Legal Officer at BRAC Uganda Bank Ltd, Uganda, Kampala

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

To provide legal and governance support to BRAC Uganda Bank Ltd by safeguarding the Bank’s interests through effective collateral management, litigation and dispute resolution, compliance oversight, contract review, and institutional advisory. The Legal Officer ensures timely and accurate execution of legal duties that uphold the Bank’s risk management framework, regulatory compliance, and governance standards.

MAIN JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage the Bank’s litigation portfolio, including debt recovery, employment disputes, contractual claims, regulatory enforcement actions, and fraud-related proceedings, while liaising with external counsel where necessary.
• Draft and review pleadings, affidavits, applications, and other legal documents, and prepare witnesses and documentation to safeguard the Bank’s interests in court.
• Maintain accurate litigation reports and calendars to track hearings, deadlines, and case progress, providing regular updates to management.
• Periodically review litigation and recovery procedures, recommending improvements to strengthen dispute resolution and minimize exposure to legal and financial risks.
• Oversee perfection of collateral securities, including registration of land titles, logbooks, and other registrable instruments, ensuring enforceability of the Bank’s interests.
• Maintain secure digital and physical custody of securities, with accurate records to facilitate easy retrieval and audit readiness.
• Conduct due diligence on collateral documentation to mitigate defects, fraud risks, and legal exposure.
• Monitor the life cycle of securities to ensure renewals and discharges are handled in line with policy and regulatory requirements.
• Provide guidance to branches and credit teams on collateral procedures, strengthening credit risk management across the Bank.
• Ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory obligations, including timely filings and submissions to BOU, FIA, URSB, URA, ULS, Uganda Law Council and other authorities, and serve as liaison with regulators on legal and compliance matters.
• Monitor legal and regulatory compliance risks, recommend mitigation strategies, and maintain an updated compliance calendar for statutory obligations.
• Conduct due diligence searches on entities and transactions, and safeguard all Bank legal records including contracts, minutes, securities, the company seal, and tenancy agreements.
• Maintain and regularly update the Legal Department activity tracker, prepare departmental meeting minutes, and ensure timely internal communication of policies, circulars, and legal guidance.
• Deputize for the Legal Manager, Senior Legal Officer, or other Legal Officers during periods of absence (leave or official duty), ensuring continuity of departmental operations and delivery of core functions.
• Represent the Legal Department in disciplinary and performance hearings, ensuring due process and compliance with labor laws and HR policies.
• Provide legal support in employment-related matters, including staff disputes, disciplinary actions, and appeals.
• Coordinate legal awareness and refresher training sessions for staff on regulatory and compliance developments, fostering a culture of accountability across the Bank.
• Deliver timely legal communication and advisory support to branches and departments, ensuring staff remain aligned with Bank policies and procedures.
• Undertake any other assignments delegated by the Company Secretary to advance the Bank’s legal and governance agenda.
• Draft, review, and maintain contracts, service level agreements, tenancy agreements, staff credit facility letters, and related documentation, ensuring enforceability and timely renewal.
• Provide legal opinions and advisory support on contracts, new legislation, regulatory developments, policies, and operational issues to guide management decisions.
• Support Management sub-committees with legal input, ensuring decisions are properly documented and legally compliant on a need’s basis.
• Safeguard all contracts and legal documents under both physical safe custody (hard copy filing and secure storage) and electronic systems (scanned soft copies, digital registers, and contract databases), ensuring proper indexing, timely updates, and organized retrieval for operational use and audit purposes.
• Periodically monitor legislative and regulatory changes and advise on their implications for Bank policies and operations.
• Provide legal support to the Loan Collection Unit in recovering non-performing loans, ensuring escalation and enforcement actions are consistent with the Bank’s Credit Policy Manual.