Head of Legal & Regulatory (Senior Manager) – Europe

About the role

We are seeking a dynamic Head of Legal & Regulatory to lead our European Legal Regulatory function at Kia Europe’s headquarters in Frankfurt. Reporting to the General Counsel, you will shape legal strategy, ensure compliance across multiple jurisdictions, and support business growth across the continent.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the European Legal Regulatory department and act as the primary legal adviser to the General Counsel and regional leadership.
• Oversee all legal, regulatory and compliance matters, including EU competition law, vehicle/type approval, ESG regulatory compliance and third‑party due‑diligence frameworks.
• Develop and execute a medium‑term plan, define resourcing, KPIs and the team’s role for up to 12 months.
• Manage and coach a cross‑functional project team, fostering a high‑performance culture.
• Represent the company with supervisory authorities, regulators, external counsel and industry bodies.
• Strategically manage external counsel selection, oversight and cost‑effectiveness.
• Collaborate closely with Compliance, ESG, Finance, IT/Security, Safety and other key functions.
• Identify emerging legal and regulatory risks and translate them into actionable strategies.

Required profile

• Fully qualified lawyer with extensive experience in European competition law, vehicle approval and ESG compliance.
• Proven leadership capability and ability to manage complex cross‑border legal issues.
• Excellent judgment, pragmatic business support and strong communication skills.
• Experience representing an organization before regulators and industry bodies.

Required skills

• EU competition law expertise
• Vehicle/type approval processes
• ESG regulatory compliance knowledge
• Third‑party due‑diligence frameworks