Head of Legal and Risk Management

 Tara Climate Foundation is a philanthropic climate foundation dedicated to fostering a future where Asia’s unwavering commitment to climate action paves the way for just, thriving and resilient societies. Tara operates in East, Southeast and South Asia, excluding India and China

Our mission is to support a diverse group of partners in accelerating Asia’s energy transformation and championing climate action. Tara plays three main roles in the region:

• Grantmaker: Tara works closely with mission-aligned foundations and philanthropists to pool resources and grant funds to organisations working to accelerate Asia’s energy transition and climate action (excluding China and India).
• Convenor: Tara cultivates networks that facilitate the exchange of ideas between business, civil society, and government throughout and beyond Asia.
• Local and regional experts: With strong networks spanning across civil society, businesses and government, Tara funds thorough research and analysis to address knowledge gaps, stay abreast of emerging trends and craft evidence-based strategies to advance our mission.

Since establishing its headquarters in Singapore in 2021, the foundation has provided grants to more than 300 organisations across 13 countries and jurisdictions. Our team of over 40 experts are located in countries across the Asia Pacific region, working to combat climate change in this decisive decade.

Over the last 2 years, Tara has significantly increased its funding base and currently has more than a dozen philanthropic funders supporting our work and providing grants to hundreds of partners. In the next 3 years, we are looking to double our funding and grantmaking to combat climate change in this decisive decade. 

The Head of Legal and Risk Management is responsible for providing comprehensive legal counsel, guidance and support to the Tara senior management team.  This role is instrumental in ensuring the legal compliance of Tara’s operations with applicable frameworks in preservation of Tara’s interests.

 The Head of Legal and Risk Management is responsible for:

1. Overseeing the Legal, Risk & Compliance strategy for the organisation; set up the structure of how these risks/issues will be raised, handled and monitored with policies and procedures.
2. Manage all legal, contractual and regulatory compliance matters, including (but not limited to) whistleblowing, grievance issues, new entity set-ups, regulatory reporting, AML/KYC compliance etc.
3. Developing, implementing and maintaining policies and procedures for legal, risk & compliance management areas to deliver on strategy;
4. Ensuring Tara is conducting its business in full compliance with all national and international laws and regulations that pertain to our work within Asia
5. Monitoring, managing and advising on all legal affairs within Tara
6. Strengthening risk management processes and culture by working with the CEO, senior management team and Technical Heads to ensure risk is suitability identified, mitigated and managed

Skills & Experience: 

• Demonstratable professional competence and expertise in international law and legal affairs; experience with financial institutions’ AML/KYC compliance would be a plus;
• Demonstrated experience advising senior management of international organisations on complex legal, risk and compliance matters;
• Cross-cultural sensitivity and ability to navigate complex international legal landscapes;
• Strong analytical skills and ability to translate complex legal, risk and compliance concepts into practical processes;
• Legal expertise in areas including compliance, contract management, employment law, corporate governance, risk mitigation, intellectual property, and project management;
• Outstanding interpersonal, diplomatic, and cross-cultural communication skills;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and preferably another Asian language;
• Strong ability to multitask, prioritise, and meet tight deadlines with meticulous attention to detail;
• Ability to work effectively under pressure;
• Technical proficiency in software such as Outlook, Microsoft Office suite
• Used to working flexibly at a fast pace in remote settings with multi-cultural teams across multiple time-zones
• Ability to travel nationally and internationally as and when required
• Embraces Tara’s mission and identifies with and is committed to living the Tara Values

 Education 

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant legal, and a minimum of 5 years risk and compliance experience
• Preferably Law degree from an accredited institution with active bar membership, with a preference for membership in a bar association.
• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) OR Bachelor’s with additional 2 years of experience in Law/International Law, Management, Business Administration or a related subject is required.
• Qualifications in legal

What Tara offers:

• The unique opportunity to work as part of a highly dynamic, international team who combine their passion to make a difference with a rigorous and results-oriented approach to work
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for career develop and challenge yourself
• Competitive compensation and benefits
• A collaborative, fun and thriving team, driven by our mission and live our values

To Apply:

Please submit an A4 covering letter outlining your skills and achievements against the role responsibilities, why you would like to join us and your salary expectations, along with your up to date CV via LinkedIn or Recruitment@taraclimate.org. Please use the job title: Senior Finance Director as the subject in your email.

Tara is committed to building leadership capacity within Asia. This position is based in Singapore.  Applicants must have the right to work in the country.

We appreciate everyone’s application, but only have the resources to respond to shortlisted applicants. If you have not heard from us within 3 weeks of the closing date, please assume you are unsuccessful for this role. If this is you, we appreciate your support and consideration and hope you will continue to consider roles with Tara in the future!