Director Legal at KPMG

Our Client, a reputable financial institution within the region, is looking for a strategic thinker with good leadership and commercial acumen to fill the role of Director, Legal. The ideal candidate will be experienced in providing advice to financial services institutions on legal, regulatory, compliance and governance matters while overseeing a team of legal professionals. This role will suit an individual who has excellent communication, decision making, customer focused, leadership, stakeholder management and interpersonal skills and a proven track record in establishing and maintaining meaningful collaborations through all levels of the organization.

Reporting to the Managing Director, the role holder will be responsible for providing advice to the Institution on Legal, Regulatory, Compliance and Governance matters while overseeing the day to day operations of the Division in line with the Institution’s Overall Corporate Strategy.

Summary of responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the Director, Legal will be:

• Developing and implementing the Legal Division strategy, policies and procedures in line with the Institution’s overall Corporate strategy.
• Organizing and establishing day-to-day management of the Institution’s legal staff and processes in line with agreed objectives, policies and procedures.
• Providing legal advisory services to the Institution to ensure statutory compliance with the existing law and regulatory requirements.
• Establishing and maintaining effective legal processes to ensure the timely delivery of all required business documentation and foster the development of appropriate forms of standardized documentation.
• Lead the provision of legal advice to management and staff in all areas of the Institutions’ activities and in proffering solutions to legal problems, constraints, risks, options, consequences and approaches, preparing legal opinions, advisories and briefs.
• Preparing litigation documents; pleadings, notices, affidavits and correspondence.
• Vetting and drafting legal documents including contracts and leases.
• Liaising with external lawyers handling legal matters on behalf of the Institution.
• Rendering professional legal advice to the Board, Managing Director and management for any legal action to be initiated and/ or defending the interests of the Institution.
• Monitoring legal developments and trends in policies, bills and update the Institution on any changes in the law.
• Undertaking internal legal compliance audits and ensuring recommendations are disseminated and implemented.
• Maintenance, custody and updating of the Institutions’ statutory books and returns.
• In Liaison with the relevant Divisions such as Credit, support Recoveries of the Debt from the Institutions bad debt portfolio.
• Representing the Institution’s internally and externally in negotiation, disputes, consultations and other proceedings that require legal representation.

The ideal candidate will be a qualified Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and have a Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB), Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law. Master’s degree in Law or experience in Company Secretarial will be an added advantage. The Candidate should also be a registered member of a relevant professional body in good standing. In addition, they should have at least of ten (10) years’ experience in Commercial Law as a Senior Legal Officer in a publicly quoted Company or Financial Institution, five (5) years’ of which should be at a Senior Management level.