Head of Legal, Governance and Recovery, VisionFund Tanzania

Corporate Governance  

•  Provide Secretarial services into Board Meetings, Board Committee Meetings, Board Agendas and Meeting Packs to ensure good Corporate Governance.
• Ensure that minutes of Shareholders/Board Meetings and Committees are timely and correctly recorded, prepared and distributed to the relevant stakeholders. 
• Ensure the accurate and timely reporting of Board and Committee proceedings and the appropriate preparation of Board and Committee papers. 
• Ensure that Board decisions and instructions are clearly communicated to the relevant persons and authorities.
• Assist with the induction, orientation, training and education of new and existing Directors of the Board.
• Provide expertise, advice and support, in relation to the Companies Act, to the Board and Executive Management.
• Ensure that appropriate guidelines, procedures and processes are in place to promote compliance with the Companies Act, Corporate Governance and other related requirements.
• Ensure that the Board and relevant Committees' charters and terms of reference are relevant and updated.
• Arrange Board and Committee meetings as required by law, Company Policies and  Corporate Governance requirements.

• Support with Board Secretarial Correspondences, collate information and write reports, ensure decisions made are communicated to relevant stakeholders and authorities.

• Provide Directors collectively and individually with detailed guidance on duties, responsibilities, powers, matters of ethics and Good Governance as required. 

•  Provide advice to the Bank on the implementation and training needs relating to emerging and new legislations and regulations. 

• Development of strategies to protect the Company against potential losses arising from legal issues (legal suits) and contractual obligations. 

•  Advise Directors and Management on Relevant Laws, Regulations and Agreements affecting the Bank. 

• Provide legal advice to the business relating to legal complaints as well as project support. 

• Represent the Bank in court sessions in the cases instituted against the Bank  

• Initiate Legal Proceedings on behalf of the Bank. 

• Attend to litigation matters and ensure that the Bank’s interests are served and protected. 

• Handle all staff labor related matters and represent VFT-MFB when required in lawsuits, legal process, mediation & arbitration. 

• Provide effective and timely legal advice to the Bank 

Recovery Operations  

•  ​Oversee the work of the Recovery Manager and Recovery officers and interns. 
• Ensures efficient performance of the recovery team as per set performance targets. 
• Develop and implement recovery strategies for delinquent and written-off accounts. 
• Ensure all recovery efforts are in line with regulatory and legal requirements.

• Oversee the auction/selling of recovered collaterals in collaboration with the Debt Collectors. 
• Oversee the recruitment and monitoring the work of Debt Collectors.  

• Evaluate the cost-benefit of various recovery methods (settlements, restructuring, litigation). 

• Ensure accurate provisioning for bad debts in collaboration with finance and risk teams. 

• Recommend write-offs or restructurings when necessary. 

• Effective managing and minimizing credit losses 

Contracts and Agreements Review 

• Drafting of Contracts and Agreements on behalf of the Bank 

• Reviewing Contracts and Agreements on behalf of the Bank 

• Ensure that a healthy library of Contracts and Service Level Agreements is maintained within the Bank.  

• Vetting of contracts and ensuring that the Bank’s policies and BOT Regulations are adhered to in respect of the inception of contracts and Agreements. 

• Custodian of Contracts and MoUs with suppliers, Vendors and Partners. 

• Timely Review of Contracts and Agreements. 

Adherence to policies and procedures. 

• Carry out periodical reviews of Laws, Regulations and Directives of the Central Bank and give advice to the Management. 

• Ensure that the institution is compliant with the BOT regulations and other relevant Regulatory Authorities. 

• Maintain a good rapport between the Bank and the Central Bank/other Regulatory Authorities.  

 Manage Legal Risks and Controls  

• Manages Legal Risks on a day-to-day basis, which includes monitoring and reporting to relevant levels of Governance Structures. 

• Identifies Legal Control weaknesses and corrective action is implemented, including the evaluation of cost-effective solutions to reduce the risk to an acceptable level. 

• Participate in relevant meetings, identify and inform on the Company’s risks in accordance with statutory & legal requirements and recommend appropriate action. 

• Embeds a culture of consciousness and transparency for legal risk management and ensures that the nature and size of risks are well understood. 

• Effective Management of Legal Risks 

Children and Adult Safeguarding. 

• Provide Strategic leadership in Safeguarding. 

• Ensure Safeguarding Policy is contextualized and adhered to by staff and affiliates. 

• Initiate Safeguarding Capacity building and awareness. 

• Serve as contact person for WVI Safeguarding on Safeguarding Incidence Management. 

• Coordinate frequently with the VFI Safeguarding Advisor for ongoing mentoring. 

Knowledge, Skills and Capabilities

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Master’s Degree in Law (LLM) and Bachelor Degree in Law (LLB), Finance, Accounting, Banking and Finance, Economics or Business Administration.
• Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law School of Tanzania
• Practicing Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania and courts subordinates thereto
• At least 5 years Legal Practice Experience in the banking industry, particularly in credit, collections, risk management, or legal recovery.
• Litigation Experience
• Corporate Governance Experience
• Administrative Experience
• Drafting Experience
• Proven ability to interact at Senior levels of an Organization
• Excellence interpersonal counseling & problem-solving skill
• Proficient in Microsoft office applications, very good communication skills
• Ability to conduct training on various microfinance best practices, management and related matters
• Capability and willingness to take responsibility and highly developed sense of reliability and correctness
• Strong writing, analytical & communication skills
• Must be a self-starter, highly motivated, organized, and detail-oriented
• Committed Christian and committed to the values of World Vision/VisionFund