Legal Operations Assistant, PGCL.0

THE BANK:

Established in 1964, the African Development Bank is the premier pan-African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 81 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries).  The Bank’s development agenda delivers financial and technical support for transformative projects that significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth. To sharply focus the objectives of the Ten Year Strategy (2022 – 2033) and ensure a more significant developmental impact, five major areas, all of which will accelerate our delivery for Africa, have been identified for scaling up, namely energy, agro-business, industrialisation, integration and improving the quality of life for the people of Africa.

THE COMPLEX:

The President plans, supervises and manages the business of the Bank Group. Under the direction of the Boards of Directors, the President conducts the business of the Bank and the African Development Fund (ADF) and manages operations and activities in accordance with the Agreements establishing the AfDB and the ADF. The President supervises several Departments and Units including Office of the President (PRST0); Independent Development Evaluation Department (BDEV); Integrity and Anti-Corruption Department (PIAC); Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (BCRM); Secretariat to the Sanctions Appeals Board (BSAB); Administrative Tribunal (BATR); Office of the Auditor General (PAGL); Group Risk Management Directorate (PGRM);  General Counsel and Legal Services Department (PGCL); Communication and External Relations Department (PCER); Staff Integrity and Ethics Office (PETH) and Office of the Secretary General & General Secretariat (PSEG).

THE HIRING DEPARTMENT:

The General Counsel and Legal Services Department (PGCL) delivers legal advice and services to all organs and units of the Bank. In addition, PGCL provides legal advice on the administration, operations and financial activities of the Bank. PGCL also ensures that the Bank’s activities and operations are consistent with the constitutive documents and other legal instruments of the Bank, its policies, the relevant norms and principles of international and commercial law, as well as the best practices of international development banking. PGCL protects the interests of the Bank from legal liability and as necessary provides legal defense in cases filed against or brought by the Bank. The Office of the General Counsel advises the statutory organs of the Bank group: from the Boards of Governors and Boards of Directors of the Bank Group to Senior Management, and all operational complexes on their most innovative and complex operations and initiatives. The General Counsel also advises on the most strategic and sensitive matters facing the institution.

THE POSITION:

Working closely with the General Counsel and the PGCL Division Managers, the Legal Operations Business Assistant’s main responsibility is to store legal documents for safekeeping and manage data records electronically and physically for the Bank.

The overall objective for the Legal Operations Assistant is to Register data in SAP to ensure that Loans, Grants, Guarantees, Line of Credits, Memorandum of Understandings, Technical and Cooperation Agreements, Legal Opinions and Legal Notes…etc. are duly registered and provide operational services related to legal documentation (Entry into force, Conditions Precedent to first disbursement…etc.), reports and statistics.

KEY FUNCTIONS:

Under the supervision and guidance of the General Counsel, the Legal Operations Assistant will:

1. Liaise with the Office of the Secretary General & General Secretariat to ensure loan and grant’s number creation in SAP after Board of Directors‘ approval;
2. Provide operational services related to legal documentation (Entry into force, Conditions Precedent to first disbursement) by inputting them in SAP for loan and grants disbursement purposes;
3. Keep track of loans and grants disbursement process to ensure proper implementation in a timely manner;
4. Keep record of legal documentation from the public and private Divisions of the Bank’s Legal Services Department;
5. Ensure registration and filing of all legal documentation for the use of the Bank’s Legal Services Department are in a share drive;
6. Monitor the electronic and physical storage of agreements, legal notes, and legal opinions and more generally, any legal documents;
7. Ensure safe storage of vital legal documents;
8. Monitor the reproduction of legal documents (Technical Assistance agreements, Memorandum of Understanding agreements, Cooperation agreements, Agreements establishing African Development Bank, African Development Fund, Nigeria Trust Fund, Financial Regulations, Compendium of Resolutions and the like) to avoid shortage of documents when needed;
9. Handle legal documentation in relevant IT software;
10. Assist operational units’ task managers of the Bank to update loan data in SAP;
11. Liaise with the Information Technology Department as required on issues relating to SAP, DARMS, Share drive and other information technology related to data management (entering, retrieval, storage) in those systems and provide assistance to the users in the Bank’s Legal Services Department as appropriate;
12. Assist in the preparation of the annual work program of the Bank’s Legal Services Department and provide data/reports on annual work program, loans, budget to the Legal & Business Performance Officer as needed;
13. Provide general administrative and technical support on this job and reports on data on loans and grants filing to the Legal and Business Performance Officer;
14. Follow up on all pending SAP data entry issues within the Bank’s Legal Services Department operational divisions;
15. Provide support to any other duties as assigned by the General Counsel.

COMPETENCIES (skills, experience, and knowledge)

1. Hold at least a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, IT, Commerce, Communication or equivalent qualification.
2. Have a minimum of five (5) years of experience in similar job, preferably in a Multilateral Development Bank.
3. A good knowledge in project management and administrative and organizational skills is a plus.
4. Demonstrated experience in team building, inter-personal relationship building.
5. Strong organizational skills.
6. Ability to communicate effectively (written and oral) in English or French, preferably with a working knowledge of the other language.
7. Competence with standard Microsoft Office software, SAP, DARMS, BAOBAB and other electronic filing systems.

This position does not attract international terms and conditions. The post holder will be considered as a local staff and will therefore not have international terms and conditions of employment.

ONLY APPLICANTS WHO ALREADY HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE AND WORK IN “COUNTRY” WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION. THE BANK DOES NOT SUPPORT APPLICATIONS FOR WORK PERMITS AND RELOCATION.

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