Legal Counsel GCC

Summary

The Legal Counsel, GCC plays a pivotal role in shaping the legal landscape across the GCC region (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait). This is an exciting opportunity to work at the intersection of law and business—advising on legal rights and obligations, conducting in-depth legal research, drafting, and negotiating contracts, ensuring compliance with local and international regulations, and managing disputes and litigation. The role offers a dynamic platform to influence strategic decisions and contribute to the organization’s success in a fast-evolving regional market. The individual will provide cross-functional collaboration and work closely with different stakeholders to identify, mitigate, and monitor legal and compliance risks. They will also provide Employment Law support and advise on employment matters, ensure documentation compliance, and support nationalization efforts.

About The Role

Job Responsibilities

• Legal Business Partnering: Provide timely legal advice to cross-functional teams in the GCC on contracts, corporate matters, partnerships, procurement, regulatory issues, and clinical initiatives.
• Operational Legal Support: Collaborate with GCC entities, Swiss NPhS teams, and external partners to address legal needs in business operations.
• Strategic Legal Initiatives: Partner with GCC legal teams on regional projects such as product launches, patient programs, BD&L, digital initiatives, PPPs, and strategic partnerships.
• Initiative Ownership: Independently lead legal projects assigned by the Regional Head.
• Corporate Governance: Maintain accurate corporate records for GCC legal entities and ensure timely issuance and renewal of required documents.
• Legal Repository Management: Maintain updated repositories of key agreements, legal opinions, and laws to ensure accessibility and compliance.
• Template Management: Keep standard legal templates current and aligned with policies and laws; provide regular updates and training to stakeholders.
• IP Support: Assist with IP-related matters in coordination with global IP attorneys and country lawyers.
• Contract Management Optimization: Streamline contract processes and templates across GCC and META to ensure efficiency and compliance.
• Digital Legal Tools: Support implementation of digital platforms to enhance legal operations and knowledge sharing.
• Compliance Collaboration: Work closely with ERC to identify, mitigate, and monitor legal and compliance risks.
  
  

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB) is required; a master’s degree (LLM) is highly preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a similar role. Pharmaceutical Regulatory knowledge is highly preferrable
• Bilingual Legal Expertise: Fluency in Arabic and English, with the ability to draft, review, and negotiate legal documents in both languages.
• Proven ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, external counsel, and regulatory bodies, providing clear, business-oriented legal advice.
  
  

Why Novartis: Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

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