Job Description

Empowering Africa's tomorrow, together...one story at a time.
With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.
Job Summary We are looking for a dynamic and commercially minded Legal Counsel to provide strategic legal advice and support across a wide range of legal, regulatory, and commercial matters. This role requires a versatile, business-oriented legal professional capable of delivering holistic legal risk management, supporting business initiatives, and contributing to broader organisational goals through cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities
1. Legal Risk Management

• Proactively engage with internal stakeholders to anticipate legal and regulatory risks and provide practical, business-aligned legal solutions.
• Deliver commercially and legally sound advice that balances compliance with business imperatives, focusing on enabling business continuity and innovation within the boundaries of applicable laws and regulations.

2. Commercial Legal Support

• Provide end-to-end legal support on commercial transactions, including structuring, negotiating, and drafting a variety of legal agreements.
• Deliver clear, actionable recommendations on the legality, enforceability, and commercial implications of contractual arrangements.
• Develop a deep understanding of the business, products, services, and strategies to ensure legal advice is tailored and adds strategic value.

3. Risk and Controls

• Apply sound legal judgment in identifying and managing legal risks, drawing on previous experience and best practices.
• Understand the interplay between legal risks and other risk disciplines, collaborating with colleagues across functions (e.g., compliance, risk, finance) to address potential issues holistically.

4. Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

• Build strong, trusted relationships with internal stakeholders across business, legal, compliance, and operations teams.
• Participate in cross-functional working groups and contribute to legal awareness, capability-building, and knowledge sharing within the business.

5. Innovation and Continuous Improvement

• Support the development and implementation of legal processes, templates, and best practice guides to improve efficiency and consistency in legal support.
• Stay abreast of legal and regulatory developments and translate these into practical implications and proactive actions for the business.

6. Technical Legal Expertise

• Provide specialised legal support in key areas such as banking law, regulatory compliance, corporate/commercial law, or financial services, while maintaining the flexibility to handle a wide range of legal issues in support of business initiatives.
• Review, draft, and advise on legal documentation with precision and clarity, ensuring it aligns with both legal requirements and commercial objectives.

Minimum Requirements

• LLB degree.
• Admitted attorney with 4-6 years post-articles experience.
• Solid working knowledge of banking law, financial services regulation, and commercial contracting.
• Strong understanding of banking products, financial instruments, and related legal frameworks.
• Demonstrated ability to operate independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Education
Bachelor Honours Degree: Law, Military Science and Security (Required)
Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.
Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised

Skills Required