Sentiss Pharma - Deputy General Manager/Senior Manager - Legal & Company Secretary

Position / Designation DGM / SM Legal & Company Secretary

Department Finance & Accounts

Work Location Gurugram

Role Type Individual Contributor

Reporting to CFO - India

Qualification & Experience

Education & Qualification

• LLB / LLM from a reputed institution
• Qualified Company Secretary (CS)

Experience

• 10-12 years of relevant experience
• Mandatory background in pharma, life sciences, healthcare, or manufacturing industry.
• Proven experience in:
• Cross-border contracts and commercial agreements
• M&A / in-licensing transactions
• Corporate law, labour law, and litigation
• Legal, secretarial, contracts, compliance, and governance experience

Summary / Key Responsibilities

Summary:

The role will be responsible for managing the end-to-end legal, corporate secretarial, labour law, and data privacy framework for the India business, while supporting contracts and transactions across multiple geographies. The incumbent will partner with global stakeholders to enable business growth including CMO/CRO collaborations, in-licensing, and M&A activities, ensuring robust governance and compliance across jurisdictions.

KRA:

• Legal & Commercial Contract Management
• Corporate Governance & Secretarial Compliance
• Strategic Transactions (M&A, Licensing & Partnerships)
• Labour Law & Employment Compliance
• Data Privacy & Cyber Compliance
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution
• Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management
• Business Partnering & Legal Advisory
• Governance Framework Strengthening
• Stakeholder & External Counsel Management

Key Responsibilities:

1. Contracting & Commercial Legal

• Draft, review, negotiate and manage agreements across India and international jurisdictions, including:
• CMO, CRO, and technical service agreements
• In-licensing / out-licensing agreements
• Supply, distribution, confidentiality, vendor agreements licensing, and technical service agreements
• Ensure contracts are aligned with multi-jurisdictional legal and regulatory requirements
• Work with international stakeholders and external counsels for country-specific compliance and risk mitigation
• Develop and standardize global contract templates with appropriate jurisdictional safeguards

2. Strategic Transactions (M&A / In-licensing - Cross-border)

• Provide legal support for domestic and cross-border:
• Mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures
• Licensing and strategic alliances
• Conduct legal due diligence across jurisdictions
• Support deal structuring considering regulatory, tax, and legal implications globally
• Liaise with global advisors and external counsel networks

3. Corporate Law & Secretarial Compliance

• Ensure compliance with:
• Companies Act, 2013
• SEBI regulations (if applicable)
• Manage Board governance (India entity and support global alignment where required):
• Agenda, board notes, minutes, filings
• Maintain statutory records and filings
• Perform/support Company Secretary responsibilities

4. Labour Laws & People Compliance

• Ensure compliance with Indian labour laws and provide inputs on:
• Cross-border employment, expatriate and international assignment frameworks
• Partner with HR on:
• Employment contracts with global mobility elements
• Workforce restructuring across jurisdictions (as relevant)
• Support management of labour disputes and employee matters with legal implications

5. Data Protection, Privacy & Cyber Legal

• Ensure compliance with:
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (India)
• GDPR and other applicable global data privacy regulations
• Review cross-border data transfer arrangements and data processing agreements
• Advise on employee and customer data privacy in a multi-country operating model
• Support IT and business teams on cyber risk, breach response, and regulatory obligations

6. Litigation & Dispute Management

• Manage corporate, commercial, labour, and data/privacy disputes in India
• Coordinate with international legal counsel for overseas matters
• Track litigation exposure and provide risk insights to leadership

7. Regulatory & Compliance Advisory

• Provide legal advisory across:
• Pharma regulations (India and relevant global markets)
• Corporate, labour, and data protection laws
• Track evolving legal requirements across jurisdictions relevant to business operations

8. Governance & Risk Management

• Identify and mitigate legal, regulatory, employment, and cyber risks
• Ensure consistency in governance practices across geographies
• Strengthen compliance culture in a growing global organization

Competencies:

Functional Competencies

• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills (India + international exposure)
• Sound knowledge of:
• Companies Act, 2013
• Labour laws and new labour codes
• Data privacy laws (DPDP Act, GDPR exposure preferred)
• Familiarity with multi-jurisdictional legal frameworks and global business operations
• Ability to work with global stakeholders, external counsel, and cross-functional teams
• Understanding of data privacy and cyber compliance, including DPDP Act, 2023; GDPR exposure preferred.

Behavioral Competencies

• High ownership, independent contributor
• Strong global mindset with ability to operate across cultures and geographies
• Excellent written and verbal English communication
• Agile, responsive, and solution-oriented
• Strong risk awareness and attention to detail

Must Have's:

• Mandatory background in pharma, life sciences, healthcare, or manufacturing industry
• Strong hands-on experience in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial and cross-border contracts.
• Strong knowledge of Companies Act, 2013, Board governance, statutory filings, and secretarial compliance.