About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Legal Counsel to join our Commercial & Legal team in Dubai. UOW Global Enterprises (UOWGE) is the international arm of the University of Wollongong, supporting educational operations and strategic initiatives across multiple jurisdictions. This role is based in Dubai and supports UOW Dubai, regional initiatives, and broader UOWGE legal operations.  

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially minded legal professional who enjoys working across a diverse portfolio of contracts, governance, compliance, and legal advisory matters. Reporting to the General Counsel at UOWGE, you will provide practical, risk-based legal advice to stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions while supporting the continued growth and operational excellence of the UOWGE Group.

The successful candidate will play a key role in strengthening in-house legal capability, improving legal service delivery, reducing reliance on external counsel for routine matters, and supporting the organisation's AI-first approach to legal operations and process improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial Contracts & Legal Advisory

• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including:

  • Services agreements

  • Procurement contracts

  • Agency agreements

  • Collaboration agreements

  • MOUs and NDAs

• Provide practical, commercially focused legal advice that balances business objectives with legal risk.

• Support contract lifecycle management, template development, and contract governance processes.

• Escalate complex or high-risk matters and coordinate external legal advice where required.

Stakeholder Partnership & Legal Operations

• Partner with business leaders and operational teams across the UOWGE Group.

• Support legal intake and triage processes, helping prioritise workload according to risk and service requirements.

• Develop legal playbooks, guidance materials, precedents, and self-service resources.

• Contribute to process automation and legal technology initiatives, including AI-enabled legal operations tools.

Governance & Company Secretarial Support

• Assist with company secretarial and corporate governance activities.

• Coordinate registry filings and corporate record-keeping requirements.

• Manage external counsel relationships and ensure advice is delivered efficiently and cost-effectively.

• Translate complex legal advice into practical business guidance for internal stakeholders.

Compliance, Research & Risk Management

• Monitor legal and regulatory developments and assess their impact on the business.

• Support compliance initiatives across governance, procurement, AI governance, data management, and broader regulatory obligations.

• Deliver legal awareness training and guidance to stakeholders.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of legal processes, templates, and documentation.

About You

You are a confident and commercially astute legal professional who combines strong technical expertise with a practical, solutions-oriented mindset. You build trusted relationships quickly, exercise sound judgment, and communicate complex legal concepts clearly to non-legal stakeholders.

This role is ideal for a lawyer who wants to move beyond purely technical legal work and become a trusted business partner influencing commercial outcomes across a complex international organisation. 

Essential Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Law.

• Minimum 5 years' post-qualification experience with strong commercial contract drafting, review, and negotiation expertise.

• Current practising certificate (or eligibility to obtain and maintain one in the relevant jurisdiction).

• Strong experience providing practical legal advice across a broad range of business matters.

• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and relationship-building skills.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality outcomes under pressure.

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and legal document/workflow management tools.

• Commitment to ethical practice, confidentiality, professional integrity, and continuous learning.

Desirable

• Experience in an in-house legal environment.

• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions and legal systems.

• Experience within the education sector.

• Exposure to legal operations, contract management systems, document automation, or legal technology initiatives.

Why Join UOWGE?

• Join a globally connected organisation with operations across multiple jurisdictions.

• Work directly with senior leaders on diverse commercial, governance, and strategic matters.

• Contribute to the development of a modern, technology-enabled legal function.

• Enjoy broad exposure across commercial law, compliance, governance, contracts, and legal operations.

• Be part of a values-driven organisation committed to Excellence, Passion, Integrity, Innovation, Courage, and Collaboration.

Please note: Applicants must hold a valid right to work in the UAE or be eligible to obtain appropriate work authorisation.  

Compensation and Benefits

UOWGE offers a competitive and comprehensive employment package designed to attract and retain high‑quality professional staff. The package for this role includes:

• Competitive tax‑free salary, commensurate with qualifications and experience

• Comprehensive medical insurance for the employee (and eligible dependents, subject to policy)

• Annual leave entitlement of 30 working days

• Public holidays as per the UAE calendar

• End‑of‑service gratuity, in accordance with UAE Labour Law

• Access to a stable, well‑governed working environment within a reputable international university

• Opportunities to contribute to institutional improvement, automation initiatives, and professional development

UOWD is an equal opportunity employer that attracts, develops, motivates, empowers, and retains a diverse workforce.