Senior Legal Counsel Stockbrokers and Portfolio Management (SPM) at Absa Group

Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

05 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

07 Mar, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Legal Risk Management, Commercial Advisory, Contract Negotiation, Financial Services Law, Stockbroking, Portfolio Management, Stakeholder Management, Regulatory Compliance, Legal Drafting, Due Diligence, Risk Control Framework, Legal Leadership, Client Advisory, Investment Mandates, FAIS Compliance, Legal Escalation

Industry

Financial Services

Description

Empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together…one story at a time. With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group. Job Summary Absa is seeking a highly experienced and commercially minded Senior Legal Counsel to provide end‑to‑end legal support to our Stockbrokers & Portfolio Management (SPM) business. This is a strategic, senior specialist role responsible for managing legal risk, providing proactive legal advisory services, and establishing a centre of excellence for legal support across SPM. If you are an expert in financial services law with deep exposure to markets, stockbroking, and portfolio management—and thrive on influencing senior stakeholders—this is an opportunity to shape the legal foundation of a key Advisory and Investment capability within Absa. Job Description As Senior Legal Counsel, you will be the primary legal contact for the SPM business—responsible for overseeing legal risk, delivering strategic legal advice, and ensuring SPM operates within a legally sound, compliant and commercially optimised framework. You will design and manage the end‑to‑end legal architecture supporting SPM’s discretionary, advisory and execution businesses, ensuring contractual alignment between: SPM as product provider Clients (stockbroking and portfolio management) Absa Bank Limited, CIB, Wealth, Private Bank and other internal business areas External counterparties, platforms, brokers and technology partners This is a critical leadership role in strengthening the legal risk environment and ensuring SPM remains audit‑ready, regulatorily compliant, and commercially protected. Key Accountabilities: Technical Legal Expertise Draft, negotiate and maintain core SPM agreements, including: Portfolio & Investment Management Agreements Advisor and distribution agreements Technology and platform contracts supporting trading and portfolio management SLAs with internal Absa business areas and external partners Bespoke structures such as notes and fund‑linked solutions Ensure alignment with: Trading controls Execution obligations Market conduct requirements Translate FAIS, discretionary FSP requirements and mandate‑based obligations into operational legal documents Ensure investment mandates, model portfolio governance, client instructions and advice records are legally coherent and enforceable Drive consistency across contracts, forms, operational processes and regulatory disclosures Oversee change control through Forms Management Act as legal escalation point for SPM leadership Provide clear legal positions on complex, multi‑party matters Legal Risk Management Provide proactive, commercially grounded legal advice Strengthen the legal risk control framework and identify process improvements Prioritise and manage workloads according to business needs Monitor legal compliance and escalate breaches promptly Communicate and distil legal concepts to operational and business stakeholders Commercial Legal Advisory Provide tailored advice on legality, enforceability and commercial appropriateness Ensure documents reflect latest legal precedents and best practice Support structuring, negotiation and drafting of agreements relating to new products and transactions Conduct legal due diligence Ensure all risks are captured in agreements and aligned with approved term sheets Lead drafting and continuous improvement of standard templates and legal documentation Risk & Control Exercise sound legal risk judgement Partner with other control functions to manage cross‑functional risks Stakeholder Management Build strong relationships with senior leaders across Absa Serve as the primary legal contact for the SPM business Explain legal concepts clearly to business partners Deliver training sessions on new legislation or legal developments Manage external counsel and represent Absa at industry forums and professional bodies Teamwork & Legal Leadership Mentor and coach junior legal team members Support development of best‑practice frameworks and working structures Champion Absa’s values and raise the profile of the Legal function Participate actively in legal workstreams and initiatives Qualifications & Experience Essential Law degree (B Juris / B Proc / LLB) Admitted Attorney or Advocate (RSA or equivalent jurisdiction) 8–10 years’ PQE with strong financial services and commercial law experience Preferred In‑house legal experience in financial services Familiarity with banking, markets, trading or investment products Personal Attributes We are looking for a Senior Legal Counsel who is: A strong communicator with excellent stakeholder engagement skills Detail‑oriented, organised and efficient Commercially astute with a strong understanding of risk Integrity‑driven and reliable Comfortable managing a fluid, high‑pressure workload Able to negotiate and influence effectively A collaborative team player with strong interpersonal skills Why Absa? At Absa, we empower our people to “bring possibilities to life.” In this role, you will influence key decisions, shape legal frameworks for a critical investment business, and work with senior stakeholders across a top African financial institution. Education Bachelor Honours Degree: Law, Military Science and Security (Required) Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank. Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised Absa Group Limited (“Absa Group”) is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and is one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services groups. Absa Group offers an integrated set of products and services across personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management and insurance. Absa Group owns majority stakes in banks in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (Absa Bank Tanzania and National Bank of Commerce), Uganda and Zambia and has insurance operations in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia. Absa also has representative offices in China, Namibia, Nigeria and the United States, as well as securities entities in the United Kingdom and the United States, along with technology support colleagues in the Czech Republic.

Responsibilities

This senior specialist role is responsible for managing legal risk and providing proactive legal advisory services to the Stockbrokers & Portfolio Management (SPM) business, designing the end-to-end legal architecture supporting its discretionary, advisory, and execution functions. Key accountabilities include drafting and maintaining core SPM agreements, ensuring alignment with trading controls and market conduct requirements, and acting as the primary legal contact for the business.