Associate Vice President, Legal

About the Team:

Reports To: Senior Counsel, Global Business Operations

Department: Legal

Team Leadership: Member of the DBS extended leadership team. Supervises one in-house counsel and has oversight of a small team of procurement-focused legal professionals for legal shared services tower.

About the Role:

Position Summary

We are looking for experienced Senior In-House Counsel to lead the legal function for Diageos largest shared services hub in India (two offices between Bangalore and Gurgaon). This varied role combines responsibilities as legal advisor, Data Protection Officer (DPO), and Company Secretary, while also providing oversight on procurement contracting, investigations, and regulatory compliance. The successful candidate will play a key role in handling a legal support team, engaging directly with senior collaborators, and delivering strategic, risk-aware legal solutions.

Role and Responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities

Legal & Contractual Oversight

• Provide experienced legal counsel to DBSI functions including procurement, HR, finance, IT, compliance, CSR, facilities, and operations.

• Lead and supervise the negotiation, review, and execution of sophisticated commercial agreements, including outsourcing arrangements, vendor contracts, service-level agreements, SaaS and technology deals, real estate projects, settlement agreements.

• Supervise a team of procurement legal professionals to ensure quality, timely, and compliant contract support to internal clients.

• Provide legal support on all HR, tax and regulatory related matters.

• Dispute resolution and litigation management with support of external counsel

Leadership

• Supervise and mentor a junior in-house lawyer and a team of legal professionals supporting global procurement operations.

• Lead a high-performing, service-oriented legal team within DBSI.

• Implement best practices, knowledge sharing, and professional development initiatives across the team.

• Ownership of Diageo legal policies (Anti-bribery, AML, etc).

Data Protection Officer (DPO)

• Serve as the DPO for India operations, ensuring compliance with Indias DPDP Act, GDPR, other relevant privacy regulations and Diageos data privacy policies.

• Conduct data privacy risk assessments, DPIAs, and compliance audits.

• Liaise with global privacy teams, government authorities, and internal stakeholders on data protection matters.

Company Secretarial Responsibilities

• Act as Company Secretary for the India legal entity (as required), ensuring full compliance with Companies Act, 2013 and related statutory obligations.

• Support board meetings, filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC), and maintenance of statutory registers and records.

• Collaborate with external secretarial consultants and advisors when necessary.

Investigation & Risk Support

• Provide legal oversight in internal investigations, including employee misconduct, whistleblower complaints, fraud, and compliance breaches.

• Collaborate with HR, Business Integrity, and Audit teams to ensure fair, well-documented investigations and appropriate legal responses.

• Advise on POSH requirements.

Customer Engagement & Governance

• Work closely with senior leaders and business heads across functions, providing commercially sound legal advice aligned with strategic priorities.

• Support internal policy development, risk mitigation initiatives, and compliance frameworks.

• Build strong working relationships with internal and external partners, including regulators, vendors, and legal advisors.

Qualifications & Experience

• Indian-qualified lawyer with 10-12 years of post-qualification experience, preferably with a combination of law firm and in-house roles in a multinational company.

• Experience in leading legal support for shared services or centralized legal functions is preferred but other relevant experience will be considered

• Proven expertise in contract negotiation, corporate governance, data privacy, and regulatory compliance.