About the Organization:
Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is an “Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University” and one of India’s leading academic and research institutions. MAHE is an inspiring leader in the field of education, research, and healthcare with active partnerships with more than 250+ leading international universities across the globe. It has over 28 constituent institutions attracting students from all over India and 60+ countries. The Legal department handles numerous legislations, regulators, governing bodies, and large corporates, offering hands-on exposure to land laws, labour laws, medico-legal matters, dispute resolution, intellectual property, contracts, and other sector-specific regulatory requirements.

About the Job:
MAHE is seeking a Senior Legal Manager to strengthen its legal function’s execution capability at the Manipal main campus. The role involves overseeing contract management, ensuring SOP compliance and quality control, supervising team members, and supporting continuity of legal operations. The position requires 12+ years of PQE with a minimum of 5 years in a corporate/in-house environment. The successful candidate will lead end-to-end contract lifecycle management, support real estate documentation, coordinate litigation, supervise IP protection, and manage stakeholder coordination.

Eligibility:

• LL.B. degree.
• 12+ years of post-qualification experience (PQE), including minimum 5 years in a corporate/in-house environment.
• Strong experience in contract drafting, review, and negotiations (essential).
• Exposure to real estate documentation, IP matters, and litigation coordination required.
• Prior team supervision experience is a must.
• Excellent verbal and written communication in English and Kannada (a must).
• Tech-savvy with interest in an in-house role.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Contracting & Legal Execution: Lead end-to-end contract lifecycle management including drafting, review, and negotiation support. Standardize templates and maintain contract playbooks. Support real estate documentation including leases, licenses, land-related agreements, and development contracts.
• Compliance, SOP & Quality Control: Ensure adherence to legal SOPs, approval matrices, and documentation standards. Conduct periodic quality checks and maintain audit-ready records.
• Litigation & Dispute Management Support: Coordinate with external counsel on litigation, arbitration, and dispute matters. Maintain litigation trackers and assist in risk assessment.
• Intellectual Property: Support IP protection by filing and registration assistance in trademarks, copyrights, and licensing matters.
• Team Supervision & Continuity: Supervise and guide team members on execution quality and timelines. Train team on processes and build fallback capability.
• Stakeholder Coordination: Work closely with internal departments to deliver practical, business-aligned legal solutions.

Duration:
Full-time, permanent position.

How to Apply:
Interested candidates who meet the eligibility criteria are invited to apply. Please email your CV to: hrd@manipal.edu (giving reference to the LinkedIn post) and copy to: mirul.bhavsar@manipal.edu.

Note: Please do not DM or send “just exploring” applications if you do not meet the criteria.

Salary/Stipend:
Competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience (to be discussed during the interview).

Location:
Manipal Main Campus, Manipal (near Udupi), Karnataka