Manager, Banking Legal Services (Intra African Trade & Asset Finance)

Reporting to the Director, Banking Legal Services, the Manager, Banking Legal Services will support the Legal Department in contributing to the Bank’s mission of stimulating the expansion and diversification of African trade, increasing Africa’s share of global trade, and operating as a first-class, profit-oriented, socially responsible financial institution and Centre of Excellence in African trade matters.

The role will also provide strategic direction and support the development of the Bank’s legal services delivery strategy, ensuring that legal support is managed with a long-term perspective and aligned with the Bank’s overall business strategy.

Main Responsibilities

The Manager, Banking Legal Services will be responsible for:

• Providing advice to the Bank and its subsidiaries on a broad range of banking and finance matters, ensuring the delivery of tailored and commercially focused legal solutions.
• Providing legal and strategic advice to the Bank and its subsidiaries on special projects and initiatives, while identifying potential legal risks.
• Participating in the planning, organisation and implementation of legal support for the Bank’s business activities, including researching relevant precedents and presenting appropriate solutions.
• Providing guidance on the proper application and interpretation of laws and regulations applicable to the Bank’s business.
• Ensuring adequate controls are in place to mitigate legal and related risks that may arise from the Bank’s activities.
• Supporting the formulation and implementation of effective legal processes to ensure the timely delivery of transaction documentation.
• Facilitating the development of appropriate standardised legal documentation and legal precedents.
• Serving as a subject matter expert and key legal advisor to business stakeholders on legal matters relating to the Bank’s loan products.
• Serving as a legal stakeholder on internal committees and working groups, managing special projects, and supporting advocacy efforts related to the Bank’s development mandate.
• Coordinating the engagement of external legal counsel to ensure value for money in the procurement of legal services.
• Providing legal advice to management and staff across the Bank’s activities, including advice on legal problems, constraints, risks, options, consequences and recommended approaches.
• Advising on the Bank’s borrowings in international capital and money markets, including reviewing and negotiating legal documentation required for the implementation of the Bank’s borrowing strategy and capital markets transactions.
• Providing legal advice on the Bank’s Asset and Liability Management procedures and policies.
• Participating in the work of the Bank’s Asset and Liability Management Committee and its working groups.
• Providing legal advice on equity participations, grants, financing and co-financing agreements with multilateral and bilateral financial institutions, and related arrangements.
• Representing the Bank internally and externally in negotiations, disputes, consultations and other proceedings requiring legal representation.
• Working with internal staff and external parties as required by management.
• Conducting deal appraisals and providing legal input on proposed transactions.
• Conducting legal due diligence exercises on proposed transactions.
• Preparing a variety of legal documents, including transaction documentation designed to protect the Bank’s interests as lender, borrower or in other capacities.
• Negotiating a wide range of legal documents with the Bank’s transaction counterparties, under the guidance of management.
• Reviewing documentation and assessing legal matters arising from the Bank’s financing and non-financing activities.
• Conducting, managing and monitoring legal workstreams for ongoing transactions.

Compliance Responsibilities

The role holder will be responsible for:

• Understanding and adhering to the Bank’s AML, regulatory and conduct compliance policies and procedures, including:
• Staff Handbook, including code of conduct provisions
• Anti-Money Laundering, Counter Financing of Terrorism and Counter Proliferation Financing policies
• Conflicts of Interest policy
• Policy on Staff Involvement in External Engagements and Activities
• Anti-Bribery and Corruption policy
• Insider Trading Guidelines
• Reporting any suspicious or non-compliant activities or matters relating to the Bank’s staff or customers to the Compliance Department.
• Completing the Bank’s Annual Compliance Training and Assessment.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree in Law from a recognised university.
• Diploma in Legal Practice from a recognised Bar Course.

Years and Nature of Experience

• Minimum of 8 years of professional legal practice and experience, with particular emphasis on the banking and financial services industry.
• Experience in handling documentation related to cross-border trade and project finance transactions, particularly in the following areas:
• Structured trade and corporate finance
• Project and asset-based finance
• Guarantees and specialised finance
• Sovereign lending
• Private equity
• Good knowledge of banking practices in Africa.
• Ability to communicate and function effectively in a culturally diverse and change-oriented environment.
• Ability to interact with senior officials of banks, corporates and governments.
• Ability to present legal advice on various management issues to the Bank’s senior management.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Knowledge of one or more of the Bank’s other working languages is an added advantage: French, Arabic or Portuguese.
• Strong drafting skills across a variety of legal documents.
• Ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly and concisely.
• Familiarity with trade finance, project finance, treasury matters and transnational transactions.
• Ability to quickly grasp the essence, content and implications of the Bank’s constitutive documents in order to provide sound legal advice.
• Ability to review documents and provide advice under strict deadlines.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Ability to work with legal and non-legal professionals to develop innovative solutions to conflicting interests and positions.
• Ability to organise and manage human resources to achieve goals.

Benefits

• Private Health Insurance
• Training & Development
• Performance Bonus