Senior Counsel - Public Sector Operations (Base in Beijing) - Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

ZipRecruiter; City Of London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A multilateral development bank is seeking a Senior Counsel - Public Sector Operations. The role involves leading legal and policy advice for public-sector financing operations, including negotiation of complex agreements. Candidates must have at least 8 years of experience and be qualified to practice law. The position offers the opportunity to work independently while mentoring less experienced colleagues, promoting innovative legal processes and documentation.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of relevant post-qualification practice experience.
• Experience in a top-tier international law firm or with an international financial organization is a strong plus.
• Excellent command of English, including drafting and negotiating legal documents in English.

Responsibilities

• Lead in providing legal and policy advice to PSO and project teams.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex legal documentation for sovereign operations.
• Collaborate with other LEG units and development partners.

Skills

Legal advisory skills

Negotiation skills

Cross-cultural collaboration

Mentoring and coaching

Research and analysis

Education

LLM degree, J.D., or equivalent

Job description

Overview

Senior Counsel - Public Sector Operations. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank whose mission is Financing Infrastructure for Tomorrow in Asia and beyond—infrastructure with sustainability at its core. We began operations in Beijing in 2016 and have since grown to 110 approved members worldwide. We are capitalized at USD100 billion and AAA-rated by the major international credit rating agencies. Collaborating with partners, AIIB meets clients' needs by unlocking new capital and investing in infrastructure that is green, technology-enabled and promotes regional connectivity.

The Senior Counsel - Public Sector Operations will lead and provide legal and policy advice and support to the Public Sector Operations (PSO) team and the relevant vice presidencies, with a view to protecting AIIB's interests and ensuring compliance with its mandate, policies, and procedures. The Senior Counsel will be responsible for advising on the structuring, negotiation, and implementation of sovereign-backed financing operations, including results-based financing, policy-based financing, guarantees, and co-financing arrangements with development partners. The Senior Counsel may also be assigned by the line manager to work across functional boundaries, including collaboration with other Legal Units, the Office of the General Counsel, and other institutional functions.

Responsibilities

• Lead in providing legal and policy advice to PSO and project teams on the design, structuring, and implementation in the context of the Bank's public-sector investment operations, with a view to ensuring compliance with AIIB's social and environmental standards and other policy requirements.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex legal documentation for sovereign operations, including financing agreements, guarantee agreements, and co-financing arrangements.
• Develop and revise legal model forms.
• Advise on legal and policy matters relevant to sovereign operations, including restructurings, waivers, and remedies in sovereign-backed operations in line with AIIB's operational policies.
• Support the development of AIIB's sovereign operations framework, including the design of new financing instruments, policies, and standards.
• Collaborate with other LEG units and development partners and counterparts to promote harmonized approaches and best practices in sovereign lending.
• Conduct research and prepare legal opinions, memoranda, and policy notes on issues related to sovereign financing and MDB operations.
• Promote innovative approaches in legal processes and documentation to improve efficiency and effectiveness in supporting sovereign operations.

Requirements

• Minimum 8 years of relevant post-qualification practice experience. Experience in a top-tier international law firm and/or with an international financial organization is a strong plus.
• An LLM degree, J.D., or equivalent and qualified to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.
• Relevant professional experience with sovereign loans, guarantees, and/or PPP projects and loan/financing/guarantee agreements is a strong plus.
• An excellent understanding of the legal aspects of investment operations of multilateral development banks and experience in sovereign-backed financings and guarantees would be an advantage.
• Excellent command of English, including drafting and negotiating legal documents in English.
• Ability and resourcefulness to work independently with minimal oversight.
• Ability to mentor and coach less experienced colleagues.
• Ability to design and deliver training to colleagues in LEG, AIIB staff, and external clients.
• Ability to communicate with and convince internal and external stakeholders at a high level with appropriate legal solutions.
• Experience working collaboratively in a cross-cultural environment.