Global Head of Legal, Treasury & Global Markets

Reporting to the Group General Counsel, The Head of Legal – Treasury & Global Markets (TGM) is a senior leadership role responsible for defining, governing and executing the legal, regulatory, governance and conduct strategy for the Bank’s Treasury, Trading, Capital Markets and Global Markets businesses.

• Shape and embed a forward-looking, risk-based legal and conduct strategy for TGM, fully aligned to the Bank’s enterprise risk appetite and strategic objectives.
• Act as final escalation authority for complex, precedent-setting and high-impact TGM legal and regulatory matters prior to Group General Counsel review.
• Exercise delegated authority over material legal positions with financial, regulatory and reputational impact on TGM activities.
• Contribute to the formulation of Group-wide legal, governance and conduct policies affecting Treasury and Global Markets.
• Provide end-to-end legal support across the lifecycle of complex derivatives and related funding products, including structuring, drafting and negotiation.
• Lead legal negotiation strategy for OTC and exchange-traded derivatives, repos, securities lending, collateralised financing and treasury instruments.
• Negotiate and maintain master documentation frameworks including ISDAs, GMRAs, GMSLAs, CSAs and confirmations.
• Support new product approvals, complex/bespoke trades and time-sensitive transactions in volatile markets.
• Enable sustainable business growth by providing commercially pragmatic legal solutions while maintaining disciplined legal and risk governance.
• Own the development, maintenance and modernisation of all TGM legal documentation frameworks, playbooks and clause libraries.
• Lead the overhaul of existing ISDA, CSA and GMRA templates to ensure they are streamlined, current and incorporate evolving regulatory requirements including resolution stay language.
• Establish and maintain documentation standards that reduce per-transaction review time and improve consistency.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory and internal compliance requirements.
• Interpret and implement key legislation and regulations across the Bank’s core markets, including margin and prudential regimes, conduct rules, reporting, clearing, collateral, netting and disclosure requirements.
• Own the TGM legal risk agenda, ensuring effective identification, mitigation and control of material legal and conduct risks.
• Anticipate, interpret and mitigate emerging legal, regulatory and conduct developments affecting derivatives and capital markets.
• Support operational risk identification, reporting, remediation and governance.
• Understand and effectively perform under the Three Lines of Defence principle.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
 

• Law Degree (LLB, LLM or JD) from a recognised university.
• Admission to the professional bar, law society or attorney association of a recognised jurisdiction.
• 12–15 years of active legal experience within a major financial institution and/or top-tier law firm, with substantial focus on derivatives, capital markets and treasury.
• Deep mastery of ISDA, GMRA, GMSLA, CSA documentation and derivatives market practice.
• Demonstrable experience in negotiating complex master agreements and structured transactions.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (Arabic an advantage).
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Ability to make decisions and follow through with initiatives in real-time, high-pressure environments.
• Personal integrity and self-management.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to communicate complex legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders.
• Thorough competence across derivatives, capital markets and treasury legal disciplines, with maturity and sound judgment.
• Self-motivated with strong attention to detail.
• Team player able to work and deliver under pressure.
• Ability to manage and develop teams from diverse cultural backgrounds.