Senior Legal Counsel

About the opportunity

We are looking for a highly driven, strategic Senior Legal Counsel to join our dynamic legal team in Malaysia. If you are looking for a place where you can gain hands-on experience and have exposure to a wide range of legal topics, then this may be the place for you!

This role will be based in Malaysia and will report directly to the APAC Director, Legal.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted strategic advisor to the business across a broad spectrum of legal and regulatory matters, including general corporate, commercial, intellectual property, competition, and consumer protection law.

• Act as the primary legal partner for Employment Law and Industrial Relations (IR) matters, providing expert counsel for our significant shared services operations and managing complex labor relations.

• Partner closely with the managing director, commercial, operations, and cross-functional heads and teams from the ground up, providing proactive legal frameworks and structuring for new business initiatives, partnerships, and strategic projects.

• Drive the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of overarching corporate policies, commercial terms, and internal governance procedures to effectively mitigate enterprise-wide risks.

• Drive operational scalability by designing and implementing legal playbooks, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and self-serve frameworks to streamline high-volume requests and empower local teams.

• Lead and manage high-stakes regulatory inquiries, dispute resolutions, law enforcement requests, and complex internal investigations.

• Lead the drafting, review, and negotiation of complex, high-value commercial agreements (including NDAs, vendor, lease, marketing, tech/IP licensing, and logistics contracts).

• Own the negotiation and legal structuring of strategic partnerships, major supplier agreements, and critical commercial transactions.

• Provide senior-level oversight on corporate governance and corporate secretarial matters, ensuring strict compliance with the company’s standard contracts and corporate policies.

• Manage external counsel strategically and cost-effectively, instructing law firms on specialized or cross-border matters when required.

• Act as a trusted business partner to C-suite and senior stakeholders, liaising seamlessly with our APAC regional team and Berlin HQ to align local operations with global legal standards.

• Lead and manage team member(s), including direct reports, and oversee—with the goal of eventually phasing out—an external part-time IR contractor, while serving as a mentor and escalation point for the wider team.

What you need to be successful

Requirements

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and formal admission to the Malaysian Bar.

• Approximately 6 to 10+ years of post-qualification experience (PQE) gained from a reputable law firm background and/or a fast-growing in-house legal department.

• Deep expertise in broad commercial and corporate law. Extensive track record in managing complex commercial transactions, drafting bespoke agreements, and handling general corporate governance.

• Proven experience in a fast-paced commercial environment is essential. While background in e-commerce, internet, logistics, or fast-scaling tech companies is highly advantageous, it is not mandatory (candidates from slower-paced sectors like manufacturing will not be a fit).

• Highly commercially astute and pragmatic. You excel at balancing legal risk with business objectives and can independently design actionable solutions for complex problems.

• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills. You can confidently push back, negotiate effectively, and distill complex legal concepts into clear, strategic advice for senior leadership.

• Highly autonomous, self-motivated, and resilient. You are comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving results under pressure in an entrepreneurial, "all hands-on deck" environment.

Who we are

foodpanda is part of the Delivery Hero Group, the world’s pioneering local delivery platform, our mission is to deliver an amazing experience—fast, easy, and to your door. We operate in around 65 countries worldwide. Headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Delivery Hero has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2017 and is part of the MDAX stock market index.