Senior Legal Advisor

To proactively advise and support clients on the legal aspects of financing activities of DBSA. Ensuring that a particular situation, action, initiative or investment does not have an adverse reputational or other negative consequence for the DBSA. Provide guidance and leadership to more junior legal advisors

As a member of core project teams, assist Investment Officers in the structuring of various investment projects, with emphasis on project finance transactions.

Conduct comprehensive legal due diligence investigations.

Conduct advanced research into a wide variety of legal issues relating to various investment projects.

Provide advice and make legal inputs into the drafting of Appraisal Reports.

Serve and participate in various credit committees of the DBSA.

Prepare/review or negotiate full Term Sheets in respect of all investment projects with emphasis on project finance transactions

Lead negotiations with clients/co-Funders and stakeholders.

Draft/vet and review a wide variety of complex legal documents and agreements.

Provide substantial legal advice, support and opinions to various corporate support units of the DBSA.

Ensure compliance with various legislation, policies and regulations.

Monitor developments in the legal field and provide updates to colleagues and management.

Liaise with external attorneys and prepare comprehensive brief to attorneys where necessary and manage the transactions with external counterparts.

***Assist in the execution and implementation of different investment projects from a legal and security point of view.

Provide general legal support to the operational and corporate small units of the DBSA

***Key Measures**

Performance against agreed targets

**Key Responsibilities**:
LLB degree or other relevant post graduate qualification

Admitted Attorney/Advocate of the High Court of South Africa

At least 5 years post qualification experience in Project/Corporate/Structured Finance transactions.

Private Public Partnership experience will be an added advantage.

Any experience in Municipal Finance experience will be an added advantage.

A minimum of 5 years post qualification experience in a commercial/finance/banking or corporate law environment gained at a commercial banking, specialist law firm/ corporate or similar institution.

**Skills & Ability**

Dispute/conflict resolution skills

Research skills coupled with excellent communication skills.

Good relational skills (an ability to get along with different kinds of people in a professional environment)

**Expertise & Technical Competencies**:
**TECHNICAL SKILLS**

**Legal Knowledge**

Extensive knowledge and understanding of the principles of DBSA.

Wide-ranging knowledge of industry best practice, and keeps abreast of, interprets and informs on developments in the area of new laws and regulations relevant to DBSA.

**Legal Policy Knowledge**

Ability to represent DBSA in the court of law when required.

Ability to draft non-standard legal documents per procedures.

Ability to draft more sensitive policy and legal procedures to be followed by stakeholders of DBSA, and review and refine in response to inputs from relevant stakeholders, for approval.

Ability to understand legal rights and responsibilities and the possession of authority to make legal decisions.

Protects the organisation’s legal rights, utilizing a broad knowledge base of all major legal disciplines.

**Presentation Skills**

Has knowledge of various feedback mechanisms to check levels of audience understanding..

***Business Acumen**

Takes actions to fit business strategy.

Assesses and links short-term tasks in the context of long-term business strategies or perspectives.

Anticipates possible responses to different initiatives.

Understands the projected direction of the industry and how changes might impact the organisation.

***Negotiations**

Has an appreciation of cultural sensitivities and differences.

Effectively employs a variety of advanced behavioural/interpersonal competencies to control the negotiation situation.

Is able to take the lead in a variety of sensitive negotiation situations requiring high levels of tact and diplomacy.

Is able to place a discrete negotiation situation within the context of a broader long-term relationship and is not threatened by conceding ground to protect the longer-term interests of DBSA.

**Required Personal Attributes**:
**BEHAVIOURAL SKILLS**

**Information Seeking and Analysis**

Breaks down problems into simple lists of tasks or activities

Investigates the problem or situation beyond routine questioning.

**Self Awareness & Self Control**

Ignores angering actions and continues a conversation or task. May leave temporarily to withhold emotions, then return immediately to continue

Feels strong emotions in the course of a conversation or other task, such as anger, extreme frustration, or high stress; holds the emotions back, and continues to act calmly.

***Decisiveness**

Acts prompt