Legal Counsel, Administration and Governance

* Location: Casablanca, Morocco

Description

Africa50 is an infrastructure investor and asset manager that contributes to Africa's growth by developing and investing in bankable projects, catalysing public sector capital, and mobilizing private sector funding.

Africa50 has raised over US$1 billion so far from 33 African countries, the African Development Bank, two African Central Banks and Africa’s largest pension fund. Africa50 has an independent investment process and seeks to generate commercial risk adjusted returns for its investments across key infrastructure sectors: Energy (including power generation and related parts of the value chain), Midstream gas, Transportation, ICT, Health infrastructure, Education and Fintech.

Purpose of the Role

The Legal Counsel, Administration and Governance acts as the Assistant Corporate Secretary and takes care of corporate administration and governance. This position ensures the integrity of governance processes across the Africa50 Group, including wholly owned subsidiaries, third party funds and provides legal oversight on institutional, administrative, and operational matters.

Principal Responsibilities

The Legal Counsel, Administration and Governance will assist the department with:

International Public Law and Institutional Matters

* Providing advice on international public law including sovereign immunities issues and other legal matters relevant to international financing institutions;
* Advising on administrative, governance, institutional and personnel matters.

Board and Shareholder engagement

* Acting as the primary liaison with Africa50’s investor relations team on shareholder and board matters and reporting obligations;
* Planning and executing Board communications strategy;
* Preparing and coordinating materials for shareholder meetings and board meetings across the Africa50 Group, including drafting/supervising the issuance of minutes and corporate resolutions and related documentations etc.

Contractual and Operational support

* Drafting, reviewing and negotiating Africa50’s operational contracts including rental agreements, utility contracts and agreements with major suppliers of goods and services etc;
* Reviewing and negotiating early-stage legal documents such as non-disclosure agreements, Memorandum of Understanding and other preliminary instruments etc.

Governance and Structuring

* Advising on the early-stage structuring of third-party funds, including coordinating the formation, registration and licensing of fund vehicles;
* Assisting on overseeing the governance of Africa50 subsidiaries;
* Coordinating and overseeing the corporate secretarial services of fund administrators;
* Assisting in implementing the governance framework for Africa50 Group;
* Advising on board composition, fiduciary duties and conflict of interest protocols for fund vehicles and their affiliated entities;
* Coordinating the issuance of materials for fund-related board and shareholder meetings with fund administrators;
* Facilitating efficient channels for communication and information sharing between Africa50 Group and the subsidiaries.

Candidate Profile

Essential Qualifications & Experience

* A degree in private and public law, international finance, commercial law, comparative and corporate law;
* At least three years’ experience in a top-tier law firm;
* At least five years’ experience working as an in-house lawyer (ideally in the private sector);
* Experience working on issues relevant to asset managers, private equity firms or international financing institutions.
* Fluent in written and spoken English.

Business Acumen

* Independent, pragmatic and business-oriented, with the capacity to solve problems;
* Able to work as a partner with business colleagues to get actions done efficiently, quickly, and in a legally appropriate manner;
* Familiarity with the work of other asset managers and private equity institutions or development finance institutions.

Executing for Results

* Commitment to consistent delivery of the highest quality outputs, with deep technical understanding and rigorous attention to detail ensuring that all documents, advice and communications meet the highest professional standards;
* Applies legal expertise across all verticals with the ability to respond swiftly and accurately to evolving demands;
* Operating with a strong sense of urgency and ownership, anticipating risks and identifying issues early. Demonstrates flawless execution skills, ensuring that deliverables are provided in a timely manner;
* Must be result-autonomous, result-oriented, self-motivated and possess the ability to be “hands on”;
* Ability to work under pressure, navigating competing priorities, tight timelines and maintain a high degree of performance across functions in a multicultural organization
* Excellent drafting skills and communication skills: produces clear, concise and legally sound documents that require minimal revisions.

Building Relationships and Using Influence

* Ability to listen and communicate effectively with clarity, empathy and precision, fostering collaborative problem-solving.
* High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity when handling complex and sensitive matters involving senior executives, board members, shareholders, external partners and internal stakeholders.
* Navigates multicultural environments with ease, tailoring communication and negotiation styles to suit varied cultural and institutional contexts. Builds rapport and influence across jurisdictions and stakeholder groups.
* Maintains strong working relationships with internal departments and external counsel ensuring alignment and responsiveness in all legal and governance matters.

Location

The position will be based in Casablanca, Morocco.

Application

If you are interested in this position, Click here to apply.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.