Head - Legal & Compliance

Role Overview:

We are looking for a highly qualified and experienced Head Legal & Compliance to lead our corporate legal, regulatory, compliance, and secretarial functions. This is a strategic leadership role involving risk management, legal structuring, fundraising documentation, corporate governance, IPO preparedness, contract negotiation, and stakeholder management.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Legal Strategy & Governance

2. Develop and execute the companys legal strategy aligned with business goals and compliance needs.

3. Lead all legal risk mitigation efforts and provide strategic legal inputs to the board and CXOs.

4. Stay ahead of regulatory changes in the EdTech, education, and fintech sectors impacting business operations.

5. Contract Management

6. Draft, review, and negotiate high-value contracts including MSAs, NDAs, vendor agreements, content partnerships, SaaS, licensing, lease and LOIs.

7. Establish a standardised, tech-enabled contract lifecycle management process.

8. Guide internal stakeholders on contractual obligations and dispute resolution strategies.

9. Corporate Secretarial & ROC Compliance

10. Ensure end-to-end compliance under Companies Act, 2013 and other relevant laws.

11. Manage all Board, General Meetings, and Committee Meetings including drafting minutes, resolutions, and regulatory filings.

12. Maintain statutory registers and coordinate with external consultants/auditors.

13. Fundraising & Investor Compliance

14. Support due diligence, drafting of SHA, SSA, term sheets, side letters, and condition precedent fulfilment during fundraising rounds.

15. Coordinate with external counsel and investor legal teams.

16. Ensure compliance with FEMA, FDI regulations, and RBI reporting for foreign investments.

17. IPO Readiness & Capital Markets Compliance

18. Lead legal due diligence and compliance groundwork for proposed IPO (SEBI/Companies Act/Stock Exchange/NSDL).

19. Work closely with merchant bankers, legal advisors, and internal departments for DRHP preparation.

20. Set up systems for ongoing listing and disclosure compliance (if listed).

21. Policy Development & Regulatory Compliance

22. Develop internal policies (e.g., POSH, Whistleblower, Ethics, Data Privacy) and ensure organization-wide adherence.

23. Monitor compliance with NSDC, MCA, UGC/AICTE (where applicable), and other education sector norms.

24. Liaise with regulatory authorities including SEBI, MCA, ROC, RBI, GST, and Education Regulators.

25. Dispute Resolution & Litigation

26. Manage pre-litigation strategy, notices, consumer disputes, IP enforcement, and court filings.

27. Coordinate with external counsel for ongoing legal proceedings and settlement strategies.

28. Represent the company in legal forums when required.

29. Intellectual Property Management

30. Oversee filing, registration, and protection of IP – including trademarks, copyrights, patents, and domain names.

31. Guide product, content, and marketing teams on IP usage and infringement avoidance.

32. Team Management & Leadership

33. Build and mentor an internal legal and compliance team.

34. Create a culture of proactive compliance and legal awareness within the organization.

35. Engage in cross-functional collaboration with Finance, HR, Product, Marketing, and Tech teams.

Qualifications & Experience:

1. Bachelor of Law (LLB) and Qualified Company Secretary (CS), 8–10 years of experience in corporate legal, secretarial, and compliance functions, preferably in a startup or high-growth company.
2. Prior experience with fundraising, due diligence, and IPO preferred.
3. Strong understanding of contract law, company law, SEBI regulations, education sector laws, and commercial negotiations.

Key Competencies:

1. Strategic legal mindset with hands-on execution capabilities.
2. High integrity and a solution-oriented approach.
3. Strong negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
4. Ability to manage ambiguity, fast-changing regulations, and scaling businesses.

What We Offer

1. Opportunity to be part of a leadership team shaping one of India's fastest-growing EdTech companies.
2. Ownership of a mission-critical vertical with visibility to the Board and investors.
3. Competitive compensation
4. A culture of innovation, agility, and execution excellence.