Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Organization: VisionFund Micro Finance Institution (S.C)
Deadline: September 22, 2026
Job Description
The job holder will be responsible for providing strategic legal guidance and identifying regulatory trends to protect the institution’s future interests. The primary goal is to ensure that all business strategies, digital transformations, and operational processes are built on a sound legal foundation. This role focuses on translating complex regulations into actionable business advice, standardizing institutional contracts, and providing the executive suite with deep legal intelligence to support informed decision-making and risk mitigation.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead the legal advisory function to provide specialized expertise across all business areas ensuring compliance with national and international regulations.
- Analyze current and forthcoming government regulations to provide proactive advice on potential legal risks to business leaders and regulatory authorities.
- Manage the allocation of legal advisory resources to ensure a dedicated focus on the institution’s highest strategic business priorities.
- Design and maintain standardized institutional contracts, terms, and conditions to ensure legal robustness across the Retail, SME, and Corporate segments.
- Establish and monitor internal procedures to ensure total institutional compliance with all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.
- Liaise with external legal consultants and regulatory bodies to represent the institution’s interests in pending policy decisions or legislative changes.
- Direct external negotiations with third parties and service providers to secure favorable and legally enforceable contractual terms.
- Evaluate the strategic implications of evolving regulatory changes and communicate specific courses of action to senior management.
- Draft and enforce institutional agreements and internal policies to maintain a consistent and secure legal framework across the entire company.
- Provide technical legal support to the People and Intelligence (HR) unit for the resolution of sensitive employment-related matters and labor law compliance.
- Develop high-quality legal briefs and insights for senior management to support informed strategic and tactical decision-making.
- Supervise the activities of the Legal Research Officer to ensure the accuracy, depth, and relevance of institutional legal intelligence.
- Monitor the internal and external environment to identify emerging legal trends that may impact future business models or digital transformations.
- Collaborate with the Strategy and Brand unit to ensure that institutional growth goals are legally viable and fully mission-aligned.
- Provide subject matter expertise to the Risk and Compliance unit to ensure internal controls align with legal requirements.
- Generic Duties of the Position:
- Develop and implement the Division’s plans and objectives.
- Develop, approve and monitor the Division’s budgets.
- Identify human resources requirements of the Division and develop plan for meeting the requirements.
- Develop, implement and review relevant divisional policies and procedures.
- Review, approve and submit Divisional reports to relevant organs.
- Support the development of subordinates through periodic performance evaluations, coaching, mentoring, ongoing performance dialogue and feedback.
- Manage disciplinary concerns of the Division’s staff.
- Represent the Division in internal and external relationships.
- Participate in group decision making process by forming part of different groups/committees.
- Performs other related duties as assigned by the supervisor
About You
- Master’s degree in law with Six (6) years of demonstrated experience out of which two (2) years’ experience in a managerial or supervisory position ideally in a leading organization, proven track record in providing accurate and effective legal counsel, contract negotiation and drafting, adding value to an organization through the development of comprehensive contract documents that mitigate risk and penalties; Or
- Bachelor’s degree in law with ten (10) years of demonstrated experience out of which three (3) years’ experience in a managerial or supervisory position, ideally in a leading organization, proven track record in providing accurate and effective legal counsel, contract negotiation and drafting, adding value to an organization through the development of comprehensive contract documents that mitigate risk and penalties.
- Terms of employment: Permanent
- Salary & Benefits: Attractive salary with benefit Package
- Closing Date: September 22, 2026
Required Skills
- Knowledge of Ethiopian laws and regulations
- Labor Law & Employee Relations
- Communication & Negotiation
- Ability to plan and coordinate
How to Apply
Candidates who fulfill the above requirements can send the application letter, updated curriculum vitae with names and addresses of up to 3 references and non-returnable copies of credentials to: VFE_Vacancy@wvi.org.
Note: – Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for subsequent assessment