Job Opportunity: Legal Counsel At Tata Steel Limited
Table of Contents
- Role overview
- Position and location
- Essential qualification and experience
- Key skills and competencies
- Core roles and responsibilities
- Litigation and representation
- Legal research and opinion support
- Drafting and coordination with external agencies
- Internal coordination and knowledge management
- Ideal candidate profile
- How to apply
Tata Steel Limited has invited online applications for the post of Legal Counsel to handle litigation arising out of indirect taxes, especially GST matters, at the adjudication and first appellate levels in Jamshedpur.
Role overview
The Legal Counsel will be responsible for managing indirect tax disputes for Tata Steel, with a core focus on GST, central excise, and service tax litigation before adjudicating authorities and Commissioners (Appeals), and related proceedings before the CESTAT where required. The role combines hands-on litigation work, deep statutory research, coordination with internal tax and legal teams, and close briefing of external advocates engaged by the company.
Position and location
- Post: Legal Counsel (Indirect Taxes – GST focus).
- Location: Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, at Tata Steel’s major manufacturing base and indirect tax operations hub.
- Engagement: Full-time, corporate in-house role within Tata Steel’s indirect taxation and legal framework, supporting business and tax functions.
Essential qualification and experience
- Education: LL.B. degree (either 5-year integrated law course or 3-year LL.B.) from a recognized university.
- Experience: 3–7 years of post-qualification experience, with at least 3 years of active, hands-on handling of GST litigations.
- Domain exposure:
- Practical familiarity with the hierarchy and functioning of GST, central excise, and service tax authorities, including adjudicating officers, Commissioners (Appeal), and the appellate tribunal framework.
- Strong working knowledge of statutory provisions and rules on cenvat/input tax credit, valuation, tariffs, limitation, and appeal filing requirements under GST, Central Excise, and service tax laws.
- Allied laws: Comfort with core procedural and substantive laws such as CPC, IPC, CrPC, Indian Evidence Act, and Indian Contract Act, which frequently arise in tax and penalty disputes.
Key skills and competencies
- Litigation skills:
- Ability to independently handle indirect tax disputes at adjudication and Commissioner (Appeal) level, including drafting replies, appearing for hearings, and supporting higher appeals.
- Experience in presenting facts and legal contentions succinctly and in assisting counsel before the CESTAT and other forums when required.
- Research and analysis:
- Capability to conduct extensive legal research using electronic/online databases to identify precedents, circulars, and notifications relevant to Tata Steel’s disputes.
- Strong analytical skills to interpret statutory provisions, reconcile conflicting authorities, and build robust arguments for replies and appeals.
- Drafting and documentation:
- Drafting replies to show cause notices (SCNs) and appeals/petitions with clear articulation of facts, issues, and legal grounds.
- Preparing structured, well-researched briefs and notes for external law firms and advocates, based on internal factual inputs and legal analysis.
- Interpersonal and leadership:
- Effective briefing of advocates, including issue framing, document collation, and strategy discussions.
- Good interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to mentor junior colleagues in the indirect tax and legal teams and coordinate across departments.
- Technology and productivity:
- Proficiency with computers, including MS Excel and PowerPoint, for tracking litigation, preparing dashboards, and presenting risk summaries to management.
- Comfort using legal research platforms and internal knowledge repositories for continuous updates on indirect tax law developments.
Core roles and responsibilities
Litigation and representation
The Legal Counsel will primarily handle litigation arising out of indirect taxes, especially GST, including adjudication and appellate matters. Key tasks include:
- Representing Tata Steel before adjudicating authorities and Commissioners (Appeal) in GST, excise, and service tax matters, and arguing cases directly where required.
- Coordinating and supporting litigation before the CESTAT and other forums by preparing briefs, reviewing draft pleadings, and assisting external counsel in developing case strategies.
Legal research and opinion support
- Conducting detailed legal research on GST, excise, and service tax issues, using online databases and official resources, to build the contentions to be included in replies to SCNs and appeals.
- Continuously tracking and collating latest judgments, notifications, and circulars on indirect tax laws and updating the indirect taxation and legal teams.
- Assisting in-house tax and legal stakeholders with research for preparing internal opinions on complex questions of law or classification, valuation, and credit entitlement issues.
Drafting and coordination with external agencies
- Drafting replies to show cause notices, appeals, and related representations with structured reasoning and supporting evidence.
- Where drafting work is assigned to external agencies, preparing a detailed, well-researched internal note summarizing factual background and relevant legal positions to ensure high-quality, aligned outputs.
- Interacting regularly with law firms and advocates: taking initiative in briefing counsel, supplying documents and research, and following up on drafting timelines and hearing preparation.
Internal coordination and knowledge management
- Working closely with the indirect taxation function and other internal agencies to collect factual data, transaction records, and accounting details required for litigation.
- Maintaining organized documentation and case histories for ongoing and closed matters to support audits, internal reviews, and risk assessment.
- Mentoring subordinate colleagues in the tax/legal teams and fostering a proactive, results-focused litigation culture.
Ideal candidate profile
The ideal candidate for this Legal Counsel position is:
- A self-motivated indirect tax litigator with at least three years of active GST practice within the overall 3–7 years of experience.
- Someone who is well-versed not only with black-letter GST, Central Excise, and service tax law but also with procedural nuances of adjudication, appeals, limitation, evidence, and valuation disputes.
- A professional who combines strong drafting and analytical capabilities with the ability to work seamlessly with internal finance, tax, and legal functions and external counsel to drive favorable outcomes.
How to apply
Tata Steel has invited applications through its online careers interface; candidates must apply via the official online application link provided in the job listing and not through offline modes. Applicants should ensure that their CV prominently highlights:
- Number of years of hands-on GST/indirect tax litigation.
- Key matters handled at adjudication and appellate stages, including complexity and stakes.
- Experience with excise/service tax legacy issues and transition disputes, along with knowledge of allied procedural laws.
