Job description

About DHL and Legal Services:

DHL Legal Services offers solution-oriented legal advice to business partners worldwide. We provide comprehensive support in areas such as contracts, negotiations, customer and supplier processes, general litigation, and commercial law matters.

Within a matrix organization, Legal Services is structured along two dimensions: regional responsibilities and global cross-functional topics.

Job Purpose:

Is responsible for the overall management of the legal function covering all legal aspects in the North Africa (including Maghreb) and Levant (including Iraq) countries, being Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Liaises with each BU and establishes legal processes and procedures to assure business objectives are met and key legal opportunities and risks are identified, exploited or mitigated. Supports or drives development of business strategy in the relevant Cluster through active participation in management and related meetings and projects as appropriate, including contract drafting and negotiations. Ideally, sits as part of any subregional management teams for the Cluster.

Your tasks:

• Senior level legal representative accountable to senior country and regional management for all business units and responsible for advising and managing legal and related risks associated with DHL's businesses across the Cluster. The legal environment is primarily civil law-influenced, with Arabic and French as the primary legal operating language. Familiarity with civil law traditions is an advantage given the regional context.
• Lead and supervise the strategic planning and decision-making for the country/BU(s) to develop and implement a legal strategy that aligns with the organization and region's/ (BU(s)) vision and business objectives.
• Implement the strategies, policies and procedures provided by the relevant Practice Group head for each BU (DSC, E-comm, Express and DGF).
• Evaluate activities, policies, practices, and transactions in each country and in each BU to ensure they comply with all relevant laws and regulations.
• Advises each BU (business unit) management team on legal trends and developing areas of law applicable to their functional and geographic area.
• Accountable to management team for all legal matters in area of responsibility.
• Manages a team of professionals and support staff to provide a comprehensive "one stop shop" for legal services to E-comm, DSC, DGF and Express.
• Advises all business units of DHL under remit on how to comply with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
• Implements global and regional legal strategies in area of responsibility in alignment with business objectives.
• Responsible for providing training and knowledge tools to educate legal team and members of the business on key legal issues, trends and developments in the law.
• Establishes best in class legal strategies and procedures to assure business objectives are met and legal risks are identified and mitigated.
• Responsible for helping business units ensure that commercial contracts incorporate and reflect business objectives and terms designed to minimize risk and maximize opportunities for commercial gain and customer service opportunities.
• Responsible for defending the organization's legal interests in litigation and claims in area of responsibility which may include external legal spend with highest level responsibility for same.
• Works closely with internal and external auditors and regulatory authorities on legal issues involving area of responsibility.
• Responsible for providing quality control and transparency on internal and external legal costs and fees.
• Responsible for helping each BU ensure it's legal interests are best represented and protected in customer, vendor and third party contracts; active participant in negotiating such contracts.
• Represents and defends the organization's interests in litigation and other adversarial legal proceedings.
• Involved with a key role in union negotiations (when/if applicable) in advising BUs regarding various impacts and the best way forward.
• Involved in antitrust investigations and inquiries by competition compliance authorities, with a key or lead role in setting and determining strategies.
• Involved in the purchase and lease of key plots of land or facilities for each BU in conjunction with the SMT of that BU, Corporate Real Estate and corporate center if applicable.
• Upon request to provide input to tax litigation and tax matters affecting the BUs in the relevant countries.
• Involved in or leading M&A activities in the relevant countries.
• Upon request, involved in and possibly leading compliance investigations.
• Upon request, providing advice on data protection laws and the level of BU compliance with same.
• Conversant with and understanding of legal technology and its potential use in delivering legal services and looks at ways to implement in our business.

Your profile:

Educational Level

• University law degree
• Professional law qualifications

Experience Level

• Awareness and understanding of business operations and DHL's business operations; goals and strategies.
• Strong manager with ability to apply legal knowledge and expertise into business environment
• Strong analytical skills
• Strong budgeting and cost control skills
• More than 15 years of legal practice either within commercial law firm or in house legal department; excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Fluency in Arabic and English (both written and spoken) is an essential requirement; Proficiency in French is desirable.

If this is something you would like to do, don’t hesitate and start your application.

DHL is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.