GMR Airports Ltd.—Head - Legal, Thermal

Job description

Description: JOB PURPOSE KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (List the responsibilities/duties associated with the job. For each responsibility/duty listed, give the factors on which an individual’s performance is judged) Litigation management: Taking lead in conducting pending legal and regulatory litigation involving Thermal Assets pending before various courts and regulatory forums. Taking lead in conducting pending dispute involving GKEL & GWEL Assets pending before regulatory authorities(SERC , CERC &APTEL),High Courts & Supreme courts including Domestic /international Arbitration Matter . Advising management on issue such as choice of counsel, litigation cost & time pertaining to all litigation Coordination with the solicitor firm and briefing the senior advocates in coordination with the firm. Drafting, vetting, reviewing, filing and conducting the matters External Stakeholders: • Meeting and briefing different counsels including Sr advocaes for case discussions and hearing to arrive at optimal solutions • Leading in conferences, briefing, meeting along with the business team(s) Contract: Drafting, Vetting & Negotiation: Taking lead in drafting vetting of various commercial contracts such as EPC for Unit 4 , PPA, O&M ,SPA, Financing contracts(project finance, working capital, cost overrun), NDA, MoUs, land related contracts etc. etc.. Vetting of documents relating to New PPA Assisting in negotiations pertaining to various commercial contracts , financing Advising and flagging apparent business / commercial /legal risks for business teams Extending continuous support to the business team towards development of new projects. Merger & Acquisition Space: Assisiting in due diligence, documentation for acquisition of companies / sale of assets MIS & Reporting: To oversee and finalize weekly, fortnightly, monthly and quarterly reporting to Management regarding status litigation and its future strategy Providing inputs for various MIS templates Ensure timely updation of online Litigation Management System To present important litigation and contracts before the Board Of Directors companies pertaining to Thermal assets. Developing internal stakeholders’ confidence: Advice to business teams on various legal issues Providing written legal opinions and strategic inputs to internal teams Training & Development: Conduct periodic training to junior staffs of legal department and other cross functional teams Miscellaneous: Environment scanning for latest case-law and statutes/amendments specific to the Sector. Should have knowledge of using various AI tools relating to legal work ORGANISATION CHART Head Legal(Thermal) --> Head-Legal (Energy) KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES •Litigation handling (Success rate) •Commercial Contracts & Agreements (Delivery of quality and within the agreed timelines) •Contractual i.e Concession Agmt with Govt of India, Land Lease and State Support Agmt with the State Govt (Compliance %) •Handling of critical issues having higher strategic importance like AERA, PSF, IPOs and Group Initiatives (Success rate) •Statutory compliance by GHIAL, JVs and Subsidiaries (% of compliance) •Providing strategic legal advise to the organization on critical issues (Effective and doable advises) •Contribute to Business Excellence band change (BE Score) •Providing complete legal support to all the internal departments (No. of issues closed effectively) •Leading and Managing the Team by enhancing the employee engagement. (EE score) •AOP adherence (AOP) KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES - Additional Details Regulatory & Government Interface • Advise management on legal and policy matters impacting airport business, including issues under OMDA, State Support Agreements, AERA, MoCA, DGCA, BCAS, AAI, Customs, and other regulatory bodies. • Oversee drafting and vetting of communications, responses, and representations to government stakeholders, including parliamentary queries. • Contribute to policy advocacy and regulatory engagement for safeguarding business interests and enabling project approvals.  No. of regulatory representations submitted with successful outcomes  Timeliness of responses to government notices/queries  Regulatory risk incidents mitigated through early engagement Statutory Compliance & Internal Controls • Oversee legal and contractual compliance across statutory obligations, concession frameworks, and regulatory filings. • Implement compliance tracking systems and review legal risk registers regularly. • Guide execution of key project-related legal documentation and institutional controls (e.g., original document safekeeping, seal policy, document version control).  Statutory compliance audit score  % Closure of compliance observations  Accuracy of contract and concession compliance matrix EXTERNAL INTERACTIONS •GCM, BCMs, •CEO and all HODs •Other Sectors Business Heads •Other Sectors Legal Heads and other HODs INTERNAL INTERACTIONS Regulatory Authority (AERA) ; Various Statutory Authorities (both Central & State) Ministry of Civil Aviation Judicial and Quasi-judicial authorities Law Firms and Senior Counsel (High Court and Supreme Court) FINANCIAL DIMENSIONS •Protecting the interests of the organization in the potential financial litigation matters like UDF, PSF etc. •Support in recovery of receivable/debts •Support in availing the legitimate entitlements OTHER DIMENSIONS - Effectively handle teams consisting of internal and external members - Ensuring legal support in 5 to 6 major transactions in a year EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS - Degree in Law RELEVANT EXPERIENCE - 15-18 years of post-qualification experience in litigation and regulatory legal work, with at least 10 years in a leadership role preferably in infrastructure, aviation, or regulated sectors COMPETENCIES - Execution & Results - Planning & Decision Making - Stakeholder Focus - Teamwork & Interpersonal influence - Personal Effectiveness - Networking - Social Awareness - Entrepreneurship - Capability Building - Strategic Orientation - Problem Solving & Analytical Thinking