Job Purpose

Provide strategic legal leadership, safeguard the Bank’s legal and regulatory interests, ensure robust governance and compliance frameworks, manage litigation and legal risk exposure, and serve as Company Secretary to the Board by ensuring adherence to sound corporate governance practices and applicable laws.

Responsibilities// Key Deliverables

A. Leadership, People & Strategy

• Provide vision, direction, and performance leadership to the Legal & Board Affairs team, ensuring capability development, coaching, and delivery against agreed objectives.
• Serve as a member of EXCO and other Management Committees, contributing to strategic planning, policy development, and enterprise-wide decision-making.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships with internal and external stakeholders to promote ethical conduct, compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Oversee departmental budgeting, resource planning, reporting, and adherence to cost-efficiency priorities.
• Source, manage, and evaluate external legal service providers in line with procurement standards.

B. Legal Advisory, Compliance & Governance

• Act as the Bank’s chief legal advisor on all legal, regulatory, contractual, and risk-related matters.
• Develop, implement, and continuously strengthen the Bank’s legal, regulatory, and governance compliance frameworks, policies, and controls.
• Interpret applicable laws, regulations, and industry changes and ensure timely sensitization of staff and management.
• Provide expert guidance on contract drafting, negotiations, company transactions, new products, partnerships, and policy development.

C. Litigation, Dispute Resolution & Recoveries

• Lead the development and application of the Bank’s litigation and dispute resolution approach to minimize legal exposure.
• Coordinate, supervise, and evaluate external counsel to ensure effective representation of the Bank.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for all legal disputes, complaints, claims, and enforcement matters.
• Support recovery and credit teams by offering timely legal guidance on delinquent accounts and enforcement actions.

D. Company Secretarial, Board Governance & Records

• Ensure full adherence to corporate governance standards, statutory requirements, and Board governance procedures.
• Serve as principal company signatory and official legal representative in authorized legal and regulatory engagements.
• Plan, coordinate, and manage Board, Committee, and Shareholder meetings including agenda preparation, board packs, minutes, resolutions, statutory filings, and secure record-keeping.
• Manage Board induction, continuous development, and governance awareness.
• Maintain accurate corporate and shareholder records and ensure timely compliance filings.

Financial Responsibility

Responsible for the legal Budget

Person Specification

Education, Training, Skills & Experience

Education

• Master’s degree in Law, Business, or related field is an added advantage
• Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB). Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

Training

• ICSA or equivalent governance qualification.
• Strong knowledge of commercial, banking, corporate and regulatory law.

Experience

• Minimum of five (5) years in senior legal or governance leadership, preferably in a financial institution or regulated corporate environment.
• Proven leadership capability with experience developing, motivating, and managing professional legal teams.

Skills

• Strong advisory, negotiation, drafting, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate with sound judgment in complex and ambiguous environments.
• High ethical standards, confidentiality, and personal integrity.
• Strong communication (written & verbal), analytical thinking, and business acumen

Business Behaviors

• Passion: Committed to excellence, to deliver outstanding results and make a positive impact for our customers and stakeholders.
• Teamwork: Collaborates, mutual respect, and diverse perspectives, to achieve shared success and deliver greater value to the Bank.
• Integrity: Uphold honesty, transparency, and accountability, ensuring ethical practices in every action.
• Innovation: Embrace creativity and forward-thinking, continually seek new solutions to enhance customer experiences and drive business growth.

• Provide vision, direction, and performance leadership to the Legal & Board Affairs team, ensuring capability development, coaching, and delivery against agreed objectives.
• Serve as a member of EXCO and other Management Committees, contributing to strategic planning, policy development, and enterprise-wide decision-making.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships with internal and external stakeholders to promote ethical conduct, compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Oversee departmental budgeting, resource planning, reporting, and adherence to cost-efficiency priorities.
• Source, manage, and evaluate external legal service providers in line with procurement standards.
• Act as the Bank’s chief legal advisor on all legal, regulatory, contractual, and risk-related matters.
• Develop, implement, and continuously strengthen the Bank’s legal, regulatory, and governance compliance frameworks, policies, and controls.
• Interpret applicable laws, regulations, and industry changes and ensure timely sensitization of staff and management.
• Provide expert guidance on contract drafting, negotiations, company transactions, new products, partnerships, and policy development.
• Lead the development and application of the Bank’s litigation and dispute resolution approach to minimize legal exposure.
• Coordinate, supervise, and evaluate external counsel to ensure effective representation of the Bank.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for all legal disputes, complaints, claims, and enforcement matters.
• Support recovery and credit teams by offering timely legal guidance on delinquent accounts and enforcement actions.
• Ensure full adherence to corporate governance standards, statutory requirements, and Board governance procedures.
• Serve as principal company signatory and official legal representative in authorized legal and regulatory engagements.
• Plan, coordinate, and manage Board, Committee, and Shareholder meetings including agenda preparation, board packs, minutes, resolutions, statutory filings, and secure record-keeping.
• Manage Board induction, continuous development, and governance awareness.
• Maintain accurate corporate and shareholder records and ensure timely compliance filings.

• Strong advisory, negotiation, drafting, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate with sound judgment in complex and ambiguous environments.
• High ethical standards, confidentiality, and personal integrity.
• Strong communication (written & verbal), analytical thinking, and business acumen

• Master’s degree in Law, Business, or related field is an added advantage
• Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB). Post-Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.
• ICSA or equivalent governance qualification.
• Strong knowledge of commercial, banking, corporate and regulatory law.