BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and a key player in international banking. We operate in 65 countries and employ 190,000 people, including nearly 145,000 in Europe. Our Group holds key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services; Investment & Protection Services; and Corporate & Institutional Banking (CIB) for corporate and institutional clients.

BNP Paribas’ CIB UK Legal department is a dynamic and integral part of the bank's activities, providing expert legal advice and support across a wide range of activities. Our teams work closely with the business on transactional, advisory and governance matters and on disputes. It is led by dedicated professionals who ensure that the bank's interests are protected while adhering to the highest legal, regulatory and ethical standards. The department is involved in various initiatives, including work experience programs, diversity and inclusion efforts, and legal technology advancements, reflecting its commitment to excellence, innovation and efficiency in the legal field.

Company purpose:

Our company purpose is to contribute to a responsible and sustainable economy by financing and advising clients according to the highest ethical standards.

Our employer promise is built around three pillars:

• Being a great place to work

• Committed to sustainability and having a positive impact

• Being dedicated to the development of our people

Business area

The PS&S Legal team is part of the Derivatives platform in LEGAL, primarily advising various business lines within BNPP Global Markets (“GM”) in relation to prime services, foreign exchange prime brokerage, derivatives clearing, and securities lending. The Derivatives Platform is an organisation within LEGAL comprising legal professionals providing legal advice and transactional support to GM more broadly as well as other LEGAL teams, Functions and various stakeholders in BNP Paribas.  

Job Purpose

Purpose:

The PS&S Vice President role provides specialist and/or regulatory advice and support to the PS&S business based in the UK in order to ensure that the business is supported, and able to achieve its objectives, on all matters relating to PS&S, whilst effectively identifying and managing legal risk. The PS&S Vice President will draft and negotiate documentation relating to PS&S matters, such as English law derivatives clearing agreements, associated collateral structures and guarantees as well as any ancillary documentation, in the UK or across EMEA as needed and will supervise more junior members of the team. 

Scope: Primarily UK, with some EMEA/APAC advice where needed. 

Key Responsibilities

• Advanced level professional accountable for providing specialist, high quality legal and/or regulatory advice to the business in respect of matters relating to PS&S such as those arising from the Derivatives Execution and Clearing (“DEC”) business with a particular focus on the clearing of commodities underliers for corporate clients (“DEC Corporate”);
• Drafts, negotiates and maintains legal documentation for clients of DEC Corporate to include English law derivatives clearing agreements, associated collateral structures and guarantees as well as identifying risks and developing legal solutions to transactions which may extend over time to other clients of DEC; 
• Takes an active role in supporting and managing the development of legal policy within PS&S;
• Periodically represents LEGAL in business committees such as transaction approval (TAC) and new activity (NAC) committees in relation to DEC and provides or co-ordinates legal advice on projects impacting DEC such as regulatory change or market infrastructure changes;
• Reviews the quality and efficiency of work within the PS&S team and formulates recommendations that align with best practice, on-going organisational strategies and cost efficiencies;
• Manage medium sized Legal projects to improve the legal service provision to the business and / or assists and supports with large-scale legal projects in PS&S liaising, where appropriate, with internal and external legal compliance, risk management, tax and accounting advisers and back and middle office professionals;
• Responds to business issues and queries relating to DEC in order to provide quality and timely advice to the business;
• Manages and supports relationships with key stakeholders across the business to ensure that a service of high quality legal advice is provided;
• Contributes to functional governance and reporting processes, for the sharing of knowhow and escalation / management of risks;
• Influences and supports other team members as required by leading in decision making and approach where problems are more complex and require sophisticated analysis or experience. Acts as a point of escalation for more junior staff;
• Undertakes all of the above in relation to Derivatives Clearing, UK and France, Derivatives, LEGAL team to the extent relevant and not already covered.

Requirements

• English law qualified lawyer or relevant regulatory professional qualification with expert knowledge of PS&S, particularly with respect to both OTC and exchange-traded cleared derivatives, and an understanding of how the current legal /regulatory practices relevant to PS&S fit with the broader Bank and the Legal function. 
• Good working knowledge of Bank-wide policies, procedures, regulations and legislation relevant to PS&S. 
• Good commercial and communication / stakeholder management skills along with excellent analytical skills and the ability to translate technical and complex legal concepts into clear guidance and advice to the business.
• Strong relationship management skills and an ability provide support and act as a mentor to more junior members of the team. 
• Computer literacy and a good understanding of relevant software used by the PS&S Legal team at the relevant time.  

And of course, we expect all our colleagues to embody and practice the Group values (alignment with the Bank’s strategy, commitment, work ethic, integrity and Code of Conduct).

A bit more about why you should join us

1. We’re a great place to work

We aim for optimal work/life balance (depending on role, this includes hybrid working, flexible working and agile)

We are proud of our award-winning flexible benefits and health & wellbeing strategy. Our flexible benefits include:

• Generous holiday allowance of at least 26 days (plus bank holidays) – with option to buy and sell holidays.

• Valuable financial plans – a 12% non-contributory pension which has been moved to sustainable investments*, life assurance*, income protection and personal accident insurance.

• Extensive wellbeing and mental health offering – one of the most advanced private medical schemes in the UK, dental cover, wellbeing app, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy support, subsidised gym memberships, bespoke health assessments including genetic testing, Private GP (including digital GP services to parents of employees), Employee Assistance Programme, menopause & fertility support (we are an accredited Menopause Friendly Employer), neurodiversity assessment and support.

• Key onsite services and facilities in London – include physiotherapy, nutrition, massage therapy, physiology, mental health first aiders, seasonal flu vaccinations and free onsite fitness centre.

• Plus, emergency back-up care for dependants, green car leasing, season ticket loan, and a range of other benefits.

* Subject to relevant caps

2. As the eurozone’s largest bank, we are committed to having a positive impact in the world.  

For example, we are committed to Net Zero in all of our financing and investment portfolios by 2050. By 2030, 80% of our energy production financing will be low carbon.

But impact for us means more than climate. It means empowering our people every day. Everyone gets four volunteering days each year - in 2023, we achieved over 18,000 hours of volunteering across the UK and reaching over 4,500 young people.

3. We believe in our people

We support our people to develop skills to adapt to the ever-evolving world of work and to prepare for the jobs of today and tomorrow. We do this through a comprehensive training offering, talent programmes, mentoring, career days and inhouse career tools.

We are proud of the number of our people who progress and secure new roles internally. In fact, in 2023, nearly half of our positions in UK CIB were filled internally. 

Investing in our people also means we have a collaborative and inclusive culture:

• Direct feedback from our people shows that our internal culture sets us apart from our industry peers.

• Each year, nearly 30,000 employees globally are involved in professional networks that play an active role in promoting Diversity and Inclusion within the Group. These include our:

Pride Network, Ability Network (which supports disabled employees), MixCity (gender equality network), Women in Global Markets, Women in Global Banking, Women in IT, Diversity Equity & Inclusion in Technology, Early Careers Network, Multicultural Network and Parents & Carers Network.

Equal opportunities 

BNP Paribas is committed to providing a work environment that fosters diversity, inclusion, and equal employment opportunity without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

Adjustments

We don’t want anyone to be disadvantaged in our recruitment processes, so if you have a disability or health condition which may mean that you’d benefit from some adjustments or additional support, please let us know as early in the process as possible.

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