Job Purpose Summary:
The incumbent will contribute towards the adequacy and effectiveness of the Relevant Areas legal function within QNB Group, with particular focus on activities at Head Office level/in Doha.
The incumbent will ensure accurate legal advice is provided to all the Relevant Areas business areas by all the legal functions operating throughout the QNB Group, but with particular focus on activities at Head Office level/in Doha. Assist in negotiating all major banking product agreements to which the Group becomes a party including corporate and retail loans.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities by Dimensions
A. Shareholder & Financial:
- Continuously seek to reduce/control the external legal spend of the Group while maintaining a prudent level and quality of advice as required by the needs of the Group.
- Consistent with the requirements of the Group’s legal departments located outside Qatar where assistance from head office is required.
- Continuously highlight the high legal risk issues confronted by the Group arising from potential/existing contracts/agreements, changes in relevant legislation (where not handled by Compliance) and take adequate and timely mitigating actions to safeguard the Group’s interest.
- Contribute to the creation of Key Performance Indicators (“KPIs”) for performance monitoring and quality measurement purposes for Group Legal and monitor their achievement on periodic basis.
- Implements KPI’s and best practices for the Banking Advisory Legal.
- Promote cost consciousness and efficiency and enhance productivity, to minimise cost, avoid waste, and optimise benefits for the Group.
- Act within the limits of the powers delegated to the incumbent.
B. Customer (Internal & External):
- Ensure that Group Legal is among the most highly regarded service providers within the Group.
- Liaise with external legal consultants appointed by the Group and provide them with required information.
- Providing legal advice to the business and other departments/units on any issue whenever needed.
- Build and maintain strong/effective relationships with related departments/units to achieve the Group’s objectives.
- Provide timely/accurate data to external/internal Auditors, Compliance, Financial Control and Risk when required.
C. Internal (Processes, Products, Regulatory):
- Review and revise the existing policies and procedures for the domestic and overseas operations serviced by Group Legal to ensure these reflect current practices and changes in relevant laws/ regulations (where same is not handled by Compliance).
- Plan, direct and manage the activities of assigned professional and non-professional personnel in Group Legal. Delegate assignments and provide counseling and guidance in the performance of their work.
- Monitor the local / international regulatory environment, as applicable, and assess the impact of related changes on the overall Group risk profile (where same is not handled by compliance).
- Assist all business areas with the preparation of template documentation where the volume of transactions justifies this.
- Approves (with or without external legal consultants) documentation where standard documentation is not available, or where deviations from standard documentation are required.
- Ensure provision of well-researched legal advice to all departments within the Group on matters relating to Group's transactions.
- Ensure the maintenance of a database of the Group’s legal documentation.
- Provide legal opinions on new activities and products and on complex and cross border transactions.
- Develop and implement adequate monitoring system from Group Legal’s perspective to ensure that QNB Group’s interests are safeguarded. Work in close liaison with other units in the Group in identifying potential opportunities to develop a culture of Legal awareness across the Group.
D. Learning & Knowledge:
- Contribute to Group Legal’s training plan.
- Possess superior knowledge of the key terms of commercial transactions for loans (conventional or Islamic), and applicable Qatari/English law.
- Experience of translating strategic goals into high level “courses of action” that effect Group Legal’s goals.
- Transfer of knowledge to Qatari staff within the division.
- Proactively identify areas for professional development of self and undertake development activities.
- Seek out opportunities to remain current with all developments in professional field.
E. Legal, Regulatory, and Risk Framework Responsibilities:
- Comply with all applicable legal, regulatory and internal compliance requirements including, but not limited to, Group Compliance Policies and Procedures (AML & CTF, Sanctions Policy, Data Protection Policy, Fraud Control Policy, Whistle Blowing Policy, Conflict of Interest and Insider Dealing Policy).
- Understand and effectively perform Group Legal’s role under the Three Lines of Defence principle to identify measure, monitor, manage and report legal risks.
- Ensure systematic good outcomes for clients in accordance with Conduct Risk policy.
- Support the framework of RCSA, KRI, Incident reporting and remediation, as appropriate, in accordance with the Operational Risk Management requirements.
- Maintain appropriate knowledge to ensure full qualification to undertake the role.
- Complete all mandatory training provided by the Group, attain, and maintain the required levels of competence.
- Attend mandatory (internal and external) seminars as instructed by the Group.
F. Other:
- Ensure high standards of data protection and confidentiality to safeguard commercially sensitive information.
- Maintaining utmost confidentiality concerning customer and internal bank information obtained during the course of business and provide such information on a need to know basis only to Senior Management of QNB, Audit and Compliance functions, and relevant Regulators.
- Maintain high professional standards to uphold QNB's reputation and to strengthen its market leadership position.
- All other ad hoc duties/activities related to QNB that management might request from time to time.
Education & Experience Requirements
A Bachelor’s degree in Law is required.
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