Assistant Manager, Legal Services

Job Description

Job description:

The role is supposed to help the Bank to achieve its mission “stimulating  a consistent expansion of and diversification of African trade so as to rapidly increase Africa’s share of global trade, while operating as a first class, profit oriented, socially responsible financial institution and a centre of excellence in African trade matters” by carrying out all necessary activities to ensure that the Bank receives the appropriate legal advice in the course of its operations and that all legal documentation is done professionally, in time and that all areas that may cause litigation risk  are appropriately addressed. 

The role of the position holder will be to support the Head of Legal in providing the required legal advice to the President, management and the Board as may be required. 

Responsibilities:

  • Supporting the coordination of the Bank’s internal and external legal capacities in the performance of its legal function and working with internal legal staff and external parties as approved by Management;
  • Preparation of a variety of legal documentation including transaction documentation designed to protect the interests of the Bank as lender, borrower, co-lender, service user or provider and in a wide range of other capacities;
  • Negotiation of legal documents with the Bank’s legal counter-parties and under the guidance of Management;
  • Providing legal advice to management and staff in all areas of the Bank’s activities and proffering solutions to legal problems, constraints, risks, options, consequences and approaches;
  • Review legal documentation prepared for the Bank or arising from the work of the Bank;
  • Providing advisory opinion on the Bank’s constitutive instruments – Bank Agreement and Charter;
  • Representing the Bank internally and externally in negotiation, disputes, consultations and other proceedings that require legal representation; and
  • Participation in legal aspects of the Bank’s business and lending as well as borrowing operations including loan administration, ALCO, CRECO work and other management committees as management may specify.

Skills:

  • Post graduate degree in Law from a recognized University and a Diploma in Legal Practice of a recognized Bar  Course;
  • Professional legal practice and experience of not less than 5 years, with particular emphasis on the financial services industry is essential.  Experience in handling documentation of cross-border trade and project finance business will be an advantage;
  • Ability to communicate and function in a culturally diverse and change oriented setting with good knowledge of banking practices in Africa;
  • Ability to interact with senior officials of banks, corporates and governments and to present legal advice on various management issues to the Bank’s senior  management and the Board;  
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in French and working knowledge of English. Knowledge of  the Bank’s other working languages is an added advantage (Arabic and Portuguese)
  • Strong skills in drafting a variety of legal documents and communicating complex issues clearly and concisely;
  • Familiarity with trade and project finance issues, treasury issues and transnational transactions is desirable;
  • Ability to speedily grasp the essence, content and implications of the Bank’s constitutive documents in order to be able to provide advice on them;
  • Ability to review under strict deadlines long and complex transactions and other legal documents;
  • Negotiating skills and capacity to work with other professionals including non-legal professionals to develop innovative solutions to conflicting interests and positions; and
  • Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including ability to organize and manage human resources to attain goals.