Senior Manager - Legal Counsel

Organization: At CommBank, we never lose sight of the role we play in other people’s financial wellbeing. Our focus is to help people and businesses move forward to progress. To make the right financial decisions and achieve their dreams, targets and aspirations. Regardless of where you work within our organisation, your initiative, talent, ideas and energy all contribute to the impact that we can make with our work. Together we can achieve great things.

Job Title: Senior Manager - Legal Counsel (CBA India)

Location: Bangalore

Business & Team: This role will be part of CBA India Legal Team and working closely with the colleagues and stakeholders across Group.

Impact & contribution: CBA is looking at hiring a Senior Manager - Legal Counsel, to provide legal support to CBA’s operations in India. This position will be based in Bangalore and will report into the Finance controller. The position will also work closely with Procurement, Finance, Human Resource & Chief Operations Office.

Roles & Responsibilities:

• Provide pro-active, practical, qualitative and cost-effective legal support and guidance to different business functions on all kinds of legal matters, with a focus on Data privacy regulations, Labor laws, Property/Real estate laws, Information Technology, Intellectual property laws and trademark laws etc.
• Monitor changes in law and various other regulations and work in collaboration with various stakeholders / process owners, to effect the necessary changes to comply with such changes in laws within applicable timelines.
• Advise on wide range of Labor regulation matters including employment contracts, terminations, workplace policies and assist various Stakeholders on People & Cultural aspects. Adhere to the various compliances applicable under Labor laws and regulations.
• Review of Internal Policies & procedures.
• Contract Review and Negotiation: Monitor and improve process for contract development, review and advise all levels of business partners on a broad array of Sourcing business transactions; update and develop standard documentation to protect company’s best interests on contractual commitments, balance and optimize risks and ensure company is protected legally.
• Draft and/or review and negotiate legal contracts/agreements/documents, including vendor contracts, retainer contracts, non-disclosure agreements etc., to make sure that they (a) are compliant with all applicable laws, (b) incorporate all of CBA’s internal policy requirements and (c) protect the organization's interests.
• Legal support to Sourcing managers on claim management, dispute settlement and other legal issues arising at contract execution stage.
• Coordinate Procurement Domain activities with Legal Regions to ensure transparency, efficiency and fluidity.
• Ensure regular reporting of quality aspects and be able to identify risks and opportunities and escalate to management; Draft and/or vet and negotiate undertakings, letter of Authority/Power of Authority and other such legal documents, while ensuring that they (a) are compliant with all applicable laws, (b) incorporate all of CBA’s internal policy requirements and (c) protect the organization's interests.
• Provide a structured approach to the function through tools that facilitate task prioritization, stakeholder involvement, status updates and easy retrieval of documents and agreements.
• Draft and provide timely replies to legal notices.
• Provide regular and timely legal advisory, statutory updates and legal dashboards to senior management/business heads.
• Be the local liaising point for and deal with external legal counsel and other legal consultants and be the conduit between the organization and external legal counsel/legal consultants, safeguarding the organization's best interests.
• Monitor and assist with ensuring compliance of various statutes applicable to the organization.
• Liaise and/or deal with Government and quasi-Government departments, courts, tribunals etc. as and where required.
• Drafting and negotiating high value agreements including MOU, Pre-bid Agreements, Master Agreements, Framework Agreements, Services Agreements, Specific Project Agreements in a worldwide environment, Settlement Agreements.
• Work with external legal counsel, on litigation and arbitration matters, if / as and when they arise.
• Facilitate trainings and awareness sessions on Legal Sourcing topics as well as other legal topics related to sourcing contract management and compliance.
• This position should promote the CBA’s Code of Ethics as well and adhering to the highest standards of ethical conduct
• Analyze data available to identify better ways to perform tasks and contribute ideas to making systems and processes more effective.

Essential Skills:

• At least 13-15 years of legal experience, with some of it having worked as part of an in-house legal team in the KPO/data/software/financial services industry.
• Excellent internal and external communication and influencing skills, with strong client focus.
• Experience of working for a multi-national organization with exposure to international legal practices, laws and policies will be highly regarded.
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills.
• Experience in providing legal and documentation support for all strategic business decisions.
• Expertise in dealing with a wide variety of legal matters.
• Expertise in providing practical legal solutions to the organization and devising strategies to solve and mitigate legal issues.
• Seasoned in-house practitioner with excellent judgement, and also able to coordinate within a global legal team.
• Excellent relationship management and negotiation skills.
• Proven capabilities in liaising with Government and quasi-Government departments, courts, tribunals and external agencies.
• Responsive, ability to balance and prioritize goals.
• A strong team player with good engagement and collaboration skills with diverse groups of people including members of other departments within a company (e.g. HR, Compliance and Finance).
• Ability to work under tight deadlines.

Educational Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in law (LLB or LLM) OR any other equivalent degree in law.