Head of Legal Affairs MELA

About this opportunity
We are recruiting for the role of Head of Legal Affairs for Market Area Europe & Latin America (MELA), covering over 100 countries across Europe and Latin America. In this role you will be an executive of our MELA region, and responsible for ensuring that all activities in MELA and related risks of the business are handled responsibly and provide legal and risk management partnership across all MELA operations including sales, procurement and other business related agreements, governance, sanctions and export control, competition and data privacy laws and regulations. The Head of Legal is leading a team of 55 professionals, located in 20 countries across the market area. You and the team are part of Group Function Legal Affairs and Compliance (GFLA), and will also work closely together with Group Legal Affairs centers of expertise from other units in GFLA. Your key stakeholders and partners will be the Head of MELA and other executives in the MELA market area as well as other units in GFLA.

The role as Head of Legal Affairs MELA requires shown integrity and extensive and recognized leadership experience, skills and competence, very good understanding of the business, and an ability to influence and lead at all levels of the organization, including senior leaders in both MELA and the Ericsson Group. This role reports to the Head of Global Customer Operations Legal Affairs within GFLA (who in turn reports directly to the Group Chief Legal Officer), with a dotted line to the Head of MELA. You will be a member of the Legal Affairs Market Areas leadership team as well as the MELA leadership team. The location will preferably be Stockholm, Sweden, but other locations within the market area can be agreed, dependent on the candidate’s current location.

What you will do
Ensure that legal, compliance and reputational risks of the Ericsson Group are proactively and responsibly managed in a transparent way towards and in coordination with the Head of MELA, and other functional representatives at market area or Group level.
Provide strategic and technical legal and risk advice in execution of the market area business objectives including in particular ensuring strong engagement in contracting (e.g. sales and procurement) and dispute management. Drive strong contract terms in partnership with the MELA business. You will also act as the point of escalation within MELA on legal matters.
In concert with the GFLA Global Litigation team, ensure and drive legal representation before court, arbitral or other dispute procedures or before enforcement or regulatory bodies in the MELA region.
Ensure that the MELA organization follows legal regulations and group policies, including in relation to risk management and decision-making authority; and provide advice on internal corporate approvals and governance.
Manage the MELA Legal Affairs organization, and ensure that is right-sized, properly skilled and resourced to effect the above responsibilities in a risk appropriate manner. Also responsible for hiring, engagement and management of external legal support and ensuring high quality and efficient advice and support from external counsel.
Ensure proper support in the market area related corporate governance activities, including providing legal and risk reports and driving mitigation with the MELA Leadership Team and preparation and establishment of internal policies, directives and instructions.
Support the oversight, administration, and operation of Ericsson’s legal entities within the market area, including ensuring that there is proper record keeping of original legal documentation.
Continuously adopt and ensure implementation of improved processes and tools to deliver on GFLA ambition of zero waste processes and digital optimization to maximize impact and cost efficiency of legal function in the market area.
Work proactively by providing working tools, training, etc. to improve the general legal awareness in the market area.
Openly discuss risk assessments and mitigation with the Head of MELA and the Head of Group Customer Operations within GFLA to enable line of sight, proper disclosure (to the public and lenders and other key authorities) and manage matters of group relevance (financially, operationally or reputational).
Prepare, monitor and manage MELA Legal Affairs' budget and forecasts in line with the above.
Contribute as a member of the Legal Affairs Market Areas Leadership Team and MELA Leadership Team towards proper management of business affairs and associated risk management for the market area.


You will bring
A Law degree from an accredited law school (e.g., JD, LLB, or LLM). Solid grounding in legal areas such as anti-bribery/corruption, data privacy, competition law and sanctions/export controls.
Basic understanding of IPR.
Proficiency in English.
At least ten to fifteen (10-15) years working experience as a commercial or corporate lawyer.
Solid understanding of telecom and ITC business and regulations.
Good Ericsson business knowledge/understanding (desirable).
Very high level of integrity and independence.
Confirmed Leadership track record in a multinational, international corporation.
Very good ability to handle complexity and stress.
Confirmed business acumen.
Good networking ability and great interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to clearly articulate complex issues and manage internal stakeholders, external counsel and counterparties.
Strong negotiation and partnering skills.
Ability to make the right prioritizations and inspire change in the organization.
Validated ability not only to analyze and understand details in specific matters and transactions, but also to apply legal, business and financial aspects from a Group perspective.


Why join Ericsson?
At Ericsson, you´ll have an outstanding opportunity. The chance to use your skills and imagination to push the boundaries of what´s possible. To build never seen before solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems. You´ll be challenged, but you won’t be alone. You´ll be joining a team of diverse innovators, all driven to go beyond the status quo to craft what comes next.



Location for this role: Stockholm, Sweden
Recruiter: Anna Magnusson (anna.magnusson@ericsson.com)

Selection is ongoing please apply as soon as possible
Kindly note that we cannot process applications sent via email.