with government authorities where required.

Key Performance Indicators

• All local compliance standards established for the countries are aligned with local regulations/standards and company policies. Documentation of this alignment is available.
• Local processes and SOPs for relevant policies are established and implemented
• All associates are trained on legal and compliance related policies and SOPs.
• Annual (e)-Training and (e)-Certification completion targets are reached
• Compliance-related risk assessment conducted
• Monitoring: self-assessment conducted and remediation plan developed (if necessary)
• Contracting activities delivered on time with minimal legal risks and high adherence to global legal standards.
• Corporate governance filings and documentation completed accurately and within statutory deadlines.
• Quality and timeliness of legal support provided to the business.

Minimum Requirements

• Law degree from a recognized university.
• Minimum 5 years of regional experience in legal and compliance roles.
• Fluency in English and Arabic (spoken and written).
• Previous experience in the pharmaceutical industry is required, particularly in compliance-related roles.
• Strong understanding of compliance frameworks, industry codes, anti‑bribery laws, and corporate governance principles.
• Structured, organized, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to plan, execute, and monitor tasks and initiatives across different functions.
• Ability to work cross‑functionally and support stakeholders in a matrix organization.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and ability to assess and manage risk.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to convey complex requirements in a clear and practical manner.

Skills

• Business Networking.
• Business Partners.
• Calls Handling.
• Contract Management.
• Curiosity.
• Decision Making Skills.
• Finance.
• Law (Legal System).
• Litigation (Law).
• Microsoft Office.
• Proactivity.
• Quality Control.

Languages

• English & Arabic

Why Sandoz?

Generic and Biosimilar medicines are the backbone of the global medicines industry. Sandoz, a leader in this sector, provided more than 900 million patient treatments across 100+ countries in 2024 and while we are proud of this achievement, we have an ambition to do more! With investments in new development capabilities, production sites, new acquisitions, and partnerships, we have the opportunity to shape the future of Sandoz and help more patients gain access to low-cost, high-quality medicines, sustainably. Our momentum is powered by an open, collaborative culture driven by our talented and ambitious colleagues, who, in return for applying their skills experience an agile and collegiate environment with impactful, flexible-hybrid careers, where diversity is welcomed and where personal growth is supported!

Join us!

Commitment To Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams representative of the patients and communities we serve.

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