Deputy Head of Legal

Location: Dubai, UAE
Experience: Minimum 5 years’ post qualification experience

The opportunity

An international business is seeking a Deputy Head of Legal to join its Dubai team. The role will focus on financial markets, commodities, banking arrangements and the legal documentation supporting commercial and financing activities.

Working closely with the Head of Legal, the successful candidate will advise senior stakeholders, lead negotiations with external counterparties and help manage legal risk across transactions and ongoing operations.

Key responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate banking, financing, treasury and commodity related agreements.

• Advise on trading and hedging documentation, including precious metals arrangements where relevant.

• Support negotiations with banks, financial institutions, suppliers and other commercial counterparties.

• Advise business teams on contractual risk, security, guarantees and cross-border transactions.

• Work with finance, treasury, procurement and compliance teams to ensure documentation reflects commercial requirements and internal controls.

• Manage external counsel on specialist matters across relevant jurisdictions.

• Support the Head of Legal in developing templates, improving contract processes and supervising legal work across the team.

Candidate profile

• Qualified lawyer with at least five years’ post qualification experience.

• Strong experience in financial markets, commodities or banking, gained in a law firm, financial institution or in-house legal team.

• Confident drafting and negotiating complex transactional documentation.

• Good understanding of commodity trading and financing structures; precious metals experience would be particularly relevant.

• Able to explain legal risks clearly and offer practical solutions in a fast-moving commercial environment.

• Comfortable taking ownership of matters and working closely with senior stakeholders.