The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) is a global partnership to make palm oil sustainable. Today, the RSPO is a global, non-profit organisation with over 6,000 voluntary members across 104 countries and territories, representing every link in the supply chain: oil palm producers, palm oil processors and traders, consumer goods manufacturers, retailers, banks and investors, environmental or nature conservation non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and social or developmental NGOs.
At RSPO, we believe that our success is built by the passion, dedication, skills, and expertise of our people. They are the ones who drive our organisation to new heights and guide us through the next phase of our development.
The Executive, Legal & Compliance is required to provide day-to-day legal and compliance support to the Legal & Compliance Unit. Reporting directly to the Head of Legal and Compliance, the incumbent will assist in ensuring the organization's activities are conducted in accordance with relevant laws, internal policies, and governing structures across all jurisdictions where RSPO operates. S/he will act as a primary support for contract management, legal research, and regulatory monitoring to mitigate potential legal risks for the organisation.
The Executive, Legal & Compliance is required to provide comprehensive administrative and secretarial support to the Head of Legal and Compliance, managing the day-to-day repetitive and operational tasks to ensure the efficient functioning of the Legal and Compliance unit and the timely execution of departmental objectives.
The location of this role is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Key Roles & Responsibilities
Duties include but will not be limited to the following:
- Contract Support: Assists in the drafting, reviewing, and tracking of contracts and legal agreements for RSPO's legal entities to ensure regulatory and statutory compliance.
- Project Assistance: Provides operational support for complex legal projects that span various geographies, subject matter areas, and jurisdictions under supervision of Head of Legal & Compliance.
- Legal Inquiries: Assists in providing preliminary legal advice to staff across all divisions on routine legal issues and helps maintain staff-friendly legal systems and procedures.
- Research Assistance: Conduct preliminary administrative or procedural research as directed by the Head of Legal and Compliance.
- Training Coordination: Supports the development and delivery of training materials regarding legal processes, policies, protocols, best practices, and compliance to all employees and contractors.
- Governance: Works closely with the Membership Unit to support the governance aspects of the annual General Assembly and liaise with RSPO's legal advisor to ensure compliance with Swiss Commercial Register
- Stakeholder Liaison: Manage communication, meeting and coordination with internal and external stakeholders, including internal employees requesting legal support, finance for budgeting and document stamping, legal counsels, and company secretarial service providers.
- Document Management: Handle the administrative process for legal and compliance documents and contracts, including arranging for signature, legal certification, notarisation, and secure filing/archiving of documents and contracts, generate and maintain contract and document register, manage contract expiry date reminder etc.
- Corporate Secretarial Support: Monitor the progress and work quality of external corporate secretarial service providers to ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.
- Task Monitoring and Reporting: Keep meticulous track of important legal and compliance tasks and projects, providing regular status updates and progress reports to the Head of Legal and Compliance.
- Training and Presentation Assistance: Assist the Head of Legal and Compliance in the preparation of legal training materials, presentations, and internal communication briefs.
- Administrative Support: Manage procurement requests, schedules, coordinate meetings, prepare travel arrangements, and handle general office administration for the Legal and Compliance unit.
- Others: Apart from the duties stated above, to perform any duty or duties reasonably assigned.
THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT
Education
Experience
- Preferably at least 3 years of prior working experience as either as a lawyer or in house counsel
Technical and Professional Knowledge
- Strong foundational knowledge of contract law to assist in drafting and reviewing various commercial agreements.
- Knowledge of regulatory and statutory compliance frameworks (across different jurisdictions is preferred).
- Familiarity with corporate secretarial practice and basic statutory/regulatory compliance requirements.
- Proficiency in document management and archiving systems.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and/or Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides).
Essential Skills
- Proficiency in drafting precise legal documents, including contracts, memos, and training materials.
- Organizational and time management skills.
- Attention to detail and accuracy, especially for legal documentation and reporting
- Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills for stakeholder liaison.
- Proactive, resourceful, and able to manage multiple priorities effectively
- Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and exercise professional discretion
- Strong sense of responsibility and reliability
How To Apply
Qualified applicants are invited to send in their updated CV giving comprehensive details of educational background, work experience, and related achievements to [Confidential Information]. Please state Job Application – Executive, Legal & Compliance in your email subject line.
- RSPO is an equal opportunity employer. Due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
