Private Bank Legal Counsel Singapore

This is an exciting opportunity to join Barclays as a Private Bank Legal Counsel based in Singapore. You will be responsible for ensuring that the activities in the Private Bank & Wealth Management division are conducted in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to help the bank manage legal and reputational risks associated with these activities.  You will also support the Private Bank & Wealth Management business by providing end-to-end legal and regulatory coverage across its capital markets, banking, credit and investment offerings, including structured products, derivatives (OTC and exchange-traded), FX and fixed income, discretionary portfolio management, investment advice/execution-only services, custody and payments. The role requires independent, proactive management of existing and emerging legal risks, partnering closely with business and control functions (Compliance, Risk, Chief Controls Office) to deliver practical, commercially minded advice and maintain a strong control environment. Given the cross-border nature of PBWM, the lawyer also collaborates with global legal teams on licensing and regulatory issues, helps shape new products, policies and platforms, manages external counsel efficiently, and supports on disputes where needed, while demonstrating strong communication, influencing and stakeholder-management skills and keeping abreast of regulatory developments across Singapore and the wider APAC region.

To be successful for the role, candidates should possess the following skills or experience:

• Highly proactive and resourceful
• Excellent communicator with the ability to analyse complex issues and present the analysis and recommendations in a clear and concise way for all stakeholders
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills. Ability to influence stakeholders and maintain credibility with them 
• Strong commercial focus, prioritises and delivers under pressure
• Capable of delivering creative solutions in difficult situations
• Excellent interpersonal skills. High emotional intelligence to enable delivery of significant strategic goals across the Legal function and in combination with other Functions without negative impact on stakeholders’ priorities, requiring effective diplomacy and partnering abilities.
• Lawyer admitted a Common Law jurisdiction, preferably Singapore.
• Strong technical ability and expertise in financial services and bank regulatory law in Singapore and across Asia Pacific, demonstrating a practical understanding, in particular of the capital market and private banking investment offerings.

You may be assessed on key critical skills relevant for success in the role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen, strategic thinking, as well as job-specific technical skills.

Barclays is required by law to confirm that you have the Legal Right to Work in any role that you apply for. If you currently hold a work visa sponsored by Barclays, or you would require sponsorship from Barclays, you must declare this as part of your application. Sponsored visas are role and entity specific and any changes must be reviewed. It is important that you ensure you are working on the correct visa at all times. Failure to accurately disclose your visa status or Legal Right to Work may result in your application or employment offer being withdrawn at any time.

Purpose of the role

To ensure that the activities of the business units in the Markets division are conducted in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to help the bank manage legal risk associated with these activities. 

Accountabilities

• Development and implementation of best practice legal strategies to manage compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations.
• Legal advice and support to the business units in the Markets division on matters arising from the relevant products/services provided by the Markets division  .
• Subject matter support in the Legal department’s representation of the bank in legal proceedings related to the Markets business units such as litigation, arbitration, and regulatory investigations.
• Creation and review of legal documents for the business units in the Markets division to ensure the bank’s compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. Maintaining and updating template legal documentation for the Markets division.
• Legal research and analysis to stay up to date on changes in applicable laws, rules and regulations that may impact the activities of the bank's Markets business units   .
• Developing and delivering training programmes to educate employees on legal and regulatory requirements related to the activities of the Markets business units   .
• Pro-active identification, communication, and provision of legal advice on applicable laws, rules and regulations (LRRs). Keeping up to date with regards to changes to LRRs in the relevant coverage area. Ensuring that LRRs are effectively allocated to, and adequately reflected within, the relevant policies, standards and controls.

Vice President Expectations

• To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and escalate breaches of policies/procedures..
• If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements..
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others..
• OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.
• Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.
• Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.
• Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.
• Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.