Deputy Director, Legal Services at Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA)

Job Specifications

Duties and responsibilities at this level will entail:

• Providing board secretarial services under the direction of the Corporation Secretary.
• Providing technical leadership in implementation of the Department’s strategies and programmes.
• Ensuring representation of the Authority in court, tribunals and in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings.
• Ensuring procedural compliance in legal proceedings.
• Ensuring effective provision of governance, legal advisory, litigation management and dispute resolution services.
• Reviewing and reporting to the Corporation Secretary on the status of legal-risk management and compliance with legislation, governance codes, and government circulars.
• Coordinating scanning of the internal and external operating environment to identify and mitigate risks.
• Overseeing development and updating of policies, procedures, guidelines, standards, and manuals to standardise departmental operations.
• Coordinating collection, analysis, and reporting of feedback and data on effectiveness of departmental strategies.
• Overseeing the drafting of legal instruments, legislative proposals, concept papers, briefs, cabinet memoranda, and responses to parliamentary questions.
• Coordinating development and implementation of public participation plans in the development of the regulatory framework.
• Coordinating regulatory impact assessments and implementation of relevant recommendations.
• Ensuring public availability of insurance legislation and amendments through the Authority’s website, Kenya Law Reports, and other recognised platforms.
• Coordinating legal and governance audits and monitoring closure of issues raised in internal, governance, and legal and compliance audits.
• Allocating matters to external service providers, managing performance appraisal and taking corrective actions.
• Coordinating performance appraisal of external service providers and making recommendations to the Corporation Secretary.
• Coordinating the drafting of memoranda of understanding and monitoring and reporting on their implementation.
• Coordinating review and negotiation of contracts, leases, and related instruments.
• Monitoring, evaluating, and reporting to the Corporation Secretary on implementation of the departmental risk action plans, the quality-management system, and the knowledge-management framework.
• Reviewing and approving departmental reports, budgets, work plans, and procurement plans and monitoring closure of audit issues.
• Monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on compliance with standard operating procedures, work plans, procurement plans, and budgets.
• Reviewing and approving Board and Management reports for submission to the Corporation Secretary.
• Participating in multi-divisional and multi-agency teams and providing technical inputs.
• Coordinating management of departmental records, registers, diaries, and management information and ICT systems.
• Coordinating development of the Authority’s legal-awareness curriculum and overseeing design, delivery, monitoring, and evaluation of staff training.
• Undertaking needs assessments and recommending training and capacity building for department staff.
• Advising on training and development needs within the department.
• Undertaking legal research as appropriate.
• Undertaking performance appraisal of direct reports.
• Mentoring and coaching direct and indirect reports.
• Undertake any other assignments as and when required.

Person Specifications

• Twelve (12) years’ cumulative experience, three (3) of which should have been at the level of Assistant Director or in comparable position.
• Master’s Degree in any of the following: Law, Business Management or any other social science from a recognized institution.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Law.
• Post Graduate Diploma in Laws from the Council of Legal Education.
• Member of the Law Society of Kenya.
• Certified Public Secretary (CPS).
• Member of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya.
• Leadership Course lasting not less than four (4) weeks.
• Proficient in computer applications.

Competencies and Skills

• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Analytical skills
• Report writing skills
• Presentation skills
• Mentoring, coaching and leadership skills.
• Conflict management