SVP & Head of Legal - GGC Office (Arabic Speaker)

Join the UAE’s largest bank and one of the world’s largest and safest financial institutions. Our focus is to create value for our employees, customers, shareholders and communities to grow through differentiation, agility and innovation. We are looking for top talent and your success is our success. Accelerate your growth as you help us reach our goals and advance your career. Be ready to make your mark a top company, in an exciting & dynamic industry. 

The role holder reports to the Group General Counsel and is responsible for managing legal risk associated with the matters handled by the Group General Counsel Office in accordance with FAB legal policies and procedures and the instructions of the Group General Counsel. The role holder will primarily work autonomously but should seek the Group General Counsel’s input on unusual situations, complex matters, and issues which may pose significant legal, financial and/or reputational risk to the FAB Group.

Core Responsibilities

Legal Advisory

• Provides legal advice in the context of this role
• Works with external legal counsel as required.
• Prepares and issues various legal reports in a timely manner.
• Supports the Group General Counsel with preparing and managing the Legal budget.
• Manages special legal and regulatory projects and collaborates with other lawyers in FAB Group Legal.

Knowledge of External Environment

• Stays abreast of new laws and regulations through continuous legal education, attending professional conferences, and participating in professional associations.
• Provides updates to the FAB Group’s senior businesspersons on new legislation and regulatory developments that may have an impact on the FAB Group and advises on how to comply with such new legislation and regulations.

Knowledge Sharing

• Works closely and develops a positive professional relationship with the other members of the legal function and shares legal knowledge and best practices with legal colleagues, including providing formal and informal training sessions at the direction of the Group General Counsel and Heads of Legal.

Stakeholder Management

• Liaises with external law firms and relevant authorities (such as courts) to ensure the effective resolution of all legal matters affecting the FAB Group.

Learning and Development

• Functions as a subject matter expert and provides input on learning and development initiatives including training content to ensure value addition and relevance.

MIS and Reporting

• Ensures that all requisite reports are prepared in a timely and accurate manner, and meet the FAB Group’s requirements, policies, and standards.

People Management Responsibilities

• Defines goals and key performance indicators for direct reports and ensures effective implementation of the FAB performance management process.
• Develops talent within the team by providing guidance and coaching to achieve defined goals.

Specific Accountability

• Works closely with the Group General Counsel on matters the Group General Counsel is tasked to handle, which shall cover a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from corporate governance, sensitive non-performing loan recovery cases, corporate structuring, strategic M&A.
• Act as line manager to a Paralegal who supports the Group Legal Department with administrative matters which include trademark management, litigation reporting, management information reports, creation of presentations, supporting department events and similar activities.
• Acts as line manager to a Legal Associate who supports the Group Legal Department with the processing of legal invoices, litigation reporting, the annual Business Continuity Planning, and the recurring Risk & Control Self-Assessment (RCSA process).

Minimum Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in law from an internationally recognised university
• Master’s degree in law (preferred)
• Qualified as a lawyer in the UK, the USA, Australia or another Commonwealth or Western European jurisdiction is preferred.
• Fluent in Arabic (spoken & written), with ability to draft professional documents
• Excellent English language skills (spoken and written) mandatory.
• Ability to read, write and communicate in Arabic is beneficial but not mandatory.

Minimum Experience

• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in a reputed bank or law firm.
• Experience with corporate governance and/or corporate law is preferred. #LI-S1