Senior Legal Counsel

Empowering Africa's tomorrow, together…one story at a time. With over 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.

Job Summary
In this role you will contribute to management by identifying and mitigating legal risks across the Debt Capital Markets and Advisory businesses (Equity Capital Markets, Debt Capital Markets and M&A) in South Africa and where applicable or required across the continent.

You will be expected to provide accurate, expert and specialised legal advice on legal and regulatory matters and be involved in the structuring of transactions in line with the relevant and general banking practices, procedures and regulations.

You will also be a key point of contact on a day-to-day basis for the business teams, and responsible for providing on-the-go pro-active legal advice.

Job Description

1. Accountability: Legal Risk
   To provide highly specialised legal advice and support to the dedicated area of support.
2. Accountability: Leadership & Management
   Demonstrates strong relationship management skills with clients. Plan and manage projects and matters through to completion, including resourcing. Contribute to the development and implementation of team objectives and strategy and provide high quality support to the business as required by interacting with different legal and business stakeholders. Work independently with minimal supervision and demonstrate the ability to supervise where appropriate.
3. Accountability: Commercial
   Demonstrate strong analytical skills and solve complex problems creatively and effectively. Drives good cost control behaviour, especially around external spend and consistently deliver against a broad range of competing targets. Manage external counsel and represent AGL on relevant industry forums and professional bodies where required. Add value in commercial as well as technical discussions, and provide training that is beneficial/informative to internal clients.
4. Accountability: Risk and Control
   Actively raise the profile of the legal function and improve on Legal Key Risks. Manage and create awareness by embedding legal policies and control requirements in all areas of the business. Provide appropriate challenge and equally be robust in the face of challenges. Build strong risk partnerships with colleagues in other functions (especially key control areas). Fully understand the role of legal in AGL and how it interacts with other functions and the business.
5. Accountability: Teamwork
   Proactively collaborates across different teams and geographies within Legal to break down silos. Provide objective and constructive feedback and openly share knowledge and expertise.
6. Accountability: Technical
   Acts as a trusted advisor to business and other infrastructure areas; understands market and legal developments and their impact on business. Contribute to industry-wide initiatives and have a good network amongst peer group externally.

Education
Bachelor Honours Degree: Law, Military Science and Security (Required)

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.

In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank. Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised.

About the company
Absa Group Limited, and originally Amalgamated Banks of South Africa, is a South African-based financial services group, offering personal and business banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management.