Legal Officer

Job Description
Job vacancy: Legal Officer within Legal in Grade 7
Job code: LIR/021/2021

About Legal:
The Legal Affairs team provides legal advice internally across the organisation on a wide range of matters including enforcement and supervisory matters, as well as matters of an operational nature. It is also involved in the coordination and oversight of the legislative process in so far as laws administered by the MFSA are concerned. Moreover, Legal Affairs attends to any litigation matters and represents the Authority in any action or legal proceedings in which the MFSA is involved or has an interest.

The Role:
The eventual appointee will be reporting to Senior Legal Counsel and will be responsible for performing the following tasks:

• Provide and assist in the provision of legal advice generally, including legal research and advice on supervisory and regulatory issues related to investigations and enforcement, as well as assisting in the identification and analysis of legal issues and risks and applying sound judgment thereto;
• Vetting and/or drafting of legal instruments/agreements binding the Authority;
• Assist in advisory duties related to the formulation and drafting of policies and procedures, including with respect to the supervisory and regulatory functions of the Authority;
• Reviewing and/or drafting legislative instruments as may be necessary, following and coordinating the legislative process insofar as concerns the MFSA, including attending parliamentary sittings and committee meetings as may be required;
• If and when necessary, assisting in matters related to litigation or potential litigation;
• To perform such other functions or duties as may be assigned.

About You:
The role requires a University of Malta Degree in Law (LL.D or Master of Advocacy level) or a comparable recognised legal qualification at National Qualification Framework Level 6 or better duly certified by the Malta Qualifications Recognition Information Centre (MQRIC), together with possession of a warrant to practice in the Courts of Malta. A post-graduate degree in a discipline relevant to the financial services sector would be considered an asset. Candidates with three (3) years (or more) working experience relevant to the role will be preferred. We are looking for candidates with a solid academic background in law, preferably with exposure to financial services law, and who are motivated and willing to expand further their current knowledge. The selected candidate should have a positive attitude, be resourceful and attentive to detail, be able to work independently, and have excellent communication skills and a strong command of both Maltese and English (written and spoken). The selected candidate will be required to work towards the achievement of deliverables as may be assigned by superiors, meet deadlines in an efficient and effective manner and collaborate with all other team members as well as colleagues from other teams.

How to apply or query further information:
Candidates are to forward a copy of their Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) and an accompanying covering letter providing the motivation for the application.

Other Important Information:
The MFSA is an Equal Opportunities Employer as certified by the NCPE (National Commission for the Protection of Equality) and is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in all aspects of employment and will take care to avoid any form of discrimination in its recruitment procedures. The MFSA reserves the right to withdraw this call at any time and not to select any of the Candidates. It is the responsibility of applicants in possession of qualifications awarded by Universities and other similar institutions outside Malta to produce a recognition statement on the comparability of qualifications issued by the Malta Qualifications Recognition Information Centre (MQRIC). Applicants should do so preferably at the application stage or otherwise at the preliminary interview should an applicant be selected for such an interview. Details can be obtained by accessing the National Commission for Further and Higher Education website under MQRIC heading. The MFSA shall ensure that any processing of personal data is in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation), the Data Protection Act (Chapter 586 of the Laws of Malta) and any other relevant European Union and national law. For further details, you may refer to the Data Protection Policy on the MFSA webpage. Candidates are to note that the submission of any false statement/s or omission, even if unintended, may lead to the cancellation of their application and may render the candidate's appointment liable to termination. Furthermore, please note that candidates may be asked to submit any documentation in support of the information provided, including but not limited to, proof of qualifications and Police Conduct Certificates.

*Jobsplus permit - 567/2021

Malta Financial Services Authority:
The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) is the single regulator for financial services in Malta. It was established by law on 23 July 2002 taking over supervisory functions previously carried out by the Central Bank of Malta, the Malta Stock Exchange and the Malta Financial Services Centre. The Authority is a fully autonomous public institution and reports to Parliament on an annual basis.