Director, General Counsel - Southeast Asia & India

About the role

Nike is hiring a Director, General Counsel for its Southeast Asia and India (SEA&I) legal function, based in Singapore. The role reports to the VP Global, NA, APLA & Converse Marketplace Counsel and leads the legal function for Southeast Asia. It is part of the SEA&I Leadership Team and works closely with the Office of the General Counsel, the business and global and regional functions. Depending on the candidate's experience, including legal leadership and deep India experience, the role may also include leadership of the India legal team.

Key responsibilities

• Lead legal strategy and provide business-aligned legal support across Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, with possible responsibility for India.
• Build, lead and develop the Singapore-based legal team and its operating model.
• Advise on marketplace strategy and expansion, including Nike Direct, Nike.com, third-party marketplaces and wholesale, distributor and partner models.
• Analyse route-to-market and operating-model structures such as legal entities, licensing, foreign ownership, distributors, merchant-of-record, consignment and marketplace arrangements.
• Identify and address legal and regulatory barriers to growth, offering leadership clear options and recommendations.
• Partner with Tax, Customs, Finance, Corporate Governance, Supply Chain, Technology and Commercial teams on compliant, viable operating models.
• Draft, negotiate and manage complex commercial agreements, including strategic transactions, partner arrangements, dispute resolution and agreement lifecycle management.
• Improve the legal operating model with scalable processes, templates, playbooks, technology and external resources.
• Share best practices with Legal Directors and OGC colleagues across APLA and globally, and communicate clearly to senior leaders.
• If India leadership is included, lead and develop the India legal team and provide strategic legal leadership for the India business.

Required profile

• Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LL.M.) or international equivalent, licensed to practice law in Singapore and/or another relevant jurisdiction.
• Minimum 10+ years of legal experience, including a leading law firm and/or in-house department; multinational experience strongly preferred.
• Substantive experience advising on commercial, consumer, digital commerce, sales, distribution, marketing and marketplace matters across several Southeast Asian markets; experience in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines strongly preferred.
• Experience with marketplace and route-to-market models, market entry and expansion, and drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Strong experience partnering with Tax, Customs, Finance, Corporate Governance, Supply Chain, Technology and Commercial teams.
• Excellent English communication skills and strong financial and commercial acumen.
• For India leadership: significant India legal experience and experience leading lawyers and/or a legal function.