Manager - Legal

This position is critical to enable airport operations through effective legal management of complex commercial contracts and financial transactions. Acting as the primary legal advisor to the business, finance and project teams, the position will be responsible for structuring, drafting, negotiation, and finalization of high-value commercial agreements, construction and concession agreements. The position also entails end to end legal ownership of bid documents (RFPs, RFQs), executing corporate finance transactions, including working capital arrangements, bond issuances, non-convertible debentures (NCDs), mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, and other strategic corporate initiatives. The role demands a profound understanding of the regulatory framework governing financing and capital markets, particularly FEMA, RBI and SEBI regulations. The role includes proactively advising on legal risks, formulate robust mitigation strategies, and resolve complex interpretational issues arising from the Operation, Management and Development Agreement (OMDA) and other pivotal project agreements of DIAL. Furthermore, the individual will review, structure, and negotiate third-party contracts to safeguard DIAL’s commercial interests. A key aspect of the role also involves drafting and refining DIAL’s official communications and representations to government and regulatory authorities, including MoCA, AAI, BCAS, and Customs, as well as drafting responses to parliamentary questions.

On an operational and strategic level, the role includes research, rendering opinions, prepare MIS reports and management presentations, and conduct knowledge-sharing sessions. The individual will drive the legal department's strategic initiatives while ensuring strict adherence to internal turnaround times (TATs), SOPs, and OLAs, ultimately maintaining a record of zero adverse audit comments. 

Responsibilities

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Effective Contract Management and Risk Mitigation

• As per SOP and number of assignments delivered with complete details about challenges and the risk mitigation strategies prepared

Research on various issues and prepare note/opinion for the management review. Drafting brief for opinions on various legal and contractual issues, as per the requirements, briefing external counsels and obtaining opinions.

• No. of advises rendered with extent of risk assessment and mitigation measures suggested therefor and documents drafted

Participate in the discussions with business team on their new business initiatives and provide legal advise on the business proposals, keeping in mind the Applicable Laws and OMDA obligations, including;

Structuring the transaction;

Drafting of transaction documents;

Advising the business team and completing related documentation (notices, agreements etc.) on the issues emerging from existing transactions.

• Immediate / As per SOP with Business team

Advising business teams on:

New business initiatives

Various contractual and other issues with third parties and concessionaires vis-à-vis legal implications;

Interpretational issues wrt OMDA and other project agreements, OMDA compliance framework,

Contractual disputes

Periodically mapping of OMDA compliance matrix.

• Immediate / As per SOP with Business team

Tender structuring and drafting, reviewing, vetting and finalizing the RFQ, RFP and other bidding documents

• Number of the tender documents released with details of challenges and risk mitigation, if any.

Drafting, reviewing and finalizing the contracts such as Concession Agreements, Lease Agreements, License Agreements, Service Agreements, Termination Agreements, Supplementary Agreements, Purchase Orders, Non Disclosure Agreements, Bank Guarantees, as per the business requirements.

Be a part of legal interactions between third parties and concerned business teams.

• Number of the Agreements executed with details of challenges and risk mitigation, if any.

Standardization of general and regular contracts and review of existing standardized contracts for improvements

• Number of contracts standardized

Drafting /reviewing/vetting of communications with third parties including licensees, concessionaires, airlines, Govt. Agencies such as MOCA, AAI, BCAS, Customs Authorities, CISF, DGCA and replying to parliamentary questions.

• Number of the communications released with details of challenges and risk mitigation, if any.

Assisting in drafting the response / representation of BUSINESS to government authorities on the amendments in various laws having a bearing on BUSINESS business.

• Immediate / As Per Requirement

Maintaining Up to date MIS, preparing ppt. for department review for Head Legal and BUSINESS Executive Committee

• Release of MIS and review reports within given timelines

Responsibilities

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Preparing and imparting inter and intra department knowledge sharing sessions

• Once each quarter.

Licensees/Concessionaires/Vendors for various teams (on need basis)

Regulatory Agencies

Counsels (on need basis)

Business Teams

Business Teams

Business Teams

The incumbent would handle the financial documents and other contracts both on revenue and expense side as well assist in legal documentation. Legal structuring would be the key in maximizing revenue and minimizing the cost.

With initiatives and regular upgrades at the Airport, going forward we expect large and critical Bid Documents will be released and contracts would need to be executed going forward in a time bound and effective manner. Thus, the incumbent would be required to possess maturity and professional dexterity to handle such critical and time bound assignments.

Due to the nature of complexity and highly regulated business, research skill is must to render legal advice and structuring the agreements on various nature of issues at Airport.

With the growth at the Airport, various challenges are being faced on regular basis. The incumbent will be required to analyze the situation and advise the business team and prepare the documentation accordingly.

LL.B. is must

LL.M is preferred

12+ years of post-qualification experience

Excellent drafting and oratory skills

Excellent MS Word, MS Excel, PPT skills and other computer skills

Conversant with contractual laws, corporate laws, financing documents standards; local laws for undertaking business functions

Strong exposure to drafting of contracts especially lease agreements, license agreements, concession agreements, revenue-sharing, joint-venture agreements, development contracts, tender documents; financing documents under various jurisdictions

Familiarity with basic civil aviation regulations

Comfortable working with and within team