Senior Legal Counsel

Schneider Electric; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 240,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global energy management company is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to provide comprehensive legal support across Saudi Arabia. The ideal candidate will manage legal matters involving commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance. Candidates should have 10–13 years of experience, strong legal knowledge, and fluency in Arabic and English. This role demands excellent negotiation and drafting skills while ensuring compliance with local laws. Join a company committed to inclusion and ethics.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10–13 years of professional legal experience in commercial and/or corporate law.
• Proven experience within an international company or law firm, preferably in industrial sectors.
• Solid exposure to Saudi Arabia and the KSABYP cluster jurisdictions is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal advice on a wide range of legal matters.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage commercial agreements.
• Advise on applicable legal and regulatory frameworks.

Skills

Fluency in Arabic

Fluency in English

Strong drafting skills

Negotiation skills

Risk assessment

Communication skills

Business partnership

Resilience in complex environments

Education

Law degree (LLB or equivalent)

Additional qualification in international business law (LLM or equivalent)

Job description

Within a demanding and international operational environment, the Senior Legal Counsel – KSABYP will provide comprehensive legal support across Saudi Arabia and the wider KSABYP Cluster. The role covers a broad spectrum of commercial, contractual, regulatory and governance matters in support of the group’s industrial, services and project activities.

Acting as a trusted legal business partner, the Senior Legal Counsel takes ownership of legal matters within their scope, supporting business teams in structuring, negotiating and executing complex transactions, while ensuring compliance with applicable laws, internal policies and governance standards. The role combines hands‑on legal execution with sound judgement and risk‑based legal advisory.

Key Responsibilities

• Cluster Legal Support
  • Provide day‑to‑day legal advice to business units and functional teams across the KSABYP Cluster (with primary focus on Saudi Arabia) on a wide range of legal and commercial matters.
  • Act as a key legal interface between operational teams, management, and internal stakeholders (Finance, Compliance, Tax, HR, Procurement).
  • Support the development of business activities while identifying, assessing, and mitigating legal and contractual risks.
  • Escalate sensitive or material matters within the Legal function.
• Contract & Commercial Advisory
  • Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial and project agreements, including:
  • sales and supply agreements
  • services and maintenance contracts
  • EPC, subcontracting, consortium and partnership agreements
  • distribution and channel partner agreements
  • Provide legal support to project and tender activities, including public and private tenders, bid documentation, contractual risk analysis, and contract execution.
  • Advise on contract management strategies and contribute to improving contractual standards and practices within the region.
  • Act as legal lead on selected strategic or high‑risk projects within the cluster.
• Regulatory, Government & Compliance
  • Advise on applicable legal and regulatory frameworks in the cluster’s jurisdictions, including local content requirements, licensing, and regulatory approvals.
  • Handle regulatory inquiries, audits, and interactions with local authorities, with the support of external counsel where appropriate.
  • Support the implementation and monitoring of governance and compliance frameworks, in coordination with Compliance, Ethics, and Internal Control teams.
  • Liaise with company secretarial providers and support corporate governance matters for local entities (board processes, statutory compliance, corporate records).
• Risk Management, Litigation & External Counsel
  • Manage legal risks proactively and contribute to the prevention and resolution of pre‑contentious and contentious matters.
  • Coordinate with (and supervise) external counsel on litigation, arbitration, regulatory, employment, data protection, competition, and other specialist matters.
  • Ensure cost‑effective, consistent, and well‑governed use of external legal resources, in line with Group policies and approval process.
• Strategic Initiatives & Knowledge Sharing
  • Contribute actively to Legal Department initiatives, including regional projects, legal process improvements, and harmonisation of practices.
  • Monitor legal and regulatory developments impacting the cluster and assess their implications for the business.
  • Deliver legal awareness and training sessions to business and functional teams on key legal topics.

Reporting & Organisation

• The Senior Legal Counsel will be part of the MEA Legal team and reports directly to the Vice President Legal, General Counsel MEA.
• Occasional travel within the KSABYP cluster may be required.

Qualifications

• Law degree (LLB or equivalent); admission to a bar or qualification as an attorney/advocate is an advantage.
• Additional qualification in international business law (LLM or equivalent) is a plus.
• Minimum 10–13 years of professional legal experience in commercial and/or corporate law.
• Proven experience within an international company or law firm, preferably in the industrial, energy, infrastructure, or services sectors.
• Solid exposure to Saudi Arabia and the KSABYP cluster jurisdictions is highly desirable.
• Experience dealing with government or semi‑government entities is a strong advantage.
• Strong expertise in commercial contracts and transactional work.
• Solid understanding of regulatory, governance, and compliance environments in emerging markets.
• Ability to assess risks pragmatically and provide clear, business‑oriented legal advice.
• Strong drafting, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to operate with autonomy, sound judgment and composure in a high‑pressure environment.
• Fluency in Arabic and English (written and spoken) is mandatory.
• Knowledge of additional languages (French or relevant local languages) is a strong advantage.
• High standards of integrity, rigor, and reliability.
• Strong sense of business partnership and pragmatism.
• Ability to work autonomously while operating effectively within a regional and global legal team.
• Curiosity, adaptability, and resilience in complex and evolving environments.

You must submit an online application to be considered for any position. This position will be posted until filled.

Schneider Electric aspires to be the most inclusive and caring company in the world, by providing equitable opportunities to everyone, everywhere, and ensuring all employees feel uniquely valued and safe to contribute their best. We mirror the diversity of the communities in which we operate, and ‘inclusion’ is one of our core values. We believe our differences make us stronger as a company and as individuals and we are committed to championing inclusivity in everything we do.

At Schneider Electric, we uphold the highest standards of ethics and compliance, and we believe that trust is a foundational value. Our Trust Charter is our Code of Conduct and demonstrates our commitment to ethics, safety, sustainability, quality and cybersecurity, underpinning every aspect of our business and our willingness to behave and respond respectfully and in good faith to all our stakeholders. You can find out more about our Trust Charter here.

Schneider Electric is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities in the areas of recruiting, hiring, training, transferring, and promoting all qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, color, gender, disability, national origin, ancestry, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status or any other legally protected characteristic or conduct.