Head of Legal Services and Company Secretary at KPMG

Key roles and responsibilities

• Support the Bank's profitability and efficient debt recovery by aiding legal processes, negotiating with debtors, reviewing securities, managing legal costs, and expediting court case resolutions.
• Drive customer satisfaction by adhering to Service Level Agreements, provide timely feedback, and ensure compliance with consumer data protection principles.
• Review and draft security agreements and contracts, negotiate terms, ensure legal compliance, and regularly update standard documents/forms to meet regulations.
• Provide concise, practical legal solutions for all Bank business and support units involved in contracting.
• Implement contract registers and trackers to monitor and manage all bank contracts, ensuring timely updates.
• Oversee the timely and accurate perfection of Bank securities by coordinating with stakeholders, reviewing drafted documents, ensuring proper execution, and confirming registration for perfection.
• Provide concise and timely legal advice to all departments as needed, ensuring compliance with the Legal Risk Policy and promoting optimal performance.
• Review and outsource disputes, monitoring for best representation, and periodically report credit and non-credit litigation matters to management and the Board.
• Supervise litigation matters for and against the Bank, implementing procedures to track court cases, notify Bank representatives, and manage external legal service providers with ethical standards.
• Advise the Board and senior management on compliance laws, rules, and standards, ensuring they stay informed about new policies, and prepare Monthly Compliance Status reports for relevant committees and regulators.
• Coordinate Board and Committee meetings, including agenda preparation, in collaboration with the Chairman and Committee Chairpersons.
• Define, implement, and manage risk-based Compliance and AML programs, including developing and reviewing the Bank's Compliance Strategy, Compliance Policy, and AML Policy.
• Develop and maintain a robust compliance tracking system for legal, regulatory, and policy parameters, promptly escalating exceptions and ensure timely compliance reporting, including Suspicious Transactions & Activities, in accordance with AML and KYC.
• Oversee corporate governance, including board meetings, statutory records, and regulatory compliance, ensure adherence to legal requirements and maintain statutory books and registers.
• Prepare a work plan outlining activities for each financial year and coordinate the annual board evaluation process.
• Develop, implement, and review appropriate legal and compliance structure to manage the Bank’s risks while training staff on legal and compliance obligations.
• File all statutory returns and maintain registers as required by the Companies Act, 2012, or other applicable laws and regulations.
• Lead in coaching, mentoring, talent management, succession planning, and resource retention for the Business Development teams.

Academic/Professional Qualifications and Experience

• A Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from a recognized university. A Master’s degree in Law (LLM) is highly desirable.
• A Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.
• Practicing law in Rwanda
• Admission to the bar in Rwanda or another relevant jurisdiction.
• Certifications in corporate governance or company secretarial practices (e.g, ICSA) are an added advantage.
• Minimum of 10 years relevant professional experience in legal practice in banking/financial services industry, with sound exposure to credit or lending and debt recovery.
• At least 5 years’ experience in Compliance Risk management and company secretarial practice within a corporate legal department or a reputable law firm.
• Proven experience in corporate governance as a company secretary, managing board processes, and implementing AML and KYC compliance frameworks, preferably in the banking industry.

Deadline: 10 June 2024.