Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced, strategically-minded VP Legal with 6 to 8 years of post-qualification experience (PQE) to join our legal team. In this role, you will also be required to support the Head of Legal in departmental management, while taking the lead on other portfolios.
The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of handling local and international real estate acquisitions, developments and projects, and asset management and the ability to comfortably navigate foreign jurisdictions, international contract frameworks, and dispute resolution. Exposure to real estate financing, M&A, or fund structuring is strongly preferred.
Key Responsibilities
1) Departmental Leadership & Support
- Deputy Leadership: Support the Head of Legal in managing the day-to-day operations of the legal department, including budget tracking, resource allocation, and mentoring other team members.
- Process Optimisation: Assist in establishing and refining internal legal policies, legal documents repository, corporate governance frameworks, and contract management workflows.
- Legal Training: Drive legal training initiatives and build legal awareness across business units.
2) Construction Contracts & Project Management
- Cross-Border Transactions: Draft, review, and negotiate local and international consultancy and construction contracts.
- Global Standard Forms: Utilize, review and adapt international standard contract suites, specifically FIDIC (Green, Yellow, and White books), as well as foreign equivalent templates.
- Foreign Jurisdiction Navigation: Evaluate and mitigate legal risks associated with local laws, and regulatory compliance in international project locations.
- Claims Management: Advise on variation orders, extensions of time (EOT), and dispute avoidance strategies.
3) Real Estate Transactions & Development
- Real Estate: Actively participate in the Group's real estate projects, including property acquisition, development, property management, and asset management, providing specialized legal advice.
- Negotiation: Lead or participate in commercial negotiations for real estate projects, review and revise core contracts (e.g., land purchase agreements, consultancy contracts, financing agreements and guarantees, sales agency agreements), and optimize contract templates to ensure legal compliance and project progression.
- Corporate Support: Assist in real estate M&A, joint ventures, and fund/corporate structuring.
- Property Management & Operations: Advise on day-to-day property management issues, facilities management contracts, fit-out agreements, and third-party vendor contracts.
- Regulatory Compliance & Risk: Ensure that all property holdings and transactions comply with local real estate laws and regulatory frameworks.
4) Corporate Goverance
- Assist with corporate secretarial and governance matters across Group entities.
5) Dispute Resolution
- Arbitration: Oversee litigation, arbitrations and multi-jurisdictional dispute resolution under major institutional rules (e.g., ICC or SIAC).
- External Counsel Management: Manage relationships, performance, and legal spend of local and external international law firms.
Key Requirements
- Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from an accredited university; admitted to the Singapore Bar or a recognised common law jurisdiction equivalent.
- 6 to 8 years of post-qualification experience split between a top-tier law firm's practice and a multinational in-house legal department, ideally within a real estate developer, conglomerate, or real estate fund.
- Demonstrated experience managing business and construction projects in Singapore and across multiple countries
- Exceptional leadership presence, communication skills, and the commercial acumen required to balance business goals with legal risks. A self-starter who can operate independently and build credibility with senior stakeholders.
At Pontiac Land, our Human Capital Vision is:
Each individual valued, respected and contributing.
Each team cohesive, learning and aligned.
Each leader serving, coaching and modelling excellence.
Exciting benefits and opportunities await talents who join us! We seek to offer the following:
- A nurturing and team-based culture, with structured training and career development opportunities
- Comprehensive medical coverage, health and wellness programmes and Flexible Benefits for customized suite of benefits.
- Unique schemes and benefits and inclusive of employee rates at our hotels and retail mall, birthday leave, examination leave and volunteer leave.