Reporting to the Group CEO, the Chief Legal Counsel (CLC) is a key member of the Group Leadership Team and is responsible for leading the Group’s legal, regulatory compliance, company secretarial and corporate insurance functions globally. This role acts as the principal legal advisor to the Board, GCEO and the executive leadership, providing strategic legal direction to support the Group’s commercial ambitions, manage risks effectively and uphold the highest standards of governance and ethical conduct.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Leadership and oversight over Legal Matters & Risk Management
- Provide strategic legal counsel and legal strategies to the Board, Group CEO and senior leaders across jurisdictions.
- Lead and oversee all legal aspects of corporate transactions, including but not limited to M&A, joint ventures, partnerships and disputes and claims resolution.
- Monitor overall legal developments as well as emerging developments on disputes/claims involving projects and clients in operating jurisdictions and assess their potential impact on the Group’s interest, operations and compliance obligations.
- Ensure proper legal oversight on terms and conditions for bid and consultancy proposals submissions and work closely with Group Finance and Tax on proper structuring.
2. Compliance & Ethics
- Lead the execution and continual enhancement of the Group’s established global compliance frameworks, covering anti-bribery and corruption, sanctions, data privacy, competition and related regulatory areas.
- Ensure effective implementation of policies, controls, training and monitoring programs in line with the Group’s ISO37001 certified Anti-Bribery Management System across jurisdictions and business lines, ensuring high standards of ethical conduct and continuous improvement.
- Oversee internal investigations, whistleblowing matters and disciplinary actions with potential compliance or reputational implications, working closely with Internal Audit, Risk, People & Culture teams.
- Prepare and present regular compliance reports to the Audit and Risk Committee (ARC), ensuring appropriate escalation of emerging risks and alignment with corporate governance protocols.
- Champion an ethical culture across the organization by reinforcing compliance in decision-making, operations and leadership behaviours.
3. Company Secretariat
- Support the Group Board, Board Committees as well as SJ Group’s Management Committees on governance matters, including preparation of Board papers, minutes and statutory filings.
- Ensure compliance with applicable company laws and governance standards across all jurisdictions where the Group operates, including timely filings, maintenance of statutory registers, and legal entity management.
- Coordinate the establishment, restructuring and dissolution of legal entities, ensuring proper documentation and alignment with Group policies.
- Provide oversight of subsidiary governance frameworks, ensuring appropriate delegation of authority, board composition and compliance with constitutional documents.
- Act as liaison for directors on governance and fiduciary matters, supporting sound decision-making and corporate integrity across the private group structure.
4. Insurance
- Oversee the Group’s corporate insurance program, including annual renewals, claims management, broker engagement and internal stakeholder alignment.
- Provide strategic oversight of the Group’s captive insurance arrangements, including governance, capital adequacy and alignment with the Group’s overall risk financing strategy.
- Ensure the Group maintains adequate and cost effective insurance coverage across operations, projects, professional indemnity, cyber and other emerging risks.
- Partner with Finance, Risk and operational teams to assess insurable risks and ensure that insurance strategies support the Group’s business continuity and project delivery objectives.
Performance Metrics & Key Indicators
- Timely and effective legal support for key corporate transactions and business operations.
- Reduction in legal disputes or regulatory enforcement actions.
- Strength and maturity of compliance and governance frameworks (eg audit scores, training completion rates)
- Insurance cost efficiency and adequacy of coverage.
- Quality of Board and Committee support and governance documentation.
- Team engagement and development.
Key Qualification & Experience
- Qualified lawyer with strong academic credentials; admitted to practice in a common law or civil law jurisdiction.
- At least 15-20 years’ post qualification experience including in-house leadership roles within multinational organisations, as well as past involvement in construction contracts and disputes.
- Proven experience in managing complex legal regulatory and governance matters across jurisdictions.
- Deep knowledge of corporate law, commercial contracts, M&A, compliance frameworks and corporate governance best practices.
- Familiarity with infrastructure, engineering or consulting industries preferred.
- Strategic thinker with strong business acumen and the ability to balance legal rigor with commercial pragmatism.
- Strong leadership, stakeholder engagement and team management skills.
At Surbana Jurong, we put talent, hard work, teamwork and a fun workplace together to approach problems and solve them creatively and collaboratively. Join us in making a positive impact on the world!
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