Position Title: Head of Legal

The Head of Legal for a joint Public Transport and Solid Waste Management company is a senior executive role responsible for safeguarding the organization against legal, regulatory, and contractual risks. This leader will oversee complex public-private partnerships (PPPs), environmental compliance, high-stakes municipal litigations, and labor-related legal matters across extensive daily public utility operations.

Job Overview

• Position Title: Head of Legal / General Counsel / Legal Director
• Department: Legal & Corporate Governance
• Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) / Managing Director (MD) / Vice President
• Location: Corporate Headquarters (with frequent court and regulatory body visits)

Core Responsibilities

1. Contract & Concession Agreement Management

• Structure PPP contracts: Draft, review, and negotiate high-value Concession Agreements with municipal corporations and state transport authorities.
• Oversee CAPEX procurement legalities: Vet international and domestic supply agreements for fleet procurement, EV charging infrastructure, and waste processing plants.
• Manage joint ventures: Review legally binding documents for consortiums, vendor SLAs, and subcontracting arrangements.

2. Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Compliance

• Enforce environmental laws: Ensure absolute compliance with waste-to-energy plant operations, landfill management, and hazardous waste disposal regulations.
• Manage statutory permits: Oversee timely acquisition and renewal of environmental clearances, emissions permits, and transport licenses.
• Mitigate regulatory risks: Defend the company against environmental notices, penalties, or compliance directives from green tribunals and regulatory boards.

3. Litigation & Dispute Resolution

• Lead court representations: Direct the strategy for all civil, criminal, consumer, and arbitration matters involving the company.
• Manage external counsel: Appoint, evaluate, and coordinate with external law firms and advocates representing the company in high-court or tribunal hearings.
• Handle accident & insurance claims: Oversee the legal processing of third-party public accident claims, vehicle damages, and comprehensive insurance litigations.

4. Labor, Employment & Union Matters

• Advise on industrial relations: Provide critical legal counsel to HR during collective bargaining agreements and labor union negotiations.
• Resolve employment disputes: Strategize defense mechanisms against wrongful termination, workplace safety violations, and employee grievance lawsuits.

5. Corporate Governance & Advisory

• Counsel executive leadership: Act as the primary advisor to the Board of Directors and CEO on shifting regulatory landscape impacts.
• Draft internal policies: Standardize internal governance, anti-bribery policies, whistle-blower mechanisms, and code of conduct matrices.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Litigation Success Rate: Ratio of legal cases, arbitrations, and disputes resolved in favor of the company.
• Contract Turnaround Time: Average time taken to review, draft, and clear commercial or vendor contracts.
• Regulatory Penalties (Target: Zero): Total financial or operational penalties incurred due to non-compliance or missed deadlines.
• External Legal Spend Efficiency: Optimization of external counsel fees against the internal legal budget.

Job Requirements

Education & Credentials

• Degree: Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from a recognized university. A Master of Laws (LL.M.) or a corporate secretarial qualification is highly preferred.
• Bar Membership: Active and valid registration with the regional/national Bar Council.

Experience

• Minimum 12 – 15 years: Post-qualification experience, with a significant portion spent handling infrastructure, logistics, power, or public utility sectors.
• Leadership Tenure: At least 5 years of experience leading an in-house legal department or serving as a senior partner in a corporate law firm.

Technical Skills & Competencies

• Mastery of Environmental Protection laws, Public Procurement codes, Municipal laws, and Labor legislation.
• Exceptional legal drafting, adversarial negotiation, and analytical reasoning capabilities.
• Strong crisis management skills with the ability to handle public interest litigations (PILs).

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