Legal Affairs Manager - Private Investment & Real Estate...

Selection process conducted by matteria

Location and Work Mode

• Mexico West Coast , On - Site

Purpose of the position

To establish and lead a structured, institutionalized legal function that protects the organization’s real estate and operational assets, enables its growth, and ensures it operates with integrity and regulatory confidence. The Legal Manager exists to bring legal discipline to the way the company contracts, acquires land, governs itself, and manages risk — turning legal from a reactive service into a proactive business driver.

About the Role

We are seeking a Legal Manager to build and lead the company's legal function from the ground up. This is a foundational role responsible for institutionalizing a structured, process-driven legal department that supports the company's land operations across four core pillars: contracts, real estate, governance & controls, and corporate compliance.

The ideal candidate is not just a skilled attorney — they are a builder who can design frameworks, establish standards, and embed legal discipline into the way the business operates day to day.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy, Department Restructuring & Specialization:

  • Help design, lead, and implement the comprehensive legal framework for the entire collective.

  • Professionalize the legal area by creating agile, efficient structures focused on internal service.

  • Consolidate the structure and internal capabilities of the legal department within the first 6 months.

  • Act as a strategic advisor to upper management regarding critical corporate decisions.

• Transactional & Contractual Management:

  • Draft, review, and negotiate highly complex corporate and commercial agreements under both national and international standards.

  • Establish corporate contracting guidelines and preventative legal risk-mitigation standards.

  • Direct and supervise contract audits and ensure impeccable document control and retention.

• Real Estate & Asset Management:

  • Support legal processes for real estate acquisition, leasing, land regularization, and development.

  • Ensure thorough execution of legal due diligence regarding property ownership, land-use zoning, encumbrances, and liens.

  • Manage and streamline relationships with notary publics, property registries, and governmental authorities.

  • Design legal architectures to support expansion and territorial development projects.

• Governance, Compliance & Risk Management:

  • Implement corporate policies and compliance mechanisms to strengthen corporate governance and a culture of integrity.

  • Lead internal investigations and proactively manage potential reputational risks.

  • Monitor regulatory changes and translate them into preventative operational actions for the holding.

Requirements and competences to work with us

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law / Licenciatura en Derecho (Must hold a valid professional license / Cédula Profesional).

• Highly desirable: Master’s Degree in Corporate Law, Business Law, or Corporate Compliance.

Experience

• 10 to 15 years of overall professional experience in the legal field.

• A minimum of 5 years leading legal departments, in-house teams, or advanced practice groups within complex corporate environments, investment holdings, or tier-1 law firms.

• Proven track record in transactional law, complex commercial contracts, corporate governance, and strategic real estate (including asset protection, land regularizations, or agrarian/communal land regimes).

Knowledge and skills

• Languages: Fluent Bilingual English & Spanish (90% minimum, both conversational and technical legal English). The candidate must be fully capable of negotiating and reviewing international contracts in English (Crucial non-negotiable filter).

• Expert knowledge in corporate and societarian law, corporate governance, and compliance.

• Strong expertise in real estate due diligence, asset management, and regulatory risk assessment.

• Proficiency in legal document management platforms and standard workspace tools

Competences

• Strategic thinking with a preventative and risk-mitigation mindset.

• Sound legal judgment heavily oriented toward business enablement.

• Cross-functional leadership and executive influence.

• Ability to simplify complex legal matters and communicate them clearly to non-legal stakeholders.

• High sense of urgency, proactivity, and focus on fast execution without losing technical rigor.

Our team profile

Our team thrives on radical transparency, efficient communication, and mutual respect. We value executive profiles that possess high energy, dynamism, and the ability to structure growing business units. We look for a legal facilitator who breaks down bureaucratic barriers and approaches challenges with humility, practical criteria, and autonomy.

Key interests for working with us

• This role is ideal for a legal professional motivated by:

  • Strategic Growth & Corporate Legacy: Structuring complex corporate, asset, and investment frameworks that enable the holding to scale securely, ensuring operational certainty and institutional resilience over the long term.

  • Real Estate & Portfolio Strategy: Leading large-scale land regularizations, complex property acquisitions, and high-stakes transactions that directly drive the development and expanding footprint of our portfolio.

  • Governance & Institutional Excellence: Building a resilient corporate structure from the ground up, implementing best-in-class compliance frameworks, and cultivating a culture of transparency and corporate integrity.

  • Risk Mitigation & Business Enablement: Navigating intricate regulatory landscapes and cross-functional challenges to proactively protect the holding's reputation while acting as an agile business facilitator.

Reasons to join our team

• Opportunity to spearhead the transformation and institutionalization of an in-house legal area.

• Direct exposure to high-level corporate and complex real estate transactions.

• Competitive executive compensation package

Relevant details before applying for this vacancy

• This position is 100% on-site (presencial) on the Mexico West Coast.

• Absolute availability for permanent relocation is required (a relocation allowance is provided).

• This search is carried out under strict confidentiality.

• The ideal candidate must demonstrate executive maturity and a genuine desire to settle down and enjoy the lifestyle, safety, and natural environment offered by this coastal region.