Chief Counsel, Sovereign-Backed Finance

Chief Counsel, Sovereign-Backed Finance

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank whose mission is financing the Infrastructure for Tomorrow—infrastructure with sustainability at its core. We began operations in Beijing in January 2016 and have since grown to 103 approved members worldwide. We are capitalized up to USD100 billion and Triple-A-rated by the major international credit rating agencies. Working with partners, AIIB meets clients’ needs by unlocking new capital and investing in infrastructure that is green, technology-enabled and promotes regional connectivity.  

The position of Chief Counsel, Sovereign-Backed Finance reports to the General Counsel. The selected candidate should have the skills and experience needed to assume primary accountability and leadership responsibility within the Legal Department (LEG) to manage the following aspects, with focus on sovereign-backed finance:

• A departmental unit within LEG providing legal advisory services on sovereign-backed finance to the Vice Presidency, Investment Operations and, to the extent it involves advice on matters relating to investment operations, the Vice Presidency, Policy, Strategy and Budget. 
• Mentor, guide and support unit lawyers in the design of operations, drafting and negotiation of legal agreements for those operations, assisting in processing their approval by the Board, and facilitating responsive action to changing circumstances during implementation of operations.
• Supervise and guide lawyers on sovereign-backed finance on each step of the project cycle, including reviewing and clearing legal documents.
• Comment on and contribute to the development of proposed Bank policies, directives and guidance notes.
• Provide legal advice on the operational aspects of Bank policies and directives in respect of sovereign-backed finance.
• As needed, and as part of a function within LEG that provides departmental support to Bank, manage external counsel advising AIIB on sovereign-backed finance investment operations.
• Provide advice to committees of the Board of Directors.
• Provide advice to the management committees dealing with investment operations and policy and strategy matters as they impact on investment operations in respect of sovereign-backed finance.
• Represent the Bank at external events in relation to investment operations matters.
• Contribute to Bank-wide initiatives and other tasks as directed by the General Counsel.

The skills required to discharge the above-described responsibilities include:

• A minimum of 10 – 15 years relevant experience, Master’s degree / qualification to practice law or equivalent. 
• A high level of technical competence in investment operations, particularly in respect of Sovereign-Backed Finance, including sovereign and sub-sovereign loans.
• The ability to contribute substantially to informed decision-making by the Bank’s governance organs and senior staff.
• Proven track record of having worked:
  •  in a wide range of countries, including middle-income countries at various levels of development, less developed countries quickly emerging into middle-income countries, fragile and post-conflict countries and countries facing capacity constraints; and
  • on novel and innovative multilateral development bank products and instruments, such as development policy and results-based lending and climate finance.
• The stature and personality needed to manage and lead staff so that the legal and other services they provide fully meet the Bank's needs.
• The ability to command the confidence of those with whom the incumbent works.
• The experience needed for this position is likely to have been drawn from a combination of working, for a substantial number of years (minimum 15 years), at progressively more senior levels in a major multilateral development bank, a leading law firm, a major private financial institution or global corporation.

AIIB is committed to diversity, transparency and inclusion. We believe our strength comes from having a team with the right diverse skills, experiences and abilities selected through a merit-based competitive process. We actively encourage applications from people from both within and outside AIIB members, regardless of nationality, religion, gender, race, disability or sexual orientation.

Join in AIIB’s mission to promote sustainable infrastructure investments and to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia and beyond.