Legal Counsel

ABOUT US

We’re the world’s leading provider of secure financial messaging services, headquartered in Belgium. We are the way the world moves value – across borders, through cities and overseas. No other organisation can address the scale, precision, pace and trust that this demands, and we’re proud to support the global economy.

We’re unique too. We were established to find a better way for the global financial community to move value – a reliable, safe and secure approach that the community can trust, completely. We’re always striving to be better and are constantly evolving in an ever-changing landscape, without undermining that trust. Five decades on, our vibrant community reflects the complexity and diversity of the financial ecosystem. We innovate diligently, test exhaustively, then implement fast. In a connected and exciting era, our mission has never been more relevant. Swift now has a presence in 200+ countries and legal territories to serve a community of more than 12,000 banks and financial institutions.

In this role your responsibilities will amongst others be:

Key Responsibilities

• •To implement legal activities of low to medium complexity and give company-wide sound legal advice/counsels/ recommendations in order to support Swift activities and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
• •To undertake specific legal studies, review legal and regulatory documentation, investigate specific issues.
• •To draft /review contracts / or amendments to contracts worldwide for customers/suppliers/ development projects/ network/etc...
• •To undertake internal legal projects (including legal operations initiatives) or participate to internal or transversal objectives.
• •To analyse internal legal procedures and propose internal actions to be undertaken in order to maximise services.
• •To liaise with management and staff and with customers/suppliers/lawyers/public administrations/etc...
• •To undertake administrative tasks within the department and to be an effective back-up for colleagues.
• •To maintain/develop own understanding of evolutions in relevant areas of the law including corporate-related laws (such as – but not limited to - HR, finance, environment, facilities, security, etc.), competition law, IP, to identify potential impact on Swift operations.
• •Identify and evaluate the impact of risks, propose mitigations and controls, participate in risk assessments as part of the Legal & Compliance representation.
• •As appropriate, build knowledge sharing and training material and conduct training sessions for the business and peers on legal and regulatory matters.

Take part of on-call duties and handle, as appropriate, unplanned contacts and interactions with authorities.

Competency Profile

• •Takes Accountability for Delivering Results: Makes choices and decisions based on established practices and precedents; delivers results by overcoming a range of obstacles and issues and where timing may be critical. Show a good level of independence and ability to evolve in unchartered territory.
• •Demonstrates Operational Excellence: Delivers work to agreed specifications of timeliness and quality; seeks to improve ways of doing things; sets and meets high standards for own work; demonstrates commitment to security policy.
• •Expands knowledge: Expands own specialist knowledge and skills by taking ownership of own development; encourages colleagues to bring forward and share new ideas and alternative solutions; demonstrates openness to utilise new approaches.
• •Business Understanding and Commercial Sense: Applies understanding of how own division adds value to the business; uses knowledge of financial and business principles to deliver cost-effective solutions; adapts quickly to changes in the market, the industry and the organisation while upholding standards.
• •Builds and reinforces customer relationships: Fosters effective relationships by listening actively and taking steps to identify and meet customer needs; demonstrates customer focus and friendliness in all activities and actions.
• •Leads with a team focus: Initiates effective co-operation and team working with others; provides support to new team members; appreciates style and background differences; demonstrates commitment to Swift values.

Communicates effectively: Communicates effectively across a range of practical and operational issues; adjusts personal communication style to fit intended audience; listens to and respects other people's points of view.

We are seeking professionals with:

Education

University law degree with 5 years professional experience in a law firm or legal department.

Experience

Minimum 5 years of experience in legal matters within an international environment. Preferably member of 'In house Counsel Association' or equivalent.

Good knowledge of European civil law system and principles is a strong asset.

What we offer

We give you the freedom to be yourself. We are creating an environment of unique individuals – like you – with different perspectives on the financial industry and the world. A diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone’s voice counts and where you can reach your full potential.

We are committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation related to accessibility during your application or interview, please contact accessibility-Sysgroup@swift.com or indicate this in your application.

Please note that this mailbox is not monitored for general recruitment enquiries and should only be used for accessibility or accommodation-related requests (for example related to vision, hearing or neurodiversity).

All requests are confidential and will not affect your candidacy.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Swift, we are dedicated to building a workplace where people can bring their full selves and ideas to the team, so if you are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single qualification.