Executive Director – Legal and Regulatory Affairs

Purpose of the Position The Executive Director – Legal and Regulatory Affairs shall provide strategic leadership for the Authority's legal, regulatory, and governance functions by developing and implementing legal strategies that safeguard the Authority's statutory mandate and institutional interests. The Executive Director shall serve as the principal advisor to the senior management on legal, legislative, regulatory, commercial, and governance matters while ensuring that the Authority's operations, policies, regulations, contracts, and strategic initiatives comply with applicable laws and governance standards. Key Responsibilities Legal Strategy & Advisory • Develop and implement the Authority's legal strategy in alignment with its statutory mandate, organizational priorities, and governance framework. • Advise the senior management where required on legal, regulatory, legislative, and governance matters. • Provide strategic legal guidance on complex commercial transactions, procurement, employment, administrative, and public sector legal matters. • Lead the legal review and interpretation of legislation, regulations, policies, and statutory instruments relevant to the Authority's functions. Regulatory & Governance Leadership • Oversee the development, review, and legal vetting of regulations, rules, guidelines, policies, and other regulatory instruments issued by the Authority. • Strengthen corporate governance frameworks by ensuring legal compliance, accountability, transparency, and sound decision-making across the Authority. • Support Board and committee governance processes by providing legal advice on governance documentation, resolutions, and statutory obligations. • Monitor legislative developments and recommend legal or regulatory reforms necessary to support the Authority's mandate. Enterprise Legal Risk & Compliance • Establish enterprise-wide legal risk management frameworks and ensure the proactive identification, assessment, and mitigation of legal risks. • Oversee litigation, arbitration, investigations, and dispute resolution involving the Authority while managing relationships with external legal counsel. • Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, contractual obligations, and internal governance policies. • Provide legal oversight for strategic projects, digital initiatives, procurement activities, and public-private partnerships. Stakeholder Engagement & Institutional Support • Represent the Authority on legal and regulatory matters before government entities, regulatory authorities, judicial forums, development partners, and external stakeholders. • Build collaborative relationships with ministries, public sector organizations, legal institutions, and international partners to support the Authority's legal and regulatory objectives. • Contribute to policy reforms, legislative initiatives, and institutional strengthening activities relevant to digital governance and innovation. Leadership & Capacity Building • Provide strategic leadership to the Legal Directorate and foster a culture of professionalism, integrity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. • Lead, mentor, and develop legal professionals to strengthen institutional legal capacity and succession planning. • Promote knowledge sharing, legal awareness, and the adoption of best practices in legal and regulatory management across the Authority. Qualifications • LLB/LLM or JD degree from a recognized institution. • Active Bar membership is required. • Professional certifications or specialized training in corporate governance, arbitration, procurement law, or regulatory law will be an added advantage. Experience • Minimum 12 years of progressively responsible professional experience in legal practice, corporate law, commercial law, regulatory law, public sector legal affairs, or litigation. • Demonstrated experience advising executive leadership on complex legal, regulatory, and governance matters. • Proven experience in legislative drafting, regulatory framework development, contract negotiation, litigation management, and enterprise legal risk management. • Experience working with government organizations, regulatory authorities, autonomous bodies, international organizations, or large corporate entities will be preferred. • Proven experience leading multidisciplinary legal teams and managing complex legal portfolios. Key Competencies • Corporate and regulatory law • Legislative and regulatory drafting • Litigation and dispute resolution • Corporate governance and compliance • Legal risk management • Policy interpretation and legal advisory • Leadership and team management • Strategic thinking and analytical skills • Negotiation and stakeholder management • Effective written and verbal communication • Integrity, sound judgment, and professionalism