JOB RESPONSIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS
POSITION TITLE: Senior Legal Counsel
CATEGORY: Professional
WORK TYPE: Full time
DEPARTMENT: Legal Department
REPORTS TO: General Legal Counsel
PLACE OF WORK: Istanbul, Turkey
CONTRACT DURATION: Fixed term contract
JOB DESCRIPTION AND OBLIGATIONS SUMMARY
The Turkic Investment Fund (TIF / Fund) aims to become a catalyst for socio-economic development and integration of the Turkic countries, and a flagship organization for the promotion of sustainability, intra-regional trade and connectivity via investments across various sectors with a focus on debt financing, equity investments, and other structured/hybrid financial instruments.
The Senior Legal Counsel provides legal advice to ensure TIF operates within its charter, mandates, and applicable legal frameworks. The role encompasses advising in all legal matters affecting TIF’s investment operations, corporate governance, dispute resolution, ethics and compliance, risk mitigation, and institutional law.
The Senior Legal Counsel advises on legal risks and safeguards essential to maintaining the TIF’s credibility, integrity, and accountability across its global operations, and the functional duties of the role include drafting and reviewing legal documentation, ensuring adherence to applicable laws and treaties, and representing the Fund in negotiations and legal proceedings.
The role requires expertise in international financial law, development finance institutions, and multilateral agreements, as well as strong judgment, discretion, and the ability to navigate complex legal issues in a multicultural, multi-jurisdictional setting.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Senior Legal Counsel plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the institution’s legal integrity and guiding its strategic decisions. The main duties and responsibilities of the role include but not limited to:
- Provide expert legal advice on institutional, operational, and financial matters.
- Advise on institutional governance, including legal matters related to the Fund’s charter, shareholder agreements, Board procedures, and amendments to governing documents.
- Shape and review legal strategies for projects, investments, and partnerships, and contribute to institutional strategy, risk management, and policy development from a legal perspective.
- Ensure alignment with international law, the Fund’s establishing agreement, applicable international and host country regulations, best international standards, and TIF policies.
- Draft, review, and negotiate legal documentation, including investment agreements (employing wide range of instruments, covering from plain vanilla loan and guarantees to complex equity and hybrid instruments), co-financing participation agreement, partnership agreement, procurement contracts, and employment agreements.
- Maintain oversight of legal documentation related to the Fund’s operations and governance and ensure proper records keeping.
- Support the Fund’s risk management activities by helping to identify potential risks and ensuring that established safeguards and procedures are followed.
- Assist in handling legal matters involving external parties – such as governments, shareholders, co-investors, multilateral institutions, and counterparties – by preparing documentation, supporting negotiations, and coordinating with relevant stakeholders.
- Coordinate with external counsel and support the oversight of outsourced legal services to ensure quality and cost-effective delivery.
- Conduct research on legal and regulatory developments in Member countries and internationally and assist in analyzing their implications for the Fund’s operations and compliance.
- Support dispute resolution, litigation, and arbitration matters by preparing legal documentation, conducting analysis, and coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.
- Provide operational and administrative support to the Legal Department, contributing to planning activities and coordinating departmental initiatives.
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:
- Advanced university degree (Master’s level or equivalent) in Law is required.
- Admission to practice law in Türkiye is required.
- Specialization in international financial law, development finance, commercial law, or public international law is highly desirable.
- Have relevant professional experience as a lawyer working on English law governed financing agreements in one or more of the following fields:
- cross-border banking transactions involving the taking of security;
- cross-border structured finance transactions;
- cross-border private equity investments;
- equity funds transactions; and/or
- capital markets transactions.
EXPERIENCE:
- At least 5-7 years of progressively responsible legal experience in top-tier law firms or in-house legal department of a top international commercial / investment bank, or international organizations with the focus on development financing with significant exposure to cross-border financial transactions and institutional governance.
- Demonstrated experience advising on complex legal matters of the Host Country.
- Experience working with or advising multilateral development banks or international financial institutions (i.e. MDBs or IFIs like EBRD, IFC, etc.) and professional experience gained in one or more of TIF’s Members states would be a strong asset.
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:
- Expert knowledge of Host Country law, international law, institutional governance, and multilateral development finance legal frameworks.
- Practical experience or familiarity with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) legal frameworks.
- Strong negotiation and project management skills, with the ability to prepare and review complex legal agreements and policy documents.
- Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities, with the ability to deliver clear, practical, and business-oriented legal advice.
- High level of integrity, confidentiality, and professional ethics, as well as excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Excellent command of the English (including verbal and written) and excellent skills in drafting and negotiating legal documents in English language; proficiency in other languages relevant to the Fund’s region is an asset.
- Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and diverse institutional environment, often under time pressure.
