Legal Risk Advisor

Role Objective

Strategic

• Contribute towards formulation of, and ensure timely implementation of strategy, annual business plans, policies and procedures of the Legal Risk unit, to support divisional and organizational business strategy.
• Ensure that the plans are within agreed budgets and timescales. Assist the Department ead –HeadHead – Credit Risk in preparing/providing timely, accurate and complete progress reports to the Chief Risk Officer as and when required.
• Update self on the regulatory requirements/changes set by QCB and other relevant government bodies, and, suggest adequate changes in the section, including but not limited to staffing of employees, deliverables etc.
• Develop and maintain robust working relationships with internal/external stakeholders of Doha Bank to facilitate functional / operational/ strategic needs.

Operational

• Perform all activities, as assigned by the Department Head – Credit Risk, in compliance with local/ foreign regulations, Doha Bank’s policies and approved Credit Risk Evaluation policies and procedures.
• Responsible for covering the legal risks that may be originating from transaction level credit exposures.
• Participate in the review and re-assessment of all standard contract documentation between Doha Bank and customers, including syndication, corporate and retail lending and investment management related documentation.
• Ensure that the legal processes within the Credit Risk Section are operating effectively and efficiently toward mitigating potential legal issues.
• Review contractual agreements between Doha Bank and customers as and when credit terms and conditions/ limits are modified and highlight potential legal risks/ issues. Liaise with the Legal Advisor on the same.
• Continuously highlight the high risk legal issues confronted by the Credit Sections arising from potential/ existing contracts/ agreements and take adequate and timely mitigating actions to safeguard Doha Bank’s interest.
• Ensure that documentary requirements have been adhered to by the Credit Sections and Risk Management Department before engaging in a transaction.
• Finalize Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with internal departments/ units to achieve improvements in turnaround time (TAT), with respect to legal risk review processes (comprising opinions/ comments on new/ renewed contracts and agreements, changes in laws/ regulations etc.).
• Liaise with and guide the team in the preparation of standard documentation forms/ templates covering credit transactions.
• Coordinate all civil/ criminal actions against defaulting borrowers and the related court proceedings to the Legal Function as and when applicable.
• Ensure the maintenance of a database of Risk Management’s legal documentation.
• Ensure high standards of confidentiality to safeguard commercially sensitive information.
• Provide timely and accurate information to the external and internal auditors and the Compliance function as and when required.

People Management

• Supervise direct reports in their day-to-day tasks and guide them in managing their performance by providing appropriate feedback and counseling. Provide recommendations for the Department Head on hiring and promotions.
• Support the recruitment team in screening candidates sourced for the unit, in accordance with the job specifications/requirements.
• Allocate work deliverables, and, support employees in the section in efficient operations of day-to-day tasks and provide constructive and timely feedback to enhance performance.
• Support the employees of the unit for setting career goals, in alignment with the department and organizational objectives.
• Assess performance and learning needs of the unit employees and impart adequate training/coaching, as appropriate.
• Conduct periodic performance reviews and annual appraisal activities for the unit employees.
• Work closely with the Department Head and HR Operations team in implementing corrective actions/disciplinary procedures on account of employee nonconformance with the policies/procedures/ performance goals.

Educational Qualifications

• University graduate with a degree in Law or any other related discipline.
• Master’s degree in Law will be an added advantage.

Experience

• 08-12 years of total experience in financial services/banking industry, entailing responsibilities pertaining to the sp