Managing Director – Head of Middle East Legal

About the role

The Head of Middle East Legal provides senior legal leadership for State Street’s custody and fund administration services across the Middle East. Based in Abu Dhabi (ADGM), the role supports strategic transactions, regulatory permissioning and the expansion of the firm’s regional footprint.

Key responsibilities

• Advise executive management in Saudi Arabia and the UAE on strategic decisions, governance and regulatory expectations.
• Lead regulatory and governance counselling for country and regional management, boards, compliance and company secretarial functions.
• Manage legal support for client commercial contracts across Investment Services, Alpha, CRD, Wealth and Global Delivery organisations.
• Provide guidance on outsourcing, client disputes, internal investigations and regulatory remediation programmes.
• Navigate jurisdictional differences in investment‑servicing legal and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with senior executives, cross‑jurisdictional teams and other legal experts to deliver balanced solutions aligned with State Street’s strategic priorities.

Required profile

• Extensive experience in legal leadership within financial services, preferably with custody or fund administration exposure.
• Proven ability to counsel senior executives and influence decision‑making at board level.
• Strong understanding of Middle‑East regulatory frameworks and governance standards.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder‑management skills.

Required skills

• In‑depth knowledge of custody and investment‑servicing products.
• Expertise in drafting and negotiating large commercial contracts.
• Experience handling client disputes and regulatory remediation.
• Ability to interpret and apply local and international financial regulations.