Company: BRAC Tanzania Finance Limited (BTFL)

Job Title: Legal and Recovery Officer

Employment Type: Permanent

Job Location: Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

ABOUT BRAC TANZANIA FINANCE LIMITED

BRAC Tanzania Finance Limited (BTFL) is the largest Microfinance organization in Tanzania with a mission to responsibly provide a range of financial services to people at the bottom of the pyramid.

BTFL particularly focuses on women living in poverty in rural and hard-to-reach areas to create self-employment opportunities, build financial resilience, and harness women's entrepreneurial spirit by empowering them economically.

BRAC Tanzania Finance Limited is seeking applications from competent, dynamic and self-motivated individuals to fill the position of Legal and Recovery Officer.

JOB PURPOSE

To provide legal expertise and services to BRAC in Tanzania, including developing and implementing strategies on proper legal recovery of overdue loans, reviewing and preparing loan agreements and other corporate and legal documents, assisting with the interpretation and translation of country legislation, and handling litigation of civil, recovery and labour cases.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and implement proper strategies for recovery of overdue loans.
• Follow up on recovery cases at Primary Courts, District Courts, the High Court and District Land and Housing Tribunals across the country and maintain a list of recovery cases.
• Carry out legal research and offer legal advice and guidance on proactive compliance with new legislation and/or best practices likely to affect the Microfinance business, policy and operating environment.
• Regularly review fraud investigation reports and findings and make recommendations for appropriate legal action.
• Closely follow up on cases reported to police stations and hold watching briefs in criminal proceedings in courts of law in respect of matters reported by the company and accordingly report progress.
• Submit monthly reports on new and existing legal suits by and against the company, progress of credit recovery cases assigned for collection, trend and exposure analysis thereof, and recommend strategies.
• Regularly review and perfect documentation for credit facilities to Microfinance customers in line with Microfinance policy and relevant legislation.
• Review and prepare contracts and other corporate and legal documents.
• Train staff on all legal issues arising out of BRAC in Tanzania operations, including assisting the company in identifying genuine securities.
• Coordinate and oversee legal compliance-related activities across field offices in the country and, within delegated authority, represent BRAC Tanzania in legal litigations in courts and quasi-judicial bodies.
• Participate, from time to time, in reviews and amendments of various BRAC policies and procedures.
• Prepare progress and annual legal affairs reports.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the programme's goals on safeguarding implementation.
• Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.
• Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.
• Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place and encourage others to do so.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in Laws and Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.
• Must be a Registered Advocate.
• Minimum of 2 years' experience in legal practice, especially litigation.
• Excellent knowledge of recovery cases and all legal matters related to the operations of the company, particularly laws governing financial institutions.
• Demonstrated knowledge of labour matters.
• Planning skills, including the ability to work accurately and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated mature sense of judgment.
• Management of diversity in the workplace.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to conduct comprehensive legal research on a range of issues, including those of a unique and/or complex nature.
• Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment in applying legal expertise to sensitive and complex legal and administrative issues.
• Ability to influence others to reach agreement.
• Computer literacy with effective use of basic applications such as MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

• Develop and implement proper strategies for recovery of overdue loans.
• Follow up on recovery cases at Primary Courts, District Courts, the High Court and District Land and Housing Tribunals across the country and maintain a list of recovery cases.
• Carry out legal research and offer legal advice and guidance on proactive compliance with new legislation and/or best practices likely to affect the Microfinance business, policy and operating environment.
• Regularly review fraud investigation reports and findings and make recommendations for appropriate legal action.
• Closely follow up on cases reported to police stations and hold watching briefs in criminal proceedings in courts of law in respect of matters reported by the company and accordingly report progress.
• Submit monthly reports on new and existing legal suits by and against the company, progress of credit recovery cases assigned for collection, trend and exposure analysis thereof, and recommend strategies.
• Regularly review and perfect documentation for credit facilities to Microfinance customers in line with Microfinance policy and relevant legislation.
• Review and prepare contracts and other corporate and legal documents.
• Train staff on all legal issues arising out of BRAC in Tanzania operations, including assisting the company in identifying genuine securities.
• Coordinate and oversee legal compliance-related activities across field offices in the country and, within delegated authority, represent BRAC Tanzania in legal litigations in courts and quasi-judicial bodies.
• Participate, from time to time, in reviews and amendments of various BRAC policies and procedures.
• Prepare progress and annual legal affairs reports.
• Ensure the safety of team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation to achieve the programme's goals on safeguarding implementation.
• Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.
• Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.
• Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place and encourage others to do so.

• Excellent knowledge of recovery cases and all legal matters related to the operations of the company, particularly laws governing financial institutions.
• Demonstrated knowledge of labour matters.
• Planning skills, including the ability to work accurately and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated mature sense of judgment.
• Management of diversity in the workplace.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, including excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to conduct comprehensive legal research on a range of issues, including those of a unique and/or complex nature.
• Demonstrated discretion and sound judgment in applying legal expertise to sensitive and complex legal and administrative issues.
• Ability to influence others to reach agreement.
• Computer literacy with effective use of basic applications such as MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

• Bachelor's degree in Laws and Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.
• Must be a Registered Advocate.