Principal Counsel, Africa Legal

Overview

This role is for a senior, strategic, and highly adaptable lawyer to lead legal and compliance efforts across multiple countries of operation in Africa. The position sits at the intersection of compliance execution and regulatory strategy and is critical to enabling continued growth in complex and evolving regulatory environments.

You will independently lead all Africa Legal & Compliance operations and strategy while serving as an integral member of the international Legal Team. The role also includes a key role in the Africa Leadership Team, partnering with the Heads of People and Finance and Country Directors, with a dotted reporting line to the Africa CEO. Cross-functional collaboration will include Operations, Policy, Government Affairs, People, Finance, and Engineering, reporting directly to the Deputy General Counsel.

This is a hands-on leadership position with significant autonomy to build and shape the Legal function, supported by collaboration with a larger global legal team.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, scale, and continuously improve legal and compliance programs across Africa, supporting rapid growth through sustainable and practical operations
• Lead day-to-day compliance workstreams covering:
  • sanctions
  • anti-bribery and anti-corruption
  • privacy
  • healthcare regulations
  • employment law
  • product-related regulations
• Support internal investigations, audits, and risk assessments in partnership with People, Finance, and senior leadership
• Manage litigation and disputes across African markets
• Translate complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable guidance for business and technical teams
• Own compliance with U.S. government award requirements, including FARs and 2 CFR 200, and serve as a primary point of contact for U.S. government contracting officers (including at the U.S. Department of State)
• Monitor and assess regulatory and policy developments across relevant African jurisdictions and advise leadership on emerging risks and opportunities

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Act as a senior legal advisor to business leaders, providing pragmatic, risk-calibrated guidance
• Build relationships across the organization and help foster a culture of compliance where teams understand expectations and can raise issues early
• Help shape the long-term legal and regulatory strategy in Africa, balancing compliance rigor with innovation and speed

Requirements

• Ability and willingness to dive deep into unfamiliar issues and operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
• Strong judgment and confidence to make independent decisions, with appropriate escalation when needed
• Experience advising on legal and compliance matters, preferably in international or emerging-market environments
• Ability to break down complex legal and regulatory problems into clear priorities and practical solutions
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to advise senior stakeholders
• Collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset and strong organizational skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience advising on legal and compliance matters, preferably in international or emerging-market environments (as listed in requirements)

Compensation & Benefits

Not specified in the provided description.

Location

• Willingness to travel up to 25% to Africa and to San Francisco headquarters

Equal Opportunity

Equal opportunity employer. Prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to protected characteristics under applicable federal, state, or local laws.