Manager, Banking Legal Services (Banking & Finance) - Francophone

Main ResponsibilitiesReporting to the Director (Banking Legal Services), the Manager (Banking Legal Services) will assist the Legal Department in ensuring that it contributes fully to the Bank's mission of 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.Key Responsibilities: Providing advice to the Bank and its subsidiaries on a broad range of banking and finance matters to ensure delivery of tailored, commercially focused legal solutions Providing legal and strategic advice to the Bank and its subsidiaries entities on special projects/initiatives and identifying potential legal risks Participating in the planning, organisation and implementation of legal support for business activities of the Bank, research of relevant precedents, presentation of appropriate solutions Providing guidance on the proper application and interpretation of laws and regulations as applicable to the Bank's business and ensuring adequacy of controls to mitigate legal and other risks or concerns that may arise thereto Providing assistance in connection with the formulation and implementation of effective legal processes to ensure timely delivery of transaction documentation. and facilitating the development of appropriate forms of standardised documentation/legal precedents Serving as subject matter expert and key legal advisor to business stakeholders by providing counsel on all aspects of legal matters related to the Bank's loan products Serving as Legal stakeholder on internal committees/working groups, managing special projects and engaging with advocacy efforts relating to the Bank's development mandate Coordinating the engagement of external legal counsel in order to ensure value for money in the procurement of legal services 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 Providing advice in connection with the Bank borrowings in the international capital and money markets, including the review and negotiation of 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 and participating in the work of the Bank's Asset and Liability Management Committee and its working groups Providing legal advice on equity participations, grants and other financing and co-financing agreements with other multilateral and bilateral financial institutions and related arrangements Representing the Bank internally and externally in negotiation, disputes, consultations and other proceedings that require legal representation Working with internal staff and external parties as required by management; Conducting deal appraisals (with provision of input) and legal due diligence exercises on proposed transactions; Preparing a variety of legal documentation including transaction documentation designed to protect the interests of the Bank as lender, borrower and in other capacities Negotiating a wide range of legal documents with the Bank's transaction counterparties, 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 Reviewing documentation and assessing legal matters arising from the various financing and non-financing activities of the Bank; Conducting, managing and monitoring the legal workstreams of ongoing transactionsCompliance Responsibilities Understanding and adhering to the Bank's AML, Regulatory and Conduct Compliance policies and procedures, notably:(i) Staff Handbook (has code of conduct provisions)(ii) Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter Financing of Terrorism and Counter Proliferation Financing(iii) Conflicts of Interest and Policies on Staff Involvement in External Engagements/Activities(iv) Anti-Bribery & Corruption(v) Insider Trading Guidelines Reporting any suspicious or non-compliant activities or matters relating to the Bank's staff or the customers to the Compliance Department Completing the Annual Compliance Training/AssessmentRequirementsRequirementsMaster's degree in French Civil Law from a recognized universityMinimum of 8 years of professional legal practice and experience, with particular emphasis on the banking and financial services industryExperience in handling documentation related to cross-border trade and project finance transactions, particularly in the following areas:Structured trade and corporate financeProject and asset-based financeGuarantees and specialised financeSovereign lendingPrivate equityGood knowledge of banking practices in Africa and the ability to communicate and function effectively in a culturally diverse and change-oriented environmentAbility to interact with senior officials of banks, corporates and governments, and to present legal advice on various management issues to the Bank's senior managementExcellent verbal and written communication skills in EnglishKnowledge of one or more of the Bank's other working languages is an added advantage: French, Arabic or PortugueseStrong drafting skills across a variety of legal documents, with the ability to communicate complex issues clearly and conciselyFamiliarity with trade and project finance issues, treasury matters and transnational transactionsAbility to quickly grasp the essence, content and implications of the Bank's constitutive documents in order to provide sound legal adviceAbility to review documents and provide advice under strict deadlinesStrong negotiation skills and the ability to work with legal and non-legal professionals to develop innovative solutions to conflicting interests and positionsAbility to organise and manage human resources to achieve goalsProficiency LevelLeadership SkillsSpecialists or managers should be able to:Oversee teams and manage transactions from a legal perspective throughout the credit value chainAdvise internal and external stakeholders and staffContribute to innovation in business practicesEngage with internal and external stakeholders, representing Afreximbank Group at third-party events and meetingsContribute to negotiations, primarily in a technical capacity, with firm-wide impactProactively explore opportunities for technical or innovative advancements for the BankInfluence within their own team, and occasionally beyond their team, to drive and achieve resultsInterpersonal SkillsThe role requires the ability to:Strengthen internal and, where relevant, external relationshipsMentor junior colleagues and share technical knowledge to foster collaboration and support project outcomesInfluence decisions at the functional levelContribute to external negotiations using technical knowledge where requiredArticulate complex ideas clearly and succinctlyManage the delivery of projects and communicate information effectively to senior staff membersProblem Solving and Business ImpactThe role requires the ability to:Use experience and deeper technical knowledge to identify core issuesAnalyse complex data and synthesise information to support the development and implementation of strategic solutionsSupport technical initiatives and contribute to strategyOccasionally contribute new ideas to drive innovationSupporting Afreximbank's MandateThe role requires:A substantial understanding of Afreximbank Group's products and servicesA clear understanding of how the role contributes to Afreximbank Group's values and missionGood knowledge of the Continent and African Diaspora's political, economic and trade landscapeThe ability to offer well-informed opinions on relevant matters internally and to external counterpartsThe ability to identify practical ways in which Afreximbank Group's values and mission can be cascaded to junior colleagues and external partiesKey CompetenciesSelf-Starter with Minimal SupervisionProactive, motivated and able to manage tasks with minimal oversightTimely, detail-oriented and sensitive to deadlines, ensuring that assigned tasks are delivered to the required qualityTeam Collaboration and CommunicationStrong team player with good interpersonal skillsAbility to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary and multicultural teamAbility to influence teams and build networks across boundariesHigh level of emotional intelligence and emotional resilience, with the ability to work effectively in a diverse legal teamLeadership ExperienceStrong analytical skillsAbility to think strategically, analyse and synthesise information from diverse sources, and draw conclusions from complex materials and publicationsExperience in communicating complex transactional and legal risk management issues to the Board, Executive Management and external stakeholdersHigh level of emotional intelligence and emotional resilienceSkills, Knowledge and AttitudeExcellent oral and written communication skills in EnglishKnowledge of the Bank's other working languages is an added advantage: French, Arabic and PortugueseProficiency in Microsoft Office programs, including Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OutlookFamiliarity with legal risk management systemsGood project management skillsAbility to manage multiple tasks simultaneously under tight deadlinesInternal Change AgentAbility to function in a change-oriented environmentGood knowledge of legal risk management practices in Africa and globallyAbility to articulate and promote the Bank's legal risk management narrative to various internal stakeholdersAfreximbank's Core ValuesCommitment to Africa and supporting the emancipation and empowerment of AfricansUncompromising integrityPassion for learning and driveTeamworkTrust and respect for the individualInnovation, excellence and flexibilityProfessionalism and responsivenessBenefitsPrivate Health InsuranceTraining & DevelopmentPerformance Bonus