Senior Legal Advisor

To provide sound, clear and accurate legal advice to mitigate the legal risks that the IDC is exposed to in its daily activities.

Qualification and Experience

Qualification

• Law degree and Admission as an Attorney essential
• Master’s degree such as LLM desirable

Knowledge & Skills

• A minimum of five years’ post-article experience in the financial services industry
• 2-3 years working experience in the banking and finance/SoE/DFI (restructuring, turnaround & business rescue) space is essential
• Experience in the drafting, review, negotiation and re-negotiation of cross-border, project finance, corporate, commercial, structured and re-structured finance transactions
• Understanding of the PFMA in particular its application to Schedule 2 SOEs, PFMA Treasury acquisition notifications, competition commission acquisitions notifications, fund management/investment

Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide general legal advice, including legal research
• Structure, restructure, negotiate and re-negotiate corporate and commercial transactions including project finance and cross-border financing transactions
• Identify, evaluate and structure import and export finance transactions
• Ensure compliance with internal legal and other IDC procedures and policies
• Identify and minimize potential legal risks
• Draft, review, negotiate and re-negotiate financing agreements and other legal documentation
• Make presentations and opine on legal and regulatory developments
• Conduct legal due diligence investigations
• Ensure efficiencies aimed at improving client satisfaction by providing efficient legal services
• Develop and maintain relationships with providers of legal services (including, external legal counsels, business rescue practitioners and other key stakeholders)
• Develop and maintain client and institutional relationships, internally, locally and internationally

Job Requirements

Technical/Functional Competencies

• Sound corporate and commercial legal knowledge
• Ability to work independently and within a team
• Draft and negotiate loan agreements and other legal documentation
• Transactional negotiations at senior level
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Independent judgement and good analytical skills
• Capable of working in a high-pressured environment and can exercise independent judgement
• Ability to prioritize and plan
• Ability to independently provide guidance and timeous delivery on highly complex projects
• Ability to coach and mentor juniors on areas of specialization
• Good knowledge and understanding of international and local financing instruments

Behavioural Competencies

• Collaboration and Influence: The successful candidate is a senior person who will be highly visible and credible with key internal and external stakeholders and proactive in aligning risk strategies to address the business.
• Leadership: This individual will possess excellent personal communication skills that engender credibility and confidence both inside and outside the IDC and a team-first mentality. Resourceful and a self-starter, the candidate will know how to make things happen through his or her people, while also being hands-on. The ideal candidate must have natural leadership abilities and be capable of crafting the vision and creating support from within.
• Teamwork: A true team player. Supportive of his or her team, peers and others across the organisation. Contributes to an atmosphere in which people work together, enthusiastically and effectively, in producing outstanding results.
• Results Oriented: Energetic, resourceful, sophisticated and savvy, with strong service orientation and positive “can-do” attitude. Fully committed to the job and to delivering outstanding work. Never satisfied with status-quo, continually striving for excellence. Enjoys working “hands-on”. Strong attention to detail.

Job Reference: IDC00362