Manager - EM Legal

Job Description:

Responsibilities

• Business Development Support
• Lead negotiations for BD-led contracts, MOUs, LOIs, project bids, tenders, and partnership agreements from a Legal perspective.
• Provide legal structuring for commercial models, JV arrangements, collaboration agreements, and investment proposals.
• Ensure cross-border deals comply with regional laws, anti-corruption standards, and internal governance processes.
• Conduct legal due diligence for new business proposals, distributors, agents, and strategic partners.
• Contracting & Commercial Advisory
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements (distribution, supply, service, licensing, confidentiality, technology, procurement, quality, consultancy, clinical study, warehousing, Distribution, Supply, contract manufacture, In license, out-license, claim letters, credit letters, MAH support letters, app development agreements, recruitment services, Digital Services, Car Lease agreement, Settlement agreements, novation, intercompany agreements, agreements with global authorities and UN for ARV products etc.).
• Support market expansion initiatives, partner onboarding, and cross?border transactions.
• Provide clear, actionable advice balancing legal considerations with commercial objectives.
• Regulatory & Compliance
• Ensure adherence to regional laws and regulations relevant to operations in Emerging Markets.
• Work with cross?functional teams (Quality Assurance, Regulatory, Market Research, Marketing, Institutional Business Compliance, Finance, Procurement, HR) to implement and strengthen compliance frameworks.
• Risk Management & Dispute Handling
• Identify legal risks and propose mitigation strategies for business decisions, transactions, and projects.
• Handle pre-litigation matters, manage external counsel, and support dispute resolution.
• Drive contract risk assessments and maintain a legal risk register for EM.
• Stakeholder Management
• Serve as the key legal advisor to business leaders in EM.
• Partner closely with Business Development, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, HR, and Operations teams.
• Build trusted advisory relationships with regional management and global legal counterparts.
• Policy Development & Training
• Develop, update, and cascade internal policies, SOPs, and legal playbooks.
• Conduct legal awareness and compliance training sessions across EM teams.
• Emerging Markets Experience
• Prior experience and knowledge of the following areas will be an added advantage
• Experience collaborating with HR, business leaders, and external counsel across emerging markets to ensure compliance with employment legislation.
• Experience advising on human resources and employment law matters across emerging markets, including Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
• Ability to provide practical, risk?based legal advice balancing business objectives with evolving labour laws in emerging economies.

Qualification & Experience      

• 6-10 years of post-qualification experience, ideally in multinational corporations or reputed law firms.
• Preferably exp in Pharma industry.
• LLB, LLM (Preferable)