Director, Senior Associate General Counsel at MRI Software in Sydney, Australia Office

Job description

• We are seeking an experienced Director, Senior Associate General Counsel to lead legal support across the Asia-Pacific region for a growing global SaaS organization serving the commercial real estate industry.
• This role will oversee a small regional legal team and serve as the primary legal advisor to business leaders throughout APAC. The successful candidate will be a commercially minded attorney with deep experience in SaaS contracting, technology transactions, and commercial contract negotiations. The role requires the ability to work independently with a high degree of creativity and latitude, and strong leadership skills to engage effectively with internal leaders and external stakeholders.
• A critical component of this position is serving as a trusted partner to the APAC Sales organization. The Director, Senior Associate General Counsel will work closely with Sales leadership and customer-facing teams to support revenue growth, negotiate strategic customer agreements, accelerate contract execution, and provide practical legal guidance that enables the business to close deals while appropriately managing risk.
• This is a hands-on leadership role requiring a strong contract lawyer who can balance legal risk with business objectives while mentoring and developing team members. The successful candidate must be a subject matter expert in commercial contracting (SaaS, licensing), risk management and product business partnership, with strong skills across client disputes and litigation, corporate organization, employment, intellectual property, and privacy.
• This is an opportunity to lead the APAC legal function for a growing global SaaS organization serving the commercial real estate industry. You will manage a regional team, partner directly with Sales and executive leadership, support strategic customer relationships, and play a critical role in driving growth across one of the company's most important international regions.

Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Management
• Serve as a strong leader of the APAC legal team, driving performance, accountability, and professional development across all regional legal resources.
• Serve as the primary legal contact for APAC business operations.
• Partner with global legal leadership to drive consistency in legal processes, policies, and risk management practices.
• Build strong relationships with executive leadership and key business stakeholders across the region.
• Manage outside counsel relationships and legal spend throughout APAC.
• Mentor, coach, and develop legal talent while fostering a collaborative, high-performing team culture that attracts and retains top legal professionals.
• Set clear goals and expectations for team members, provide regular feedback, and conduct performance evaluations that drive continuous improvement.
• Build and maintain a strong team capable of supporting a growing and dynamic regional business.
• Commercial Contracting & Sales Partnership
• Serve as the primary legal partner to the APAC Sales organization and regional revenue leadership.
• Support enterprise sales opportunities by providing practical, business-oriented legal guidance.
• Lead negotiation, drafting, and execution of complex customer and commercial agreements, including:
• SaaS subscription agreements
• Software licensing agreements
• Master Services Agreements (MSAs)
• Statements of Work (SOWs)
• Data Processing Agreements (DPAs)
• Professional Services Agreements
• Strategic partnership agreements
• Reseller and channel partner agreements
• Vendor and procurement agreements
• Partner with Sales leadership to remove contracting obstacles and accelerate deal execution.
• Participate in strategic customer negotiations and executive-level discussions for key opportunities.
• Develop contract templates, fallback language, negotiation playbooks, and approval frameworks that improve efficiency and shorten contract cycle times.
• Provide contract and negotiation training to Sales and business teams.
• Act as a business-first legal advisor focused on enabling revenue growth while protecting company interests.
• Commercial Real Estate Industry Expertise
• Support commercial agreements involving property owners, operators, investors, developers, asset managers, and occupiers.
• Advise business leaders on legal issues affecting the commercial real estate technology sector.
• Partner with Sales and Product teams to support solutions delivered to commercial real estate customers throughout APAC.
• Serve as the assigned Product Business Partner for a specific product subset, providing dedicated legal support for product development, go-to-market strategies, and customer-facing product matters.
• Develop an understanding of customer business models and industry trends to better support commercial negotiations and strategic initiatives.
• Business Partnership & Risk Management
• Advise business leaders on contractual, commercial, operational, and strategic matters.
• Support business growth initiatives through practical, risk-based legal guidance.
• Evaluate legal risks associated with new products, partnerships, expansion efforts, and commercial initiatives.
• Manage contract disputes, customer escalations, pre-litigation matters, and litigation strategy in coordination with outside counsel.
• Develop scalable legal processes that support a fast-growing global organization.
• Support corporate governance and entity management matters for APAC subsidiaries and regional operations.
• Compliance, Employment & Privacy Support
• Provide guidance on legal and regulatory requirements impacting APAC operations.
• Support employment-related matters in partnership with HR and external counsel.
• Advise on privacy, cybersecurity, and data protection obligations affecting customers, vendors, and internal operations.
• Monitor legal developments throughout APAC and provide recommendations to business leaders.
• Support governance, compliance, and policy initiatives where needed.

Requirements

• Required
• Law degree and active admission to practice law in a relevant APAC jurisdiction.
• 8+ years of legal experience, including substantial commercial contracting experience.
• Strong background negotiating SaaS, software licensing, technology transactions, and complex commercial agreements.
• Demonstrated experience partnering closely with Sales and Go-to-Market organizations.
• Proven ability to negotiate high-value customer contracts and support enterprise sales activities.
• Experience managing legal matters across multiple APAC jurisdictions, including navigating diverse legal systems (common law, civil law, and hybrid frameworks).
• Proven people leadership experience with a track record of building, managing, and developing high-performing legal teams.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong commercial mindset with the ability to balance legal risk against revenue objectives.
• Experience supporting commercial real estate technology, PropTech, SaaS, or software organizations.
• Experience leading a regional legal function or team.
• Experience within a multinational SaaS or technology organization.
• Familiarity with privacy and data protection laws across APAC markets, including the Australia Privacy Act, Singapore PDPA, and other regional frameworks.
• Experience supporting procurement, customer contracting, strategic partnerships, and corporate growth initiatives.
• Experience with corporate governance, entity management, or organizational matters in a multinational environment.
• Experience advising on intellectual property matters, including trademark protection and IP provisions in technology agreements.
• Strong people leader with proven ability to build, motivate, and develop high-performing teams
• Effective coach and mentor committed to developing legal talent
• Trusted advisor to Sales and business leadership
• Revenue-enablement mindset
• Commercially pragmatic and solutions-oriented
• Executive presence and stakeholder influence
• Strong contract negotiation expertise
• Strategic problem solver with sound judgment
• Collaborative, business-first approach
• Ability to operate independently within a fast-paced, global environment
• Cultural awareness and ability to adapt communication and negotiation styles across diverse APAC markets
• Comfortable working across multiple time zones to coordinate with global headquarters and regional stakeholders

Skills

Required

• 8+ years of legal experience
• People leadership experience
• Strong commercial mindset

Benefits

• Flexible working arrangements
• Annual performance-related bonus
• 6x Flexi AnyDay: knock 2.5 hours off your day!
• Me Days: additional 3 days of annual leave for qualifying employees
• Engaging, fun & inclusive culture: check out the MRI Software APAC Insta feed and stories!