Head, Legal & Compliance (Banking) in a Licensed Fintech-Driven Microfinance Bank

They are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Head, Legal & Compliance (Banking)

Location: Lagos

Job Description

• The Head, Legal & Compliance will build the legal, regulatory, and corporate governance framework required to support a fast-growing digital financial institution operating within the regulatory expectations of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), NDIC, and other applicable laws and industry standards.
• This role requires a highly strategic, commercially aware, and execution-driven professional who can provide legal direction, regulatory guidance, compliance oversight, and governance leadership while building structures, policies, controls, and reporting frameworks from the ground up.
• The Head, Legal & Compliance will serve as a key advisor to Executive Management and the Board on legal, regulatory, compliance, governance, and institutional risk matters.
• The role is responsible for establishing and leading the Bank’s Legal and Compliance function from inception within a licensed fintech-driven digital microfinance bank.

Responsibilities
Legal Advisory & Corporate Governance:

• Maintain proper legal records, corporate documentation, and governance registers.
• Ensure the Bank operates within applicable laws, regulations, and corporate governance standards.
• Provide strategic legal advisory support to Executive Management and the Board.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage contracts, SLAs, partnership agreements, vendor agreements, and commercial documentation.
• Support Board governance processes, resolutions, statutory filings, and regulatory documentation.
• Develop and implement the Bank’s legal governance framework from inception.

Regulatory Compliance Management:

• Build and implement the Bank’s enterprise-wide compliance framework.
• Serve as the primary liaison with regulators and external legal stakeholders.
• Coordinate regulatory examinations, compliance reviews, and regulatory correspondence.
• Develop compliance policies, monitoring programs, and regulatory reporting frameworks.
• Monitor regulatory developments and ensure timely implementation of new requirements.
• Ensure compliance with CBN regulations, NDIC guidelines, AML/CFT requirements, and other statutory obligations.

AML/CFT & Financial Crime Compliance:

• Develop and oversee AML/CFT compliance programs and controls.
• Strengthen anti-fraud and financial crime prevention frameworks.
• Collaborate with Risk, Internal Control, and Operations teams on fraud prevention initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with KYC, customer due diligence (CDD), enhanced due diligence (EDD), and transaction monitoring requirements.
• Oversee suspicious transaction reporting and regulatory reporting obligations.

Policy Development & Compliance Frameworks:

• Ensure proper documentation and version control of all regulatory and governance policies.
• Design compliance control systems for digital banking operations and fintech activities.
• Establish SOPs, compliance checklists, and monitoring frameworks.
• Develop and maintain legal, compliance, governance, and regulatory policies.

Litigation & Dispute Management:

• Oversee litigation strategy and legal risk mitigation processes.
• Provide legal guidance on recovery, collections, partnerships, and customer-related issues.
• Manage legal disputes, recovery matters, and external legal counsel relationships.
• Ensure prompt resolution of legal exposures and operational disputes.

Digital Banking & Technology Compliance:

• Provide legal oversight on digital banking products, fintech partnerships, APIs, wallets, cards, and lending operations.
• Ensure compliance with data privacy, cybersecurity, consumer protection, and digital finance regulations.
• Advise Management on emerging legal and regulatory risks within digital financial services.

Compliance Monitoring & Reporting:

• Provide periodic reports to Management and the Board on compliance status, legal exposures, and regulatory risks.
• Develop compliance dashboards, reporting structures, and escalation frameworks.
• Conduct periodic compliance reviews and risk assessments.
• Monitor compliance breaches and ensure timely remediation.

Department Setup & Leadership:

• Build and structure the Legal & Compliance Department from the ground up.
• Establish departmental workflows, reporting structures, controls, and governance frameworks.
• Drive a culture of ethics, regulatory discipline, accountability, and governance across the Bank.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop a high-performing legal and compliance team.

Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Law (LL.B) from a recognized institution.
• BL qualification and membership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) is mandatory.
• Relevant certifications in Compliance, AML, Risk, or Corporate Governance will be an advantage.
• Master’s degree or MBA is an added advantage.

Experience:

• 5–7 years in senior leadership or management roles.
• Strong understanding of AML/CFT regulations, consumer protection laws, and financial services compliance obligations.
• Experience within digital banking, fintech, microfinance banking, or regulated financial institutions is highly desirable.
• Proven experience building compliance structures, governance frameworks, and legal processes.
• Strong experience in compliance management, corporate governance, regulatory engagement, and legal advisory.
• 10–15 years’ experience in Legal, Compliance, or Regulatory functions within banking, fintech, or financial services.

Other Requirements:

• Self-driven professional with the ability to build systems, frameworks, and structures from ground zero.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Strong decision-making and leadership capability.
• Strong strategic thinking and execution capability.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced startup environment with minimal supervision.
• Must possess strong commercial awareness and business judgment.
• Strong attention to detail and regulatory discipline.
• Ability to engage regulators, executive leadership, and external stakeholders confidently.

Skills:

• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Corporate Governance & Regulatory Compliance
• Legal Drafting & Contract Negotiation
• Strong knowledge of CBN regulations and Nigerian financial services laws
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution
• AML/CFT & Financial Crime Compliance
• Regulatory Engagement & Reporting
• Leadership and stakeholder management abilities
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Digital Banking & Fintech Regulatory Knowledge
• Risk Identification & Mitigation
• Policy Development & Governance Frameworks

Remuneration

• Performance-based incentives linked to financial performance and institutional growth.
• Opportunity to build and lead the finance function of a digital microfinance bank from inception.
• Salary: N700,000 - N1,000,000 / Month.