REPORTING: Direct to the Chief Executive Officer
ABOUT
The client is an East African focused financial guarantor, guaranteeing timely payment of scheduled principal and interest on local currency senior debt obligations either in the form of a loan or a bond. Our mission is simple: to positively shape East Africa’s financial future by mobilising domestic resources for sustainable and inclusive growth.
THE ROLE
1. The client is looking for a Legal & Compliance Manager to join us and provide legal advice and guidance both to the company and on deals executed across Public, Private & Structured Finance in East Africa.
2. The successful candidate will be responsible for researching and interpreting laws and regulations, drafting legal documents, and providing legal advice to the organization
3. This is a remote-first role with great potential for growth and expansion in responsibilities.
4. You’ll be joining a mission-driven company with a strong commitment to changing the financing landscape in East Africa. Your reporting line is direct to the Chief Executive Officer.
OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Support the deal origination teams in structuring, negotiation and documentation of transactions.
2. Work closely with the credit teams in identifying and potentially structuring around credit related and other issues.
3. Assist the portfolio management teams with the ongoing monitoring of closed transactions including assisting with transaction amendments, waivers and consents.
4. Manage and ensure the effectiveness of external legal counsel where appropriate.
5. Identify potential legal issues and risks in new deals and formulate appropriate solutions within legal risk tolerance levels.
6. Support the company’s overall compliance program.
7. Act as legal counsel for all company related matters.
SPECIFIC TASKS
Corporate:
1. Undertaking general ad hoc contractual review and corporate coordination tasks to support the CEO, as needed.
2. Building, managing and maintaining working relationships with internal and external stakeholders
3. Providing support and guidance to the CEO in building both the legal function and the legal team.
4. Providing practical legal and commercial input and advice to support client’s growth strategy, including new products, services, and partnerships
Transaction Legal
1. Instructing and managing external counsel, regulatory and tax advisors and reviewing all documentation prepared
2. Supervise drafting and negotiating mandate letters, NDAs, transaction agreements (Guarantee Deed, Recourse Agreement, Security Deed) and other documents associated with dealing with clients and counterparties
3. Supporting the deal origination teams in due diligence on prospective clients and deals, and structuring, negotiating and review of financing documents
4. Present during committee meetings on prospective and ongoing transactions
5. Provide any other type of legal support (including but not limited to legal opinions, consultation, commenting and/or negotiation of documents of a legal nature) which may be required from time to time as expected on transactions
6. Inputting to and maintaining standardized precedent documentation, including, terms of service, policies and procedures, and other governance documentation
Compliance
1. Drafting and/or updating compliance and other corporate policies
2. Assisting with onboarding new directors and employees, including support for compliance orientation training.
3. Assisting with annual/targeted compliance training and annual attestation.
4. Assisting with the oversight of the quarterly compliance process, including the tracking of new and/or revised laws, regulations or other requirements applicable to Dhamana or that could otherwise impact its business.
5. Analyzing products and transactions for compliance with “doing business” laws in the different East African countries of operation.
6. Screening transactions for compliance with sanctions laws and completing and/or responding to related “know your customer” checks.
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COMPETENCIES
1. The client is looking for a unique individual and not one who typically conforms to the generally expected competencies- you must be able to demonstrate an ability to navigate a start up environment.
2. At a minimum, you are
1) in possession of a bachelor’s degree in law, must be called to Bar. Postgraduate degrees are an added advantage.
2) respectable, with 7 years or more of relevant legal experience relating to the tasks above.
3) familiar with guidelines and regulations governing debt securities, investment regulation and credit transactions.
4) an excellent analytical person with structuring know-how skills, good understanding of guarantee products, capital markets and its financial instruments
5) can either (i) gain the trust and confidence of coworkers and understand the business and workings of a financial services company, including some level of comfort with numbers and (ii) collaborate with business clients as well as risk, accounting and other legal colleagues of affiliated companies.
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English 
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