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Trade Finance Lawyer

Birmingham, United Kingdom; Greater Manchester, United Kingdom; Northampton, United Kingdom; Glasgow, United Kingdom

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Date live: 12/13/2024

Business Area: Legal

Area of Expertise: Legal

Contract: Permanent

Reference Code: JR-0000020944

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Barclays Legal

Join the Legal team to protect Barclays, its employees, and its brands while ensuring global competitiveness and compliance with legal standards. Your responsibilities will include risk mitigation, managing strategic transactions, and overseeing business contracts.

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Join us as a Trade and Finance Lawyer where you will be supporting the Trade & Working Capital business across the bank from an origination, execution, structuring and syndication perspective.  Although the role is aimed at supporting the overall Trade & Working Capital business as a whole, it is more heavily focussed on supporting the trade finance aspects of the business.  In addition, the team is also involved with helping the business implement regulatory change as well as a number of key strategic projects.

Key accountabilities:

  • Provision of legal advice to the international Trade & Working Capital business teams and the management of legal risk, with particular focus on trade finance transactions and structures
  • The role involves advising on a wide range of trade and working capital products, including trade loans, export credit agency backed financings, discounting of letters of credit and promissory notes, bank to bank trade finance, multi-layer debt financings with a trade finance element (e.g. ancillary LC and bonding facilities), bonds, guarantees and indemnities facilities and ESG product. In addition there may be a requirement from time to time to advise on invoice discounting and asset based lending structures
  • Reviewing and negotiating a full range of transaction documentation

Key skills required for this role include:

  • English law qualified Solicitor with thorough knowledge of general banking/finance law
  • Currently working in a law firm or an in-house department of a reputable bank focussing on finance transactional work
  • Proven track record on a range of general banking work, structured transactions and experience in cross border transactions
  • Ability to tackle new technical areas of law without prior experience
  • Strong technical legal skills, including ability to draft and negotiate legal documentation to the highest standard
  • Ability to co-ordinate projects and transactions

Other highly valued skills include:

  • Some specialist expertise of trade finance products, including bonds, guarantees and indemnities facilities, export credit agency backed financings, discounting of letters of credit and promissory notes and cross-border issues associated with such financings is strongly preferred
  • Experience gained working in-house for a financial institution would be advantageous
  • Ability to manage varied workload under pressure and deal with competing priorities
  • Strong commercial focus and ability to think laterally
  • Good communicator with strong personal impact and a strong team player

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

This role will be based in Birmingham.

Purpose of the role

To ensure that the activities of the corporate banking division related to the role’s relevant product set are conducted in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and to help the bank manage legal and reputational risks associated with these activities. 

Accountabilities

  • Development and implementation of best practice legal strategies related to the role’s relevant product set, to manage risk related to non-adherence to laws, rules and regulations.
  • Subject matter legal advice and support to the Bank's corporate and investment banking divisions globally on a wide range of transactions and projects across trade and working capital finance, cash management, real estate finance, project finance, asset backed finance, lending and other corporate loan finance.
  • Subject matter legal advice and support to the Bank’s businesses and infrastructure functions, including areas such as credit, compliance, risk, product management, tax, finance, fraud, transaction management, structuring and execution, litigation, commercial contract support, and operations, often in close collaboration with other legal teams across departments and jurisdictions.
  • Subject matter support in the Legal department’s representation of the bank in legal proceedings related to the role’s relevant product set, such as litigation, arbitration, and regulatory investigations.
  • Creation and/or review of legal documents for the relevant product set to ensure the bank’s adherence with applicable laws, rules and regulations. Maintaining and updating legal documentation related to the role’s related product set for the corporate banking division.
  • Development and delivery of training programmes to educate employees on legal and regulatory requirements related to the role’s relevant product set.
  • 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.

Barclays welcomes applications from all candidates and is committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments (accommodations) are put in place to allow for a fair and inclusive recruitment process. For more information and how to request one, please review Adjustments to the recruitment process.

We’re a global, vital and highly respected financial organisation with an inspiring Purpose. Operating in 39 countries and employing around 100,000 people across the world, we help communities, individuals and businesses thrive. And we’ve created financial solutions and technology that the world now takes for granted. A career with us can offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience, and the chance to learn from some of the best minds in technology and finance.

To find out more about Barclays' strategy please click here.

Barclays offers a diverse, inclusive and engaged culture. A place where people can bring their whole selves to work and be respected for who they are, valued for what they do and celebrated for their contribution to our business and our community.

We are an equal opportunity employer and opposed to discrimination on any grounds. It is the policy of Barclays to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, creed, religion, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.

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 any employment offer being withdrawn at any time.

Learn more about Barclays locations

Across our campuses, we offer modern workspaces, collaborative areas, and state-of-the-art meeting rooms. Facilities include wellness rooms, on-site cafeterias, fitness centers, and tech-equipped workstations. Designed for innovation and comfort, they support a dynamic and productive work environment.

Gain access to wellness rooms, gyms and mental health support.

Our welcoming and inclusive culture supports you to bring your whole self to work, explore your potential and pursue your passions.

Modern spaces designed for teamwork and brainstorming.

There’s so much more than work to involve and engage you on campus. From socialising to sports, from community events to volunteering.

Learn more about Barclays locations

Across our campuses, we offer modern workspaces, collaborative areas, and state-of-the-art meeting rooms. Facilities include wellness rooms, on-site cafeterias, fitness centers, and tech-equipped workstations. Designed for innovation and comfort, they support a dynamic and productive work environment.

Health and wellness

Gain access to wellness rooms, gyms and mental health support.

A place where you can belong

Our welcoming and inclusive culture supports you to bring your whole self to work, explore your potential and pursue your passions.

Collaborative Areas

Modern spaces designed for teamwork and brainstorming.

More than work

There’s so much more than work to involve and engage you on campus. From socialising to sports, from community events to volunteering.

Be you. Be valued. Belong.

We celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences each individual brings, believing our differences make us stronger and drive success. Our colleague networks offer connection, support, and growth, while our "This is Me" series shares the unique stories of our colleagues. Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Barclays values you for who you are and ensures you truly belong.

You can learn more about our commitment to our colleague on our DE&I page.  

Learn more

Application Process

Your application

We’ll ask for information about you, your CV and cover letter.

1

Your assessment

Covering your behaviours and ability at work.

2

Your interview

Exploring your past experiences and skills.

3

Next step

We’ll request additional information so that you can complete our screening process

4
How to ApplyRead our FAQ's
Barclays

Working flexibly

We’re committed to providing an inclusive culture and environment, that recognises and supports ways to balance your personal needs, alongside the professional needs of our business. Providing the opportunity for all our employees globally to work flexibly empowers each of us to work in a way that suits our lives, as well as enabling us to better service our customers’ and clients’ needs.

Our approach to working flexibly is designed to support you to balance your life and to accommodate diverse needs, whilst still allowing us to meet our business needs. If you’d like to request a flexible working arrangement, please discuss this with your hiring manager.

Hybrid working: Our approach to hybrid working ensures there’s the right balance of working alongside colleagues at our onsite locations, as required for each role. For business areas that offer a hybrid working experience, this will be in a structured way, where colleagues work at an onsite location on fixed, ‘anchor’, days of the week. Some roles may require full onsite working. Please discuss the working pattern requirements for the role you are applying for with the hiring manager.

We continue to embed and review our hybrid working environment and remain in a phase of testing and learning. This means that working arrangements could change, with reasonable notice, to align with the needs of our business.

Barclays is built on an international scale.

Our geographic reach, our wide variety of functions, businesses, roles and locations reflect the rich diversity of our worldwide customer base. All of which means we offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience.
And the chance to learn from a globally diverse mix of colleagues, including some of the very best minds in banking, finance, technology and business. Throughout, we’ll encourage you to embrace mobility, exploring every part of our operations as you build your career.

Find more information

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