Job Title: Legal Officer (2 Positions)
Organisation: Opportunity Bank
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
About Organisation:
Opportunity Bank Uganda Ltd (OBUL) is a member of Opportunity International, a global microfinance institution that provides access to financial services in 27 Countries globally serving over 2 Million customers with Savings, Credit and other transformational services aimed at transforming the lives of low income earners.
Job Summary: The Legal Officer will provide proactive, commercially focused and high-quality legal advice and support across the Bank’s business and operational functions. He or she will provide legal support in banking transactions, credit and security documentation, contract management, debt recovery, litigation, regulatory matters and legal risk management, ensuring that the Bank’s interests are protected and legal risks are effectively mitigated.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Legal Advisory & Business Support
- Provide timely, practical and commercially sound legal advice to business and operational units on legal issues arising from the Bank’s activities.
- Identify legal risks arising from products, transactions, processes and business initiatives and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
- Research and prepare clear and well-reasoned legal opinions, memoranda and advisory notes.
- Support business units in structuring transactions and resolving legal issues in a manner that protects the Bank while facilitating business objectives.
Contract Management & Commercial Transactions
- Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts, agreements, memoranda of understanding, offer letters and other legal instruments.
- Ensure contractual terms are consistent with approved business terms, applicable law, regulatory requirements and the Bank’s risk appetite.
- Identify and negotiate provisions that may expose the Bank to legal, financial, operational or reputational risk.
- Manage the execution, filing, custody and monitoring of contracts, including key obligations, renewals, expiries and other contractual milestones.
- Provide legal support in negotiations with customers, suppliers, service providers, partners and other counterparties.
Credit Documentation & Security Perfection
- Provide legal support to Credit and business units in the structuring and documentation of credit facilities and other banking transactions.
- Review facility agreements, offer letters and security documentation to ensure legal sufficiency, enforceability and protection of the Bank’s interests.
- Ensure deficiencies in credit documentation and security perfection are identified and addressed promptly.
Debt Recovery & Security Realisation
- Provide proactive legal support to the Bank’s Recovery teams in the management of delinquent and distressed accounts.
- Advise on appropriate recovery strategies, including demands, negotiated settlements, restructuring, enforcement and realization of securities.
- Support the lawful enforcement and realization of mortgages, charges, guarantees and other securities.
- Liaise with external counsel, valuers and other service providers involved in recovery processes.
- Identify recovery matters requiring escalation to litigation or other appropriate legal intervention and advise accordingly.
Litigation & Dispute Management
- Support the implementation of the Bank’s litigation and dispute resolution strategy under the direction of the Legal Manager.
- Manage and monitor assigned litigation and dispute matters to ensure timely and effective resolution.
- Attend Court, tribunals, mediations and other proceedings on behalf of the Bank where authorised.
- Review pleadings, affidavits, submissions, legal opinions and other litigation documents and provide appropriate legal input.
- Liaise with and provide instructions to external counsel and monitor the progress, quality and cost-effectiveness of outsourced legal services.
- Identify potential disputes at an early stage and advise business units on appropriate interventions to prevent avoidable litigation.
Legal & Regulatory Risk Management
- Monitor changes in legislation, regulations, judicial decisions and other legal developments affecting the Bank and advise relevant stakeholders on their implications.
- Support the Bank in maintaining compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
- Identify, assess and escalate material legal, regulatory and litigation risks and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.
- Contribute to the Legal Department’s risk register, Key Risk Indicators and other legal risk management processes.
- Support legal and regulatory compliance reviews across business units and branches.
Legal Training & Awareness
- Develop and deliver practical legal and regulatory awareness sessions to Bank staff.
- Advise business units on legal best practices and emerging areas of legal and regulatory risk.
- Promote early engagement with the Legal Department on transactions and matters with potential legal implications.
- Develop and maintain standard legal templates, precedents and practical legal guidance to support consistent and efficient legal service delivery.
General Responsibilities
- Maintain accurate and confidential records of legal, contractual, credit, recovery and litigation matters.
- Build effective working relationships with business units, management, regulators, customers, external counsel and other stakeholders.
- Maintain high standards of professional ethics, integrity, confidentiality and accountability.
- Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the Legal Manager or Company Secretary that are consistent with the purpose and level of the role.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) from a recognized institution.
- Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.
- Enrolled Advocate of the High Court of Uganda and subordinate courts.
- Minimum two (2) years’ post-qualification legal experience, preferably gained in a commercial bank, financial institution, reputable commercial law firm or other highly regulated institution.
- Demonstrable experience in banking and finance, credit documentation, security perfection, contract management, debt recovery, litigation and commercial contracting.
- Strong practical knowledge of banking and financial services law, commercial and corporate law, contract law, mortgages, land law, security enforcement and civil litigation.
- Experience in drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements.
- Proven experience in litigation and debt recovery, including engagement with external counsel, will be an added advantage.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills are required to perform the role efficiently and effectively.
- Opportunity Bank is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of disability, gender, marital status, religion and ethnicity.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates should send their signed application letters, academic documents, together with their curriculum vitae in one PDF Folder clearly stating the job title in the subject line to: Apply by Email
Deadline: 9th October 2026
NB: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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Level of Education: bachelor degree
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: 24