Principal Counsel, Africa Legal

Overview

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

This is a hands-on leadership role 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, with a focus on sustainable, practical operations that support rapid growth
• Lead day-to-day compliance workstreams covering sanctions, anti-bribery and anti-corruption, privacy, healthcare, employment, and product-related regulations
• Support internal investigations, audits, and risk assessments, partnering closely 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 to help foster a durable “culture of compliance,” enabling teams to understand expectations and raise issues early
• Help shape long-term legal and regulatory strategy in Africa, balancing compliance rigor with innovation and speed

Requirements

• Willingness to dive deep into unfamiliar issues and operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-paced environments
• Strong judgment and confidence to make independent decisions, with the discernment to escalate when appropriate
• 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 with strong organizational skills
• Willingness to travel up to :25% to Africa and San Francisco headquarters

Compensation & Benefits

• Equal opportunity employment; prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or the organization’s own sensibilities

Location

• Africa with travel up to :25% to Africa and San Francisco headquarters