Senior Legal Counsel

Job description / Role

Job purpose:

The senior legal counsel (international growth) ("slc (ig)") will have general day-to-day responsibility for providing legal advice and support to all upstream oil matters. The slc (ig) will be a focal point for the adnoc international growth business unit (part of the overall low carbon solutions and international growth business unit) in terms of new international growth transactions and international upstream and midstream asset management support. The ig slc will have responsibility for supervising / developing junior lawyers and uae nationals where relevant, supporting them to take advantage of growth opportunities, ensuring mentoring and work-shadowing is in place and checking-in regularly.

The slc (ig)) will support the associate general counsel (international growth) ("agc (ig)") in discharging his/her overall responsibility for all international growth legal matters. The slc (ig) will escalate to the agc (ig) and/or general counsel (low carbon solutions and international growth) ("gc (lcs&ig)") as appropriate any risks or issues (or wins) and will contribute effectively for the low carbon solution & international growth director's leadership team. The slc (ig) will draft, review, and amend legal agreements, documents and internal legal advice, ensuring conformity with laws, regulations, internal governance and approvals, and safeguarding of adnoc group's interests.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Job Specific Accountabilities:

Role Summary:

The SLC (IG) will advise on all stages of ADNOC's international upstream and midstream transactions including preparation of early-stage documentation such as NDAs, MOUs and HOAs, high-level legal due diligence (and/or review of external counsel due diligence for more advances transactions), and drafting, reviewing and negotiating:
- Term sheets and preliminary contracts.
- Asset and share level sale and purchase agreements and farm-out agreements.
- Granting instruments such as Production Sharing Contracts, Concession Agreements and Licences.

- Joint venture agreements typical in the upstream and midstream oil and gas industry such as shareholders agreements, joint operating agreements, joint venture agreements, consortium agreements, joint bidding agreements, area of mutual interest agreements etc.
- Transportation, processing, operating, tariff and asset use agreements for use of pipelines and processing facilities.
- EPC contracts.
- Drilling, well services, on and offshore services agreements etc.
- FPSO and LNG vessel agreements and arrangements.
- Product Sales and Marketing Agreements (liquids, gas, condensate), and Decommissioning security agreements, guarantees and associated arrangements; and all ancillary related and bespoke agreements as may be required in connection with ADNOC's international upstream and midstream transactions.
- Advising, alongside the ADNOC F&I legal function, on any 'share deal' M&A, corporate and/or venture capital projects originated by the International Growth Business Unit.
- Assisting the International Growth Business Unit with negotiations with government entities and international and state oil and gas companies in relation to all new and existing ADNOC international opportunities.
- Liaising with ADNOC Compliance, ADNOC Governance and other business teams and functions in relation to all new and existing ADNOC international opportunities and assets as necessary.
- Assisting with the preparation of all internal advice and approvals relating to ADNOC's international growth transactions.
- Working with and assisting the GC (LCS&IG) and AGC (IG) as necessary and regularly providing updates and flagging issues.
- Where a transaction or matter requires external legal support, assisting the GC (LCS&IG) and AGC (IG) with the selection and management of external legal advisers (and associated expenditure).
- Assisting ADNOC's International Growth business teams with all 'asset management' matters and provision of day-to-day legal advice and support in relation to governance and decision-making, compliance with existing contractual obligations and timelines, risk assessment and implementation of business decisions etc.
- Liaising with the ADNOC Disputes legal function to resolve any disputes arising under any project and/or acquisition originated by the International Growth division.
- Creating and maintaining a dedicated precedent bank, key project document templates and training materials for International Growth.

Technical Expertise:
- Deep knowledge and understanding of key legal agreements described above.
- Knowledge of international upstream oil and gas markets, projects, and transactions.

Budget Management:
- As may be requested, input into the development and continuous maintenance of the LCS&IG (IG) annual budgets, in line with IG's business objectives and operational plans.
- As may be requested, assisting the General Counsel (LCS&IG) and Associate General Counsel (IG) with implementing a robust approval process for all LCS&IG budgets to be followed by LCS&IG Legal.

Policies, Systems, Processes & Procedures:
- Assisting the GC (LCS&IG) and AGC (IG) with the development and implementation of appropriate policies, processes, systems, standards, procedures, guidelines and internal controls, in order to support execution of work programs in line with ADNOC and international standards.
- Contribute to continuous improvements within the LCS&IG team to achieve and sustain performance levels reflective of external benchmarks.

Performance Management:
- Contribute to achievement of Legal LCS&IG's KPI's and Performance objectives and establish monitoring mechanisms to ensure delivery of these objectives.
- Contribute to analyses of business operations and input into recommendations on the ways to enhance current business practices.

People Management and Development:
- Input into the development of knowledge, competencies and innovative spirit within Legal LCS&IG.
- Input into the initiatives for the training and continuous learning of the developees within Legal LCS&IG).
- Support the development of junior lawyers and UAE Nationals.

Organisation Structure and Development:
- As may be requested by the General Counsel (LCS&IG) and Associate General Counsel (IG), input into the review and evaluation of the IG Legal organisation structure aiming to best utilise human capital while proactively incorporating sustainability into the on-going work practices to meet the business objectives.

Stakeholder Management:
- Assist the GC (LCS&IG) and all senior management with day-to-day operations of the ADNOC International Growth division.
- Assisting the GC (LCS&IG) and AGC (IG) in representing LCS&IG Legal (International Growth) in various task forces, events and committees.
- Prepare, deliver, and present reports.
- Collaborate with various internal and external stakeholders.
- Assist with the appointment of external lawyers and experts and the assessment of the performance of external lawyers and experts.

Risk Management:
- Input into Corporate Integrated Risk Management System within the (LCS&IG).

Innovation and Continuous Improvement:
- Assist the AGC (IG) and GC (LCS&IG) in promotion of an organisational culture that encourages innovation, enhances employee motivation and supports initiatives for implementation of Change Management to continuously improve LCS&IG Legal's operations and services.
- Recommend improvements to internal processes, based on best practices, to drive efficiencies and improve standards within LCS&IG Legal (IG).

Health, Safety, Environment (HSE) and Sustainability:
- Support the implementation of a HSE culture and comply with relevant HSE policies, procedures, systems and controls, applicable legislation and sustainability guidelines across LCS&IG Legal (IG) in line with the ADNOC Code of Practices.

Management Information Systems (MIS) and Reports:
- Contribute and input into LCS&IG Legal's MIS and deliver progress reports to provide accurate and timely updates and necessary information to effectively manage operations.

Generic Accountabilities:

Quality Control:
- Implement robust quality control measures within LCS&IG Legal (IG).

Performance Management:
- Assisting the GC (LCS&IG) and AGC (IG) in the development of LCS&IG Legal's (IG) KPIs.
- Ensure the proper cascade of performance objectives to junior members of LCS&IG Legal (IG) (whilst escalating any performance updates to the GC (LCS&IG).
- Establish monitoring mechanisms to ensure delivery of these objectives (including escalation to GC (LCS&IG) and AGC (IG) (as necessary)) and implement a performance driven culture.

Organisation Structure and Development:
- As may be requested, assist the GC (LCS&IG) and AGC (IG) to review, develop and recommend the appropriate organisation structure for LCS&IG Legal that will best utilise human capital while proactively incorporating sustainability into the on-going work practices to achieve ADNOC's strategic imperatives.

Innovation and Continuous Improvement:
- Assist the GC (LCS&IG) and AGC (IG) to promote an empowered organisation culture that encourages innovation, enhances employee motivation and supports initiatives for implementation of change management to continuously improve operations and services.
- Recommend improvements in internal processes in accordance with best practices in pursuit of greater efficiency and optimal results in line with approved standards in order to define appropriate solutions for issues confronting LCS&IG Legal (IG).

COMMUNICATIONS & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Internal:
- Contacts with ADNOC's cross-functional management teams when representing Legal LCS&IG.
- Contacts with ADNOC Legal, Governance and Compliance leadership.
- Regular contacts with legal advisors across ADNOC Group.
- Regular contacts with counterparts and focal points of the International Growth Business Unit across ADNOC Group.

External:
- Contacts with other lawyers of major governmental, legal, financial, and commercial institutions.
- Contacts with business partners and investors/potential investors.
- Contacts with external legal firms and advisors.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

Minimum Qualification:
- Bachelor Degree in Law

Minimum Experience & Knowledge & Skills:
- 8 years of Post Qualification Experience in transactional work in a reputable international law firm and/or in-house legal department, preferably within the oil, gas and resources industries.
- Excellent English language (written and spoken). Fluent Arabic in addition is an advantage.
- Knowledge of applicable legislations and regulations.
- Knowledge of business and international best practices.

About the Company

We are one of the world's leading energy producers, and a primary catalyst for Abu Dhabi’s growth and diversification.

We operate across the entire hydrocarbon value chain, through a network of fully-integrated businesses, with interests that range from exploration, production, storage, refining and distribution, to the development of a wide-range of petrochemical products.

Since 1971, we have created thousands of jobs, driven the growth of a diverse knowledge-based economy, and played a key role in Abu Dhabi’s global emergence.

Today, we continue to look for new and innovative ways to maximize the value of our resources, pioneering those approaches and technologies that will ensure we are able to meet the demands of an ever-changing energy market, and continue to have a positive impact on the Abu Dhabi economy for generations to come.