Overview
This role involves leading legal and compliance execution and regulatory strategy 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.
The job is a hands-on leadership role with significant autonomy to build and shape the Legal function, while benefiting from collaboration and support from 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 strong relationships across the organization and help foster a culture of compliance where teams understand the rules of the road and feel empowered to 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-environments
- Strong judgment and confidence to make independent decisions, with 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 and strong organizational skills
- Willingness to travel up to 25% to Africa and San Francisco headquarters
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience leading or scaling legal and compliance programs across multiple jurisdictions
- Familiarity with cross-border legal risks such as export controls, sanctions, and anti-corruption
Compensation & Benefits
Not specified in the provided job description.
Location
Based in Africa with travel up to 25% to Africa and San Francisco headquarters.