Senior Legal Advisor

This role requires an individual with strong legal knowledge to provide expertise to business and support units, resolving operational challenges and developing robust plans to meet customer needs while adhering to all applicable laws and regulations.

• Anticipate and manage legal risk – Identify, evaluate, and address issues of legal risk in retail banking products services (such as credit cards, home loans, gold loans, digital banking services etc), real estate, human resources, and Technology services.
• Draft and negotiate contracts – Independently design, draft, negotiate and approve legal contracts, letters of agreement, policies and other documents related to banking products and operational matters. Effectively manage outsourcing contracts and mortgages. Ability to innovate standardize documents to make them customer friendly is crucial.
• Business Enabler – Provide pragmatic and effective legal advice using research and interpretation skills to achieve business objectives. As expert of laws, provide consultative guidance for Bank s strategic goals, objectives, and partnerships.
• Strategic Thinking – Be a strategic contributor by proactively sharing legal updates and business opportunities emerging therefrom.
• Customer Focus – Participate in the development of transparent and legally sound processes, policies. Conduct risk reviews and develop procedures designed to reduce legal risk.
• Relationship Building – Develop trust and strong relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Provide practical legal advice and support to business and support units (branch banking, credit cards, mortgages, operations, HR, procurement, real estate, technology, and infrastructure) ensuring legal risk mitigation.
• Draft and review legal documentation (e.g. leases, NDAs, supplier and outsourcing contracts, partnership arrangements etc.).
• Manage customer complaints, including vetting responses for complaints to senior management and regulators.
• Develop and execute litigation strategy.
• Adhere to industry standards and best practices. Proactively identify and mitigate legal risks.
• Stay up-to-date with evolving legal landscapes and customer needs.
• Maintain reports and liaise with external counsel.

Requirements:

• Proven experience in banking and financial services, with a preference for experience in credit cards or real estate contracts.
• Strong understanding of regulatory guidelines and industry best practices.
• Demonstrated skills in contract drafting, negotiation, analysis, and communication.
• Customer-focused approach.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, rigorous analytical approach, and ability to forecast legal and compliance risks and rewards associated with business growth.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, strong negotiation skills, and confident presentation abilities for internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to think creatively, identify innovative solutions, and maintain a calm, solution-oriented approach to challenges. Strong comprehension skills to interpret industry data and economic trends.
• Attention to detail ensuring accuracy and thoroughness in all tasks.
• Technical expertise with good knowledge of banking practices and financial services.
• Ability to grasp new technical areas of law quickly.
• Knowledge of relevant laws and regulations in India, especially those governing RBI, SEBI, IRDA, AMFI, etc.
• General understanding of various applicable statutes/laws.
• Close working relationship with business heads, product owners, internal support functions to ensure compliance for all products/services offered.
• Establish a working relationship with Legal Compliance teams.