About the position
Legal & Compliance Officer (Credit & Counterparty Risk)
Our client is seeking a sharp and detail-oriented legal and compliance officer with a passion for financial regulation and credit risk mitigation.
Core Responsibilities:
- Ensure all credit transactions comply with local (South African) and international regulations (e.g., NCA, FICA, Basel III, IFRS 9).
- Monitor changes in financial sector laws (e.g., SARB/Prudential Authority guidelines) and update internal policies.
- Lead anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) checks for counterparty onboarding.
- Conduct periodic compliance audits of credit portfolios to identify regulatory gaps.
- Draft, negotiate, and review credit agreements, ISDAs, CSAs, and security documents (e.g., guarantees, pledges).
- Advise on enforceability of clauses (e.g., termination events, collateral triggers).
- Liaise with external counsel on complex legal structures (e.g., cross-border exposures).
- Maintain a central repository of executed legal docs and ensure proper record-keeping.
- Identify legal risks in credit transactions (e.g., jurisdictional issues, sanctions exposure).
- Design compliance controls for high-risk sectors (e.g., commodities, politically exposed persons).
- Train front-office teams on regulatory requirements (e.g., fair lending practices).
- Manage defaults/recoveries in coordination with Legal and Collections teams.
- Represent the firm in regulatory inquiries related to credit risk (e.g., SARB inspections).
- Oversee reporting to regulators (e.g., credit exposure disclosures under Basel III).
Qualifications:
- Law degree (LLB) or Compliance certification (e.g., CAMS, ICA).
- 6-8 years in banking/financial services compliance or credit-related legal roles.
- Expertise in South African financial regulations (NCA, FICA, PPRA).
- Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills.
- Strong communication skills.
- Strong analytical skills.
Desired Skills:
- Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills
- Strong communication skills
- Strong analytical skills
- fica
- fais
- AML
- CAMS
- NCA
- credit risk
- Risk Assessment
- Risk Analysis
- Risk Management
- Finance
Desired Work Experience:
- 5 to 10 years Investments, Insurance & Assurance
- 5 to 10 years Legal Advisory
Desired Qualification Level:
