Legal & Regulatory Counsel

European Telecommunications Experience: EssentialRole PurposeWe are seeking an experienced Legal & Regulatory Counsel to join an international telecommunications business based in Dubai.The role requires a commercially strong telecom lawyer with significant European telecommunications legal and regulatory experience. The successful candidate will advise the business across telecom regulation, commercial contracts, licensing, market entry, compliance and regulatory engagement across multiple international jurisdictions.This is a hands-on international role requiring someone who can combine European telecom regulatory expertise with strong commercial legal capability and apply that experience within a fast-moving international telecom environment.Key ResponsibilitiesTelecom RegulatoryProvide legal and regulatory advice across the Group's international telecommunications operations.Advise on telecom licensing, authorisations, regulatory approvals and ongoing licence compliance.Monitor European, UAE and international telecom regulatory developments and assess their commercial impact.Provide specialist advice across:MNO and MVNO regulationInterconnection and network accessWholesale telecommunicationsInternational and EU roamingNumbering and number portabilitySpectrum matters where applicableInfrastructure and network-sharing arrangementsCompetition and market regulationConsumer protectionDigital communications regulationManage relationships and engagement with European national telecommunications regulators and other relevant regulatory authorities.Support engagement with the UAE Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) and regulators in other Group markets.Prepare and coordinate regulatory submissions, consultations, applications, renewals and responses to regulatory enquiries.Support regulatory investigations and potential enforcement matters.Provide regulatory advice for new products, services and commercial propositions.European Regulatory ExpertiseEuropean telecommunications experience is a mandatory requirement for this position.The successful candidate should have:Significant experience working within the European telecommunications market.Strong understanding of EU and European electronic communications regulation.Experience working with or advising MNOs, MVNOs or major telecom operators in Europe.Direct exposure to European national regulatory authorities and/or EU-level regulatory requirements.Knowledge of European regulatory requirements covering roaming, wholesale access, interconnection, competition, consumer protection and market entry.Experience supporting telecom operations across multiple European jurisdictions would be highly desirable.Ability to translate European regulatory experience into practical advice for an international telecom group.Provide commercially focused legal advice to senior management and operational teams.Partner closely with Commercial, Technology, Network, Procurement, Finance, Marketing and Operations.Identify contractual and regulatory risks and develop pragmatic solutions.Support commercial disputes and pre-litigation matters where required.International & Market EntryProvide legal and regulatory support across multiple international telecom markets.Support new-country launches and market-entry programmes.Advise on licensing structures and regulatory requirements when entering new jurisdictions.Coordinate with local external counsel and regulatory specialists.Conduct legal and regulatory due diligence for potential acquisitions, partnerships and market-entry opportunities.Help develop consistent Group-wide regulatory policies and governance frameworks.Data, Digital & ComplianceAdvise on privacy and data-protection issues affecting telecom operations and customer data.Provide guidance on European data protection requirements, including GDPR, alongside applicable UAE and international requirements.Advise on data-sharing and cross-border data arrangements.Support regulatory compliance policies, procedures and internal controls.Work closely with Compliance, Information Security and Technology teams on regulatory risk.Candidate ProfileEssentialQualified lawyer with approximately 8–15+ years' relevant experience.Significant European telecommunications experience – mandatory.Strong background within an MNO, MVNO, international telecom operator or leading law firm with a substantial telecom practice.Strong knowledge of European telecom regulatory frameworks.Demonstrable experience dealing with telecommunications regulators.Strong commercial telecom contract drafting and negotiation experience.Experience with MNO/MVNO, roaming, interconnection, wholesale, network and/or technology agreements.Strong understanding of telecom competition and consumer regulation.Excellent stakeholder-management and communication skills.Ability to operate effectively across multiple jurisdictions and cultures.Willingness to be based in Dubai.Ideal CandidateThe ideal candidate will be a European telecom legal and regulatory specialist who has spent a substantial part of their career working directly within the telecommunications sector.They are likely to have worked for a major European MNO, MVNO or international telecom group, or within a leading law firm's telecom regulatory practice, and will have direct experience engaging with telecom regulators and handling complex commercial telecom agreements.This is not a general commercial legal position. Candidates must demonstrate genuine telecommunications regulatory expertise combined with meaningful European market experience.Key Success MeasuresEffective management of regulatory risk across the Group.Strong relationships with telecommunications regulators and external advisers.Successful regulatory support for international expansion and new-country launches.Continued compliance with telecom licensing and regulatory requirements.Efficient negotiation of strategically important telecom agreements.Commercially pragmatic legal advice that enables the business to grow while managing regulatory and contractual risk.