Senior Legal Officer at Fairmoney Microfinance Bank

FairMoney is building the leading mobile bank for emerging markets. We started with a digital microcredit application on Android, and currently roll out additional financial services (current account, savings, debit card) while expanding the product to Western Africa and South-East Asia.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Legal Officer

Location: Lagos

Job Summary

• The Senior Legal Officer will provide high-quality legal, company secretarial, and cross-border advisory support to the Bank and, where applicable, to other entities within the FairMoney Group.
• The role requires a practitioner who is equally comfortable drafting complex commercial agreements, preparing board and committee documentation, and navigating multi-jurisdictional legal questions.
• The successful candidate will work closely with the General Counsel / Company Secretary and will be expected to operate with a significant degree of independence, sound judgment, and commercial awareness.

Key Responsibilities
Legal Advisory and Transactional Work:

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements including vendor contracts, partnership agreements, data sharing and processing agreements, agency arrangements, loan documentation, and service level agreements.
• Provide timely, practical legal opinions and advice to business units, EXCO, and other internal stakeholders on matters arising in the ordinary course of the Bank's operations.
• Review and advise on regulatory correspondence, CBN circulars, and industry consultation papers with implications for the Bank's operations.
• Manage and coordinate external legal counsel engagements, including instruction, briefing, fee oversight, and quality control of external advice.
• Support dispute resolution efforts, including the preparation of demand notices, pre-litigation correspondence, and coordination with litigation counsel.
• Maintain and update the Bank's contract register, legal templates library, and standard form agreements.

Company Secretarial Work:

• Assist in the preparation of agendas, board papers, management presentations, and resolutions for meetings of the Board, Executive Committee, and Board committees (including the Board Audit Committee, Board Credit and Risk Management Committee, and Board Governance, Remuneration and Nominations Committee).
• Draft accurate, well-structured minutes of board, EXCO, and committee meetings in a timely manner and in compliance with applicable governance standards.
• Maintain statutory registers, corporate records, and filings with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and other regulators, ensuring all returns are submitted within prescribed timeframes.
• Support the annual general meeting process, including notice preparation, shareholder correspondence, and post-meeting filings.
• Monitor and advise on evolving corporate governance requirements under the CBN Code of Corporate Governance for Microfinance Banks (2018), CAMA 2020, and applicable CAC regulations.
• Assist with board induction, evaluation, and training processes.
• Maintain and track the action log arising from board and committee meetings, following up with responsible parties to ensure timely completion.
• Prepare and file regulatory notifications and approvals required in connection with changes to the Bank's board composition, shareholding structure, or key management personnel.

Regulatory Compliance Support:

• Work with the Compliance function to ensure that the Bank's legal operations remain aligned with CBN licensing conditions, prudential guidelines, and relevant sector regulations, including the CBN Regulatory and Supervisory Guidelines for Microfinance Banks, the Consumer Protection Regulations, and AML/CFT frameworks.
• Track regulatory developments and proactively flag legal risks arising from new legislation, circulars, or judicial decisions.
• Support preparation for regulatory examinations, including document retrieval, gap analysis, and coordination of responses to regulatory queries.
• Review and advise on staff employment matters, data protection obligations, and privacy policies in conjunction with the HR and Technology teams.

Cross-Country and Group Legal Support:

• Provide legal support to FairMoney Group entities operating outside Nigeria, including assistance with local law queries, cross-border transactions, and multi-jurisdictional structuring.
• Liaise with in-country legal counsel across the Group's operating jurisdictions to ensure consistency of approach on group-wide legal matters, including intercompany arrangements, IP licensing, and data transfers.
• Support the legal review and negotiation of cross-border agreements, including jurisdiction, governing law, and enforcement considerations.
• Advise on currency control regulations, foreign exchange requirements, and remittance frameworks applicable to cross-border flows involving Group entities.
• Assist with corporate establishment, restructuring, and winding-down processes in jurisdictions where the Group maintains or seeks to establish a presence.
• Coordinate with the finance and tax teams on the legal aspects of transfer pricing arrangements, thin capitalisation, and cross-border tax structuring.

Requirements

• LLB (or equivalent) from a recognized university.
• Minimum of five (5) years of post-call legal practice experience, of which at least two (2) years should have been spent in a financial institution, fintech, or a law firm with a significant financial services practice.
• BL and call to the Nigerian Bar. Membership of the Nigerian Bar Association is required.
• ICSAN membership or active progress toward ICSAN qualification is strongly preferred for candidates with significant company secretarial responsibility.
• Demonstrable experience in commercial contract drafting and negotiation.
• Hands-on experience preparing board and committee documentation, including minutes, resolutions, and board papers.
• Exposure to multi-jurisdictional or cross-border legal work, including transactions or advisory mandates touching on more than one African jurisdiction.
• Experience engaging with regulatory bodies, including the CBN and the CAC, is required.

Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent legal drafting skills, with the ability to produce clear, precise, and commercially sound documents.
• Strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to synthesise complex legal and regulatory material into clear, actionable advice.
• High Degree of professional integrity and discretion in handling confidential board and management information.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously and to deliver to tight deadlines without compromising quality.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with board members, regulators, external counsel, and business teams.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and document management systems.

Benefits

• Private Health Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Hybrid work
• Training & Development programs.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Recruitment Process:

• Screening with a member of the recruitment team (30 min).
• Technical Interview with the hiring manager.
• Final Interview with the Managing Director.