Job description

Responsibilities:

This role provides legal and regulatory 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. Key responsibilities include providing pragmatic legal solutions for retail banking products (Assets/Liabilities) including secured and unsecured loans, managing real estate and vendor contracts.

• Anticipate and manage legal risk - Identify, evaluate, and address issues of legal risk in retail banking products services (like credit cards, home loans, gold loans, digital banking services etc), real estate, human resources, and Technology services.
• Drafting and Negotiation - 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.
• Think Strategically - 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 led 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 Bank legal risk management policies and industry standards. Proactively identify and mitigate legal risks.
• Adapt to evolving legal landscapes and customer needs.
• Maintain litigation reports and liaise with external legal counsel.

Requirements:

• Proven experience in banking and financial services, with a preference for experience in credit cards or real estate contracts.
• Strong understanding of RBI guidelines and banking best practices.
• Demonstrated skills in legal drafting, negotiation, analysis, and communication.
• Customer-focused approach.
• Analytical Problem-Solving Skills: Exceptional diagnostic skills, rigorous problem-solving approach, and ability to forecast legal and compliance risks and rewards associated with business growth.
• Communication Presentation Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication, strong negotiation skills, and confident presentation abilities for internal and external stakeholders.
• Strategic Thinking: 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: Meticulous attention to detail ensuring accuracy and thoroughness in all tasks.
• Technical Expert with good knowledge of banking practices and financial services
• Strong technical ability ability to grasp new technical areas of law very quickly.
• Knowledge on all related laws in India especially laws 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 sign off ensure compliance for all products services offered by DBS India.
• Establish a working relationship with Legal Compliance team in India Singapore.