Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time.With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.: Wherever you are in your career, we are here for you. Design your future. Discover leading-edge guidance, tools and support to unlock your potential. You are Absa. You are possibility.Job Summary To provide strategic legal advisory and transactional support to the Indian Ocean Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) division, ensuring legal risk is proactively managed while enabling the execution of vanilla and complex domestic and cross-border financial transactions. The job holder is responsible for supporting the Head of Legal (Indian Ocean) in the provision of legal advice to Business Units in Mauritius and Seychelles. This role also involves identifying and managing legal risks across Absa Mauritius and Seychelles by: Providing end-to-end legal counsel on complex CIB products and transactions, including real estate finance, syndicated lending, capital markets, trade finance, and derivatives; Structuring, negotiating, and reviewing a wide range of agreements such as vanilla loan agreements, and term sheets, and bespoke transaction documentation; Translating legal and regulatory implications into actionable business insights and risk mitigation strategies; Serving as a legal risk filter for product innovation, deal reviews, and transaction approvals; Planning, managing and monitoring the implementation of legal activities and processes in order to deliver on approved operational plans in an effective and efficient manner; Managing the reporting of legal risks within Business Units; Providing training to Business Units in key areas of law affecting the operations of Business Units; Managing responsibilities in support of the Legal Function and team membersJob DescriptionBusiness Partnering & General Legal Risk ManagementUnderstand and articulate the strategy/goals for the team and broader departmentUnderstand needs of Business Unit and provide legal advice and/or opinion, research and support to business in area of specialisation to enable the provision of legal risk management and identify which legal risks are commercial in natureEnsure that legal advice and/or opinions are current and correct by remaining up to date with the latest legal developmentsProvide tailored, commercial advice and recommendations on legality, the lawfulness and enforceability of agreements and documents as well as concisely explaining legal risks, concepts and clauses to Business Units.Have a good understanding of relevant products and services across AGL and assist in structuring, negotiating and drafting legal agreements and documentationProvide legal support to Business Units at meetings with other banks and/or clients and assist them to negotiate the terms of legal agreements, security documents and other documents especially where deadlocks are reached in negotiations between the bank other banks and/or clientsProvide comments on existing agreements and/or agreements drafted by other banks, clients or their attorneysEnsure that legal agreements, security documents and other documents contain adequate provisions to manage and mitigate legal risksEnsure effective and appropriate verbal and written communication of the legal risk control framework policies to Business UnitsMonitor compliance of the legal risk control framework and immediately report any breach of the legal risk control framework to the Head of Legal & Company Secretariat (Indian Ocean) and accurately record legal risks on the legal risk reporting formsAct on legal risks notified in the legal risk reports to ensure the successful mitigation of the risksProvide legal input on draft bills, regulatory documents and regulations issued by governmental departments and/or regulatory bodyManage any litigation or claims by or against the bank including negotiating settlement agreements in relation to relevant Business UnitsExercise sound risk judgement based on practice, previous experience and ensure that all activities and duties are carried out in full compliance with regulatory requirements, Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework and internal Absa Policies and Policy StandardsHave a broad understanding of key risks in other areas and partners with others to manage and address themReporting Management and InformationIdentify and meet management information requirements for the measurement of legal risk exposure, key legal issues and trendsProvide input into legal risk report submissionsEnsure that any changes to the legal or regulatory environment are correctly reflected in the documents contained in the Standard Legal Documents Databases for Mauritius and Seychelles and in all other agreements draftedLegal Operations, and Training of the Central FunctionsParticipate in the development of training on legal risk issues.Provide training to Business Units on legal documentation, developments and issues including the production of legal bulletins and seminars.Maintain up to date knowledge of relevant Absa governance requirements and policies.Ensure that any changes to the legal or regulatory environment are correctly reflected in the documents contained in the Standard Legal Documents Databases for Mauritius and Seychelles and in all other agreements drafted.Sharing know-how and experience with the business team and within the Absa Legal functionAssist to develop working structures and best practice guides for use within businessRole/person specificationPreferred EducationLaw Degree with at least 10 years relevant work experiencePreferred ExperienceEssentialAt least 10 years' post qualifying experience as an in-house legal counsel in a financial institution or at least 10 years working experience in a reputable law firm.Extensive knowledge of Banking and finance lawExtensive knowledge of Commercial lawExtensive knowledge of law of ContractsPreferredQualified Lawyer - Admitted Attorney or Barrister in Mauritius, Seychelles or another recognised jurisdictionExpert working knowledge of finance and security documentation, both domestic and cross-borderProject finance (including public private partnerships)Corporate and structured financeGood knowledge of Property lawGood knowledge of Insolvency lawGood knowledge of Public Sector FinanceGood knowledge of Trade (import and export) lawsGood knowledge of mergers and acquisitionGood knowledge of competition lawKnowledge and SkillsTechnical SkillsCommunications skills - verbal Level: Do and InstructCommunication skills - written Level: Do and InstructAbility to work under pressure Level: Do and InstructPC Literate Level: Do and CheckPeople skills Level: Do without SupervisionCoaching Level: Do and CheckRelationship Management Level: Do and CheckNegotiation skills Level: Do and InstructAnalytical skills Level: Do and InstructPresentation skills Level: Do and CheckReport writing Level: Do and CheckRisk management Level: DoTechnical CompetenciesWriting and reportingPresenting and communicating informationDeciding and initiating actionDelivering results and meeting customer expectationAdhering to principles and valuesPersuading and influencingApplying expertise and technologyEducationBachelor Honours Degree: Law, Military Science and Security (Required)
