The Opportunity

The Legal Counsel/Senior Legal Counsel is a senior trusted advisor within China Construction Bank Corporation, Sydney Branch ("CCBS"), responsible for providing commercially focused legal advice and strategic support that enables the Bank to achieve its strategic, commercial, and operational objectives while appropriately managing legal and regulatory risk.

About this Role

- Strategic Business Partnership: Builds trusted relationships with business leaders and stakeholders, understands commercial objectives, and provides practical legal advice that supports execution, informed decision-making and achievement of strategic business outcomes.

- Legal and Regulatory Expertise: Applies deep technical knowledge and translates complex legal and regulatory requirements into practical business solutions.

- Judgement and Decision Making: Exercises sound judgement and makes balanced decisions in complex, sensitive or ambiguous situations.

- Planning and Prioritisation: Effectively manages competing priorities and delivers high-quality outcomes within required timeframes.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Legal Advisory and Business Partnership

- Serve as the Bank's primary legal advisor, providing strategic, commercially focused legal advice and guidance to management and business stakeholders on matters impacting the Bank's operations, strategic objectives, governance arrangements and risk profile, ensuring legal considerations are effectively integrated into decision-making processes and business planning activities.

- Partner with business leaders across the Bank to identify opportunities, support strategic initiatives, facilitate complex transactions and develop practical solutions to legal and regulatory issues, balancing legal risk management with commercial objectives and operational requirements.

- Act as a trusted strategic business partner by developing solid relationships across the organisation, promoting early engagement with Legal and fostering a culture where legal risk management supports responsible business growth, innovation and operational effectiveness.

- Support the successful delivery of business plans, projects, products and organisational initiatives by providing timely legal advice, constructive challenge and risk-based recommendations that enable informed decision-making and sustainable business outcomes.

Transactional and Commercial Legal Support

- Provide legal oversight and support across wholesale banking, treasury, trade finance, private banking and corporate activities, ensuring legal risks are appropriately managed while supporting the efficient execution of transactions and commercial arrangements.

- Support the review, and management of legal risks within financing agreements, customer documentation, treasury documentation, technology agreements, outsourcing arrangements, commercial contracts and strategic business arrangements, ensuring contractual outcomes appropriately protect the Bank's interests and support business objectives.

- Develop and maintain contractual standards, legal templates and guidance materials that promote consistency, efficiency and sound legal risk management across the organisation.

Legal Risk Management, Governance, and Regulatory Change

- Design, maintain and continuously enhance the Bank's legal risk management framework, legal operating model, policies, procedures, standards and controls, ensuring legal risks are appropriately identified, assessed, monitored, reported and managed in accordance with the Bank's risk management framework, governance requirements and regulatory obligations.

- Provide oversight and guidance regarding legal risk matters, governance arrangements, delegated authorities, legal policies, legal procedures and operational controls, ensuring legal obligations and risk considerations are appropriately embedded within business processes, decision-making activities and organisational practices.

- Establish and maintain effective legal governance and operational processes, including legal advice management, matter management, legal records management, statutory notice management,



legal reporting and document management frameworks that support effective legal service delivery and governance outcomes.

- Monitor legislative, regulatory and judicial developments impacting the Bank and conduct legal impact assessments to identify emerging obligations, risks and opportunities, coordinating implementation activities and supporting business stakeholders in responding effectively to legal and regulatory change.

- Develop and maintain legal reporting frameworks, management information, contractual standards, legal templates, guidance materials and performance metrics that support effective oversight of legal risks, legal matters, legal expenditure, litigation activities and the overall effectiveness of the legal function.

- Drive continuous improvement across legal governance, legal operations, legal service delivery and legal risk management practices through process optimisation, standardisation, automation, stakeholder engagement and ongoing enhancement of legal frameworks and supporting controls.

External Legal Counsel and Service Provider Management

- Establish and maintain effective relationships with external legal providers, ensuring external legal services are delivered in a cost-effective, commercially practical and timely manner that supports the Bank's objectives.

- Assess the need for external legal advice and manage the engagement, instruction and oversight of external legal providers, ensuring advice obtained is relevant, technically robust and aligned to business requirements.

- Monitor external legal provider performance, service quality, responsiveness and expenditure, ensuring appropriate governance, accountability and value for money are achieved.

- Manage legal budgets and external legal expenditure, supporting effective financial management and efficient utilisation of legal resources.

- Periodically review panel arrangements, service delivery models and external provider performance to identify opportunities for improvement and enhanced service outcomes.

Litigation, Disputes and Regulatory Engagement

- Provide strategic oversight of litigation, disputes, investigations, regulatory inquiries, statutory notices and enforcement matters affecting the Bank, ensuring legal risks are appropriately managed and escalated.

- Manage the Bank's response to legal proceedings, disputes and investigations, coordinating internal stakeholders and external legal providers to ensure timely, effective and commercially appropriate outcomes.

- Assess legal exposures and dispute risks, providing management with advice regarding resolution strategies, litigation risks, settlement options and potential business impacts.

- Maintain governance and reporting arrangements relating to litigation, disputes, investigations and legal holds, ensuring material matters are appropriately monitored, documented and reported.

Stakeholder Engagement and Business Enablement

- Build and maintain strong working relationships with management, business units, Head Office stakeholders, regulators, industry bodies and external service providers to support the effective delivery of legal services and business objectives.

- Partner with business stakeholders to understand strategic priorities, operational challenges and growth opportunities, ensuring legal advice is aligned to organisational objectives and business needs.

- Communicate complex legal issues in a clear, practical and commercially relevant manner, supporting informed decision-making and stakeholder understanding of legal risks and obligations.

- Represent the legal function in governance forums, committees, projects, industry engagements and stakeholder meetings, ensuring legal considerations are effectively represented and understood.





Team Fulfilment

- Support the effective operation of the broader Internal Control & Compliance function by contributing legal expertise, resources and support to cross-functional initiatives, projects, regulatory activities and organisational priorities.

- Collaborate with Compliance, Financial Crime, Operational Risk and other control functions to support integrated risk management outcomes and effective management of regulatory and governance obligations.

- Provide support during periods of increased workload, organisational change or resource constraints to ensure continuity of critical activities and achievement of departmental objectives.

- Contribute to a collaborative, high-performing and customer-focused culture across the Internal Control & Compliance function through active participation, knowledge sharing and qualified leadership.

Ad-Hoc Responsibilities

- Undertake additional legal, governance, regulatory or strategic projects as directed by the Head of Internal Control & Compliance.

- Perform other duties reasonably required having regard to the seniority, scope and strategic nature of the role.

Essential Criteria

- Legal Qualifications: Must be admitted to practise law in an Australian jurisdiction and hold a current Australian practising certificate.

- Relevant Legal Experience: 3–5 years of relevant legal experience, preferably within a bank, financial institution, law firm or the broader financial services sector.

- Banking and Financial Services Knowledge: Sound understanding of Australian banking and financial services laws and regulations, with experience in corporate lending, wholesale banking, commercial contracts or financial transactions.

- Legal Risk Management: Ability to identify, assess and manage legal risks, and contribute to the development and enhancement of legal risk management frameworks, internal policies, governance arrangements and controls.

- Communication and Stakeholder Management: Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior management, business units, control functions and external legal advisers, and communicate complex legal issues clearly and effectively.

- Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills: Strong analytical, organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple matters independently and deliver high-quality outcomes within required timeframes.

- Professional Integrity and Judgement: High standards of professional ethics, integrity and accountability, with sound independent judgement and the ability to handle complex, sensitive or potentially conflicting matters appropriately.

Culture & Benefits

We feel strongly that a positive workplace culture will help us create a positive experience for each and every member of the CCB family. We have some really great employee advantages to offer:

- Professional development opportunities – we want to help our employees be the best that they can be, so we help them on that journey

- Excellent work/life balance

Additional Information

We encourage people with a disability to apply for roles at China Construction Bank and to request any support or reasonable adjustments that may be required to fully participate in the recruitment process.

To be considered for this role, interested candidates must provide an up-to-date resume.

About us

China Construction Bank Corporation (CCB) are one of the largest financial institutions in China and the Sydney Representative Office was set up in November 2007. In August 2010, the Australian Prudential and Regulation Authority (APRA) approved China Construction Bank Corporation as a foreign authorised deposit taking institution.

CCB Sydney Branch can conduct wholesale banking business in Australia, including corporate lending and deposit, international settlement, trade finance, AUD clearing. The establishment of CCB Sydney Branch will enable CCB to expand its global network and enhance customer service capability to facilitate the economic and trade co-operation between Australia and China.

Please no recruitment company solicitation.

📌 Legal Counsel/Senior Legal Counsel (Sydney)
🏢 China Construction Bank
📍 Sydney