Legal Associate – Corporate and Regulatory Affairs at Strathmore Business School

Basic job summary:

This position will provide a range of legal, corporate and regulatory services and be responsible for the University’s compliance with regulatory requirements and company secretarial services for various meetings in the University and its affiliates. The position may also be assigned other duties from time to time as required by the Head of Department.

Duties & Responsibilities:
In collaboration with the Manager, Corporate and Legal Affairs:

• Assist in developing, reviewing, analyzing, benchmarking and maintaining the University’s and its affiliates’ legislation/statutes, constitutive documents, policies, codes of practice, systems and procedures to enhance accountability, transparency, equity as well as legal compliance.
• Be responsible for a wide range of compliance aspects including monitoring and review of procedures, policies and process requirements in respect of internal and external legal and regulatory requirements affecting the University and its affiliates.
• Conduct regular monitoring of changes in relevant legislation and regulatory environment to ensure that the University and its affiliates comply with all applicable legal and statutory obligations.
• Keep abreast of overarching legal and regulatory legislation, guidelines and other issues relating to the University and its affiliates, continually reporting on key changes to various stakeholders. Continually review the University’s service offerings and processes to enhance legal and regulatory compliance. Design and develop reporting mechanisms and controls to enhance legal and regulatory compliance after benchmarking with relevant organizations.
• Service the University Council, the Management Board, the Board of Directors of the University’s affiliates and the various committees in respect of these organs, by ensuring that their work is compliant with relevant statutes, regulations and policies, ensuring production of high-quality paperwork by preparing the agenda and papers, attending the briefing meetings and working closely with the Chair of the organ or committees’ chair to steer the meeting’s business, disseminating the matters arising, and drafting the minutes in respect of the organ and committee meetings.
• Conduct research into governance and regulatory compliance to continually identify best practice to aid decision-making by these organs. Train and sensitize all stakeholders on legal and regulatory requirements.
• Attend and conduct required legal litigation services in respect of the University and the University Affiliates, in alternative dispute resolution and Litigation matters. Drafting legal opinions, statements of claim, demand letters and responses to these documents as received from external parties.
• Prompt issuance of instructions, managing, review and approve all documentation prepared by outsourced legal services, where these services are necessary as per Departmental procedures, ensuring the University’s interests are protected, sound advisory is given and representation of Strathmore University in all legal forums.
• Attend and conduct required corporate and regulatory services in various meetings as specified in University’s and its affiliates statutes, /regulations, policies and procedures and constitutive documents. Liaise with external counsel in this regard.
• Prepare and manage the legal department’s filing system including the University’s legal documents database for contracts, agreements, litigation history, licenses and registrations among other related documents. This will include managing the legal documents registry and ensuring proper maintenance of the database/registry and conducting checks to ensure it is up to date.
• Any other responsibilities and duties as may be assigned from time to time by the Head of Department.

Minimum Academic Qualifications:

• A Bachelors of Law (LLB) degree;
• Post Graduate Diploma of Law from Kenya School of Law;
• Admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya;
• CPS(K) qualification will be an added advantage;

Experience:

• At least Three (3) years’ post-admission experience (experience in governance and company secretarial services preferred);

Competencies and Attributes

• Demonstrated ability to weigh legal aspects and situations and provide sound solutions
• Legal research and writing
• Analytical Skills
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written
• Strong interpersonal skills and business strategy acumen