Lead Senior Legal Counsel

We help the world run better At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong. What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed. ROLE DESCRIPTION SAP's Office of Ethics and Compliance (OEC) is seeking a Field Compliance Officer to support our operations in its MEA South and Southern Europe regions. This role is responsible for developing and operating SAP Compliance programs in these markets, including support for the SAP Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and related compliance practices and policies. The focus will be on applicable bribery and corruption laws, serious fraud, conflicts of interest, and ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements in the region. EXPECTATIONS AND TASKS The successful candidate will be expected to take ownership in managing the dynamic compliance landscape in the region, with support and guidance from the EMEA and Global OEC Leadership. Key responsibilities include: Provide expert advice on compliance matters relating to SAP's entities in the region, ensuring compliance principles are adhered to in management decision-making. Serve as a trusted advisor to the Leadership in the region. Administer, prepare, run & follow up on local Compliance Committees in accordance with regional regulatory requirements. Support the drafting of policies and conduct training on compliance topics, including avoidance of bribery and corruption, handling confidentiality and conflicts of interest, doing business with government customers, fraud prevention, and other relevant areas. Provide compliance oversight on sales activities: work with business units to vet and validate sales, marketing, third‑party transactions, and presales opportunities. Review and analyze Due Diligence for Partners and third parties. Review sponsorships, donations, and memberships. Support Compliance Investigations & manage Consequence Management. Maintain expert level knowledge of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Stay substantively up to date on relevant laws and regulations in the region, including those related to white‑collar crime, criminal law, GDPR, data privacy, and sanctions. Follow up on risk mitigation processes. Track and report compliance issues and KPIs to OEC management on a periodic basis. Collaborate with other Field Compliance Officers supporting the UK, France, Benelux, Southern Europe, Middle East, and Africa. The position reports to the Regional Compliance Officer EMEA and will be based in SAP's offices in Dubai, Casablanca, Riyadh or Lisbon. Occasional travel may be required. WORK EXPERIENCE Minimum 5-7 years of work experience in compliance, with a focus on the region. Corporate compliance department and/or law or audit firm experience highly desired. Advanced experience with the U.S. FCPA and regional business laws and regulations, particularly in areas related to compliance, white‑collar crime, and criminal law. Experience in public sector and government compliance preferred. EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATION / SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES Fluent business and legal English, Arabic, French and Portuguese (both verbal and written). Accredited lawyer or other experienced compliance professional (preferably with legal background). Certification as a Certified Compliance Professional by the SCCE or certification by the ACFE is highly beneficial. Hands‑on with extreme attention to detail and written documentation. Strong grasp of codes of conduct, business ethics policies, and current compliance practices. Experience handling compliance investigations highly desirable. Demonstrated ability to navigate complex issues and manage senior leadership in dynamic environments. Expertise in risk‑based decision making. Experience in the areas of detection and prevention of fraud or corruption. Excellent understanding of the Italian government structure and public procurement processes. Strong knowledge of GDPR and data privacy regulations. Project Management experience is highly desirable. Very good communication and collaboration skills. Comfortable in MS office tools and IT business environment. Previous experience in the IT industry is preferable. Bring out your best SAP innovations help more than four hundred thousand customers worldwide work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively. Originally known for leadership in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, SAP has evolved to become a market leader in end‑to‑end business application software and related services for database, analytics, intelligent technologies, and experience management. As a cloud company with two hundred million users and more than one hundred thousand employees worldwide, we are purpose‑driven and future‑focused, with a highly collaborative team ethic and commitment to personal development. Whether connecting global industries, people, or platforms, we help ensure every challenge gets the solution it deserves. At SAP, you can bring out your best. We win with inclusion SAP’s culture of inclusion, focus on health and well‑being, and flexible working models help ensure that everyone – regardless of background – feels included and can run at their best. At SAP, we believe we are made stronger by the unique capabilities and qualities that each person brings to our company, and we invest in our employees to inspire confidence and help everyone realize their full potential. We ultimately believe in unleashing all talent and creating a better world. SAP is committed to the values of Equal Employment Opportunity and provides accessibility accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you are interested in applying for employment with SAP and are in need of accommodation or special assistance to navigate our website or to complete your application, please send an e‑mail with your request to Recruiting Operations Team: Careers@sap.com. For SAP employees: Only permanent roles are eligible for the SAP Employee Referral Program, according to the eligibility rules set in the SAP Referral Policy. Specific conditions may apply for roles in Vocational Training. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their age, race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, et al), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, or disability, in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local legal requirements. Successful candidates might be required to undergo a background verification with an external vendor. AI Usage in the Recruitment Process For information on the responsible use of AI in our recruitment process, please refer to our Guidelines for Ethical Usage of AI in the Recruiting Process. Please note that any violation of these guidelines may result in disqualification from the hiring process. Requisition ID: 433947 | Work Area: Administration | Expected Travel: 0 – 10% | Career Status: Professional | Employment Type: Regular Full Time | Additional Locations: #LI-Hybrid #J-18808-Ljbffr