Legal Officer, LAC Region

The Legal Officer will provide legal and policy advice to IFC's Latin America and Caribbean region, handling financing transactions, advisory projects, and upstream engagements. The role involves working autonomously on straightforward transactions and supporting more complex cases, ensuring compliance with local and international laws and IFC policies.

Responsibilities

• Oversee work produced by administrative and more junior staff in the Legal Department.
• Handle portfolio work including preparing amendment and waiver documents, subsequent closings and disbursements, and managing simple equity sale arrangements.
• Update guidance, manage precedents, and conduct legal and IFC policy research.
• Be knowledgeable about the laws of at least one relevant jurisdiction in the region related to commercial and company law / banking and finance.
• Perform a variety of different and complex assignments to support the Legal Department.
• Conduct legal research using varied sources and present results and recommendations clearly and concisely.
• Advocate positions and explain them to internal and external clients orally and in writing.
• Manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously.
• Communicate effectively with colleagues in Washington and LAC offices to share knowledge and experience.
• Explain and defend IFC’s approach in standard loan and equity clauses and negotiate successfully.
• Communicate corporate policies and objectives to internal and external clients.
• Handle communications and instructions to external counsel and parties to finalize IFC positions and draft documents.
• Apply good legal judgment with limited supervision.
• Interact effectively within the Legal Department, other IFC departments, and external clients.
• Participate in departmental working groups, committees, and training initiatives.
• Organize corporate initiatives and training programs.
• Promote effective transfer of knowledge and skills.
• Provide guidance to more junior staff in the Legal Department.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor, LLB, or equivalent law degree from a recognized university, and qualification to practice law in at least one jurisdiction.
• An LLM or other relevant postgraduate degree would be an advantage.
• At least four years of relevant legal experience following completion of the law degree, gained at a local or international law firm, international financial institution, development finance institution, or corporation with significant international business or finance operations.
• Experience working in an international setting or advising on matters involving multiple jurisdictions would be highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience advising on cross-border transactions, preferably involving international finance, project finance, corporate finance, investment transactions, or other relevant commercial matters.
• Experience in emerging markets would be an advantage.
• Ability to independently take on straightforward transactions from start to finish, working with investment staff, external clients, local counsel, and international counsel.
• Demonstrated commitment to core values including excellence, mutual respect, collegiality, teamwork, diversity and inclusiveness, integrity, innovation, transparency and accountability.
• Ability to advise business teams on standard legal questions and legal risks.
• Ability to understand complex legal issues in loans and equity investments and articulate arguments and rationale.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Portuguese.
• Proficiency in Spanish would be an advantage.
• Ability to advise on advisory engagements.
• Ability to handle portfolio work.
• Effective written and spoken communication and strong interpersonal skills.

Skills

• Legal Practice Qualification
• Cross-border Transactions
• International Finance Law
• Project Financing
• Corporate Finance
• Investment Transactions
• Legal Advisory Services
• Multi-jurisdictional Legal Advice
• Emerging Markets Law
• Loan and Equity Investments
• Legal Risk Management
• Legal Drafting
• Portfolio Management
• Advisory Engagements
• Written Communication
• Verbal Communication
• English Language Proficiency
• Portuguese Proficiency

Languages

English, Portuguese, Spanish