Legal and Governance Officer at Absa Bank Limited

Job Summary

To provide legal and company secretarial support to First Assurance Company Kenya and First Assurance Holdings, assisting the Company Secretary and Head of Legal to identify and manage legal and governance risk and to maintain effective corporate governance arrangements.

Job Description

The role supports the proper administration of the Board and its Committees, maintenance of statutory and governance records, regulatory and statutory filings, implementation of governance requirements, and delivery of practical legal support to FACL’S business and control functions.

The role does not assume the statutory responsibilities of the Company Secretary and performs company secretarial activities under the direction, review and approval of the Company Secretary.

The role acts as the primary coordinator between FACL, FAH external legal advisers and the outsourced Company Secretary, ensuring timely flow of instructions, information, approvals, deliverables and reporting, while maintaining accurate records of advice, actions and decisions.

Job Description

COMPANY SECRETARIAL AND GOVERNANCE SUPPORT

Under the direction and supervision of the Company Secretary:

• Coordinate the annual Board and Board Committee calendar and support meeting logistics, notices, agendas, paper collation and circulation through the approved Board portal.
• Prepare draft minutes, written resolutions, extracts, action trackers and governance correspondence for review and approval by the Company Secretary, and monitor completion of approved actions.
• Maintain accurate statutory registers, minute books, declarations, attendance records, constitutional documents and other corporate records of FACL.
• Support the planning and administration of annual and special general meetings and other shareholder engagements, including preparation and circulation of required documentation.
• Prepare statutory returns, regulatory notifications and governance submissions for review and approval, and maintain a compliance calendar to track filing and renewal deadlines.
• Support director and committee administration, including appointments, resignations, declarations of interest, fit-and-proper documentation, induction, training and maintenance of director records.
• Monitor relevant company law, insurance-sector governance requirements, Group governance standards and internal policies, and assist with implementation of approved changes.
• Compile governance information for Board and Group reporting, annual reports and accounts, regulatory engagements, governance assessments and audits.
• Maintain secure and readily retrievable governance filing systems and databases and protect confidential Board, director, shareholder and corporate information.
• Escalate governance gaps, overdue actions and potential non-compliance promptly to the Company Secretary and support agreed remediation.
• undefined

LEGAL, REGULATORY AND RISK SUPPORT

• Conduct legal research and prepare first drafts of legal advice, governance papers, contracts, correspondence and other documents for review by the Company Secretary and Head of Legal. Support identification, recording, monitoring and escalation of legal and governance risks arising from FACL products, projects, operations and third-party arrangements. Monitor relevant legislative, regulatory and industry developments affecting FACL and assist in preparing impact assessments, implementation plans and stakeholder communications. Support compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, the Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Framework and relevant Absa policies and standards.Coordinate instructions to external legal advisers where approved and track mandates, deliverables, costs and supporting documentation.undefined

MANAGEMENT INFORMATION AND CONTROL

• Maintain accurate trackers and management information on Board and Committee actions, statutory obligations, legal matters, external counsel mandates and governance deliverables. Support budget monitoring, invoice verification and reporting for legal and company secretarial expenditure undefined

STAKEHOLDER AND SERVICE MANAGEMENT

• Provide responsive support to the Board, senior management, business and control functions, Group Corporate Secretariat, regulators, auditors and approved external advisers within the role’s authority.Coordinate governance and legal information requests, maintain clear audit trails and ensure matters are referred promptly to the appropriate decision-maker.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TEAM CONTRIBUTION

• Maintain current knowledge of company law, insurance regulation, corporate governance and relevant First Assurance policies, and participate in relevant training and knowledge-sharing.Contribute collaboratively to Legal and Governance team priorities and continuous improvement initiatives

Education

Further Education and Training Certificate (FETC): Business, Commerce and Management Studies (Required)