Legal Documentation Officer – Equity Bank
Job Purpose
To prepare, review, execute, and perfect credit and security documentation—ensuring the Bank’s legal interests are fully protected prior to credit facility disbursement, maintaining full compliance with Bank of Tanzania (BoT) prudential guidelines and statutory regulations, managing commercial contracts, and delivering sound legal advisory to business units to mitigate operational and legal risks.
Roles & Responsibilities
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Securities Perfection & Pre-Disbursement Compliance: Review approved credit sanctions, draft and evaluate facility letters and security instruments (mortgages, debentures, corporate guarantees, share pledges, affidavits), review borrower constitutional documents, and issue Securities Compliance Certificates prior to loan disbursement.
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External Counsel Management & Conveyancing: Draft technical instruction briefs for external legal counsel, monitor property search and registration workflows at lands and company registries, and oversee external conveyancing lawyers to accelerate securities perfection.
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Contract Management & Legal Advisory: Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, leases, MOUs, and vendor contracts; provide prompt legal guidance to business units and executive leadership on banking laws, corporate governance, and operational risk mitigation.
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Regulatory Compliance & Risk Governance: Enforce strict adherence to BoT prudential guidelines, local banking legislation, and AML/KYC frameworks; identify legal exposure points to protect the Bank against financial loss, litigation, and regulatory sanctions.
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Tracking, Reporting & Fee Reconciliation: Maintain tracking systems for all perfected securities and active contracts, prepare weekly status reports on pending registrations, reconcile external legal fees, and support internal and external audit reviews.
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Custody & Document Control: Oversee the secure filing, tracking, and safekeeping of perfected security deeds, original title documents, legal opinion files, and collateral records in line with bank record-retention policies.
Qualifications
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Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LL.B.) from a recognized university.
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Advantage: Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (Law School of Tanzania) and active admission as an Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania.
Skills, Experience & Competences
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Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience in banking legal operations, corporate legal practice, or conveyancing (with experience in a reputable law firm handling banking transactions considered a strong asset).
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Deep functional expertise in Tanzanian banking law, corporate law, conveyancing procedures, land registry systems, BRELA filings, and BoT regulatory frameworks.
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Proven technical capacity to draft and review complex banking security instruments, evaluate corporate capacity (MEMARTS/Resolutions), and structure legal risk controls.
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Working knowledge of AML/KYC compliance standards, legal risk management frameworks, and legal fee tracking/reconciliation.
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Strong contract drafting, analytical reasoning, negotiation, written and verbal communication, and stakeholder management capabilities.