General Counsel & Director , African Development Bank Group

• Position title: General Counsel & Director
• Grade: EL4
• Position N°: 50000636
• Reference: ADB/16/010
• Publication date: 01/03/2016
• Closing date: 21/03/2016
• Country: Côte d’Ivoire

Objectives

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 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The Bank’s development agenda is delivering the financial and technical support for transformative projects that will significantly reduce poverty through inclusive and sustainable economic growth. In order to sharply focus the objectives of the Ten Year Strategy (2013 – 2022) and ensure greater developmental impact, five major areas, all of which will accelerate our delivery for Africa, have been identified for scaling up, namely; energy, agro-business, industrialization, integration and improving the quality of life for the people of Africa. The Bank is seeking to build a senior management team that will lead the successful implementation of this vision.

Duties and responsibilities

The principal function of the Legal Services Department is to protect the interest of the Bank from legal liability and, as necessary, to provide legal defence in cases against or by the Bank. The Department provides, in particular, legal support, legal advice and services to the Boards of the Bank Group, to the President, Vice Presidents, as well as the operational, financial and administrative Departments of the Bank. It ensures that the Bank Group has at its disposal the best available legal support, advice and services in order to enable the Bank Group to fulfil its functions, in accordance with the constitutive instruments of the Bank Group and the principles and norms of international investment banking. The Department exercises both advisory and operational functions and responsibilities, and renders legal support, advice and services in connection with all aspects of the business of the Bank Group.

The General Counsel and Director, Legal Services Department, reports directly to the President and is the principal legal adviser of the President and the Boards of Governors and Directors. The incumbent represents the Bank in all litigation before internal adjudication machinery and in cases of outside arbitral and judicial proceedings.

The General Counsel will be responsible for the following functions:

1.  As the principal legal advisor of the governing bodies of the Bank and its Management, provide legal support and services to the Boards of Governors and Directors and Management of the Bank.

2.  Draft all legal instruments for the governance of the Bank, to ensure conformity with constitutive agreements, rules and regulations of the Bank and to enhance the pace of implementation of their decisions

3.  Ensure that the policies of the Bank conform to sound legal principles in line with the practices of other international financial institutions.

4.  Represents the Bank in negotiations with member states, other international organizations and, represents and defends the Bank in arbitral and judicial proceedings.

5.  Leading, planning, directing, managing and coordinating the work of the Legal Services Department to ensure responsiveness, effectiveness and high-level delivery on all legal matters, and also advance strategic directions of the Bank.

6.  The incumbent will drive a performance-based contract system in the Department to ensure accountability and high level productivity.

7.  Direct and manage all activities related to providing advice and assistance to all organizational units of the Bank on legal aspects of institutional, financial, operational and administrative matters.

8.  Establishing and maintaining contacts with the legal profession outside the Bank and arranging for the Bank Group to obtain the best legal advice and services as needed.

Selection Criteria

Including desirable skills, knowledge and experience

The prospective candidates are expected to have:

1. At least a Master’s degree in private and public law, international finance, commercial law, comparative and corporate law.
2. Admission to the Bar Association of a member country of the African Development Bank.
3. A minimum of 15 years of experience in legal practice, with extensive experience in structuring and negotiation of transactions across multiple sectors and countries, 8 years of which must be at a senior management level.
4. Extensive experience in legal services for international organizations.
5. Excellent leadership, management and negotiation skills.
6. Proven excellent writing and communications skills in both French and English languages.
7. Ability to work in complex multicultural institutional environments.

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Apply

The African Development Bank Group has retained Russell Reynolds Associates to assist with this appointment. To apply, please send a full Curriculum Vitae (CV) together with a supporting statement, briefly highlighting your experience and skills against the requirements of the role, to responses@russellreynolds.com  including job role and the Vacancy Number ADB/16/010 in the subject title or please visit: www.rraresponses.com