Legal Counsel

Job Summary

Legal Counsel-Litigation is responsible for provision of expert legal leadership in managing litigation, legal risks, and compliance matters across the bank and or including affiliates. The role ensures effective implementation of the Legal Risk Management Policy and standards, management of external counsels, strategic management of litigation and associated risks, preparation and or vetting of pleadings, applications and other court documents, safeguards the Bank’s intellectual properties, manages contracts, and provides timely legal advisory services to branches and business units. The Legal Counsel acts as a key partner in embedding a strong risk and compliance culture within the Bank. Liaise with Business and Credit Teams to employ strategic legal recovery and collection measures and employ alternative but efficient recovery measures.

Job Description

​Accountability: Legal Risk Management (50%)

Assist Head of Legal in:

• Manage the bank’s litigation portfolio, including civil, commercial, labour, insurance and regulatory disputes.
• Develop and implement litigation strategies in consultation with other stakeholders within the bank.
• Maintain a litigation system and prepare periodic reports to management and other stakeholders
• Ensuring that all aspects of legal risk are identified covered and controlled in the conduct of litigation, recovery and collection of bad debts.
• Safeguard the Bank’s intellectual property rights specifically in patent, trade and service marks, branding and monitor potential infringements and coordinate enforcement actions where necessary.
• Supporting the business in the long-term growth by providing pragmatic and effective advice to manage legal risk across the business and assist in the design and implementation of procedures to manage this risk at an appropriate level.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts to protect the bank’s interests and develop standard templates and guidelines for use across the bank.
• Ensure the Legal risks are managed and mitigated and present and or send periodic reports to Head of Legal, Senior Management and relevant Committees.
• Implement effective Legal risk control frameworks and processes in accordance with the Legal, Regulatory and NBC Governance requirements/standards.
• Developing and delivering strategic legal risk management initiatives.
• Ensuring that changes and developments in legislation, regulations, guidelines and practices affecting the markets in which the business operates are analysed, evaluated and reported as required.
• Invest in institutional knowledge and training capabilities to upskill business colleagues and increase awareness of legal and regulatory requirements.
• Manage relationships with external lawyers and monitor their performance and costs using best supplier management practices
• Implement effective Legal risk control frameworks and processes in accordance with the Legal, Regulatory and NBC Governance requirements/standards.
• Embed Legal Policies within the business by creating awareness through training, regular circulars as a champion for the Legal Risk Management Policy and Standards.

Accountability:  Legal Risk Management (30%)

Assist Head of Legal in:

• Manage the bank’s litigation portfolio, including civil, commercial, labour, insurance and regulatory disputes.
• Develop and implement litigation strategies in consultation with other stakeholders within the bank.
• Maintain a litigation system and prepare periodic reports to management and other stakeholders.
• Ensuring that all aspects of legal risk are identified covered and controlled in the conduct of litigation, recovery and collection of bad debts.
• Safeguard the Bank’s intellectual property rights specifically in patent, trade and service marks, branding and monitor potential infringements and coordinate enforcement actions where necessary.
• Supporting the business in the long-term growth by providing pragmatic and effective advice to manage legal risk across the business and assist in the design and implementation of procedures to manage this risk at an appropriate level.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts to protect the bank’s interests and develop standard templates and guidelines for use across the bank.
• Ensure the Legal risks are managed and mitigated and present and or send periodic reports to Head of Legal, Senior Management and relevant Committees.
• Implement effective Legal risk control frameworks and processes in accordance with the Legal, Regulatory and NBC Governance requirements/standards.
• Developing and delivering strategic legal risk management initiatives.
• Ensuring that changes and developments in legislation, regulations, guidelines and practices affecting the markets in which the business operates are analysed, evaluated and reported as required.
• Invest in institutional knowledge and training capabilities to upskill business colleagues and increase awareness of legal and regulatory requirements.
• Manage relationships with external lawyers and monitor their performance and costs using best supplier management practices
• Implement effective Legal risk control frameworks and processes in accordance with the Legal, Regulatory and NBC Governance requirements/standards.
• Embed Legal Policies within the business by creating awareness through training, regular circulars as a champion for the Legal Risk Management Policy and Standards. 

Accountability: Compliance & Risk Control (5%)

• Ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework, internal NBC policies and Policy Standards and strong knowledge of legal risk management and controls
• Maintain a satisfactory control environment.
• Review the risk and Legal profiles of the business unit on a regular basis and provide consultative support to the Head of Legal and Management on changes that are required to rebalance risk and reward where required.

Accountability: Management & financial information (5%)

Assist the Head of Legal in:

• Support business in recovery and collection from bad debts through strategic legal processes, nego and other alternatives
• Identifying and meeting management information requirements for the measurement of legal risk exposure, performance (both of internal and external legal resources) and productivity.
• Managing and controlling external legal resources in terms of cost and performance. Act as liaison between banking personnel and external legal advisors as appropriate.
• Managing the legal budgets for the business.
• Streamline and automate Legal processes using digital tools and technologies to improve efficiency and mitigate risks.

• Effective litigation management with reduced exposure to financial and reputational risks.
• Efficient management of external counsel costs and performance.

Accountability: Service Management (30%)

Assist the Head of Legal in:

• Contributing to the development of the business strategy by providing innovative solutions to legal risk management.
• Timely and accurate legal advice to branches and business units.
• Liaising with various Business Heads as a legal point of contact.
• Develop and roll out litigation risk management and strategy in line with Legal Risk Management policy.
• Regular legal risk and litigation reports to senior management and regulators.
• Addressing and managing resolution of Legal queries arising from the business.
• Identify opportunities to increase efficiency by creating standardized legal templates and legal documents that are tailored to the specific needs of the business.
• Protection and enforcement of the Bank’s intellectual property rights.
• Standardized and compliant contract management processes. 

Accountability: Team Leadership (10%)

Assist the Head of Legal to

• Provide education, training, and support to the businesses on relevant legal risk issues and developments as appropriate.
• Ensure an up to date and relevant knowledge of principal areas of law and practice in Tanzania.
• Assisting Head of Legal in managing output from connected services such as Securities and Documents Unit, Recoveries and Peoples function.

Education and Experience Required

• Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) from a recognized university
• Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania and other subordinates courts
• 5+ years Post Qualification Experience in legal risk management in the banking and finance services or from a law firm specializing in banking/financial services .

Knowledge & Skills:

• Effective communication in written and spoken English - Ability to communicate effectively and in an impactful manner.
• Analytical, problem-solving skills with the ability to develop imaginative solutions - Having a pragmatic approach in balancing business needs vis-a-vis mitigation of legal risks by offering practical solutions with a strong commercial focus.
• Stakeholder management and networking skills - Develops constructive and collegiate professional relationships across the business in providing support to internal client base and build relationships with external advisors (legal and non-legal).
• Experience in banking operation and commercial law
• Knowledge and understanding of banking and financial business strategy, business, markets and products.
• Strong technical legal ability.
• Strategic planning and negotiation skills
• Project and resource management 
• Actively engage with business to understand their objectives, challenges, and risks.

Qualifications

Bachelors Degrees and Advanced Diplomas - Law, Military Science and Security, Digital familiarity (Meets some of the requirements and would need further development), Ethics and values (Meets all of the requirements), Experience in a similar environment, Legal Advisory and Interpretation (Meets some of the requirements and would need further development), Openness to change (Meets some of the requirements and would need further development), Reasoning (Meets all of the requirements)