Legal Officer at Wema Bank Plc

We are looking for a highly skilled and proactive Legal Officer to provide comprehensive legal support for the Bank’s operations. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in banking & finance transactions, treasury transactions, commercial law, and fntech, and will be responsible for managing a wide portfolio of legal agreements. This role is critical for mitigating legal risk, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting the Bank’s dynamic business objectives in a fast-paced environment.

Key Expectations

A successful Legal Officer should fulfill the following duties and responsibilities:

• Reviewing, vetting, drafting, and negotiating a wide range of legal agreements for the Bank, including but not limited to loan agreements, finance documents, vendor contracts, service level agreements, NDAs, MOUs, and cross-border transactions (i.e. treasury transactions).
• Representing the Bank in contract negotiation meetings.
• Reviewing and approving legal documentation to ensure consistency with internal policies, applicable laws, and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborating with business units to provide legal support on contractual matters, offering practical and risk-aware legal advice.
• Ensuring timely turnaround on all agreement review requests and managing service level expectations with internal stakeholders.
• Providing guidance on standard contractual clauses and supporting the automation of agreement templates where appropriate.
• Developing, maintaining, and regularly updating a legal clause library and repository of standard contract templates.
• Supporting audits, regulatory inspections, and internal risk reviews concerning legal documentation.
• Mentoring and supervising interns to ensure continuous knowledge sharing and professional development within the team.
• Monitoring changes in applicable laws and regulations that may impact the bank’s contractual obligations.

Requirements

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES 

• Problem-Solving
• Adaptability and Flexibility:
• Project Management:
• Attention to Detail:
• Creativity and Innovation:

QUALIFICATION AND SKILLS

Below are qualifications and skills required to work as a Backend Engineer

Qualifications include:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Software Engineering, or related field. 
• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from an accredited institution. 
• Minimum of 4+ years of post-call experience in a similar role, preferably within the banking, financial services, or fintech sector.
• Deep and proven knowledge in banking & finance transactions, treasury transactions, commercial law, and fintech regulations.
• Strong proficiency in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex financial and commercial agreements.
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain legal concepts to non-lawyers.
• Familiarity with the regulatory landscape affecting the banking industry.

Education: 

• LL.B, BL