Legal Counsel, Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund

* 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 provides legal support to Africa50 and its subsidiaries on transactions, governance, ensuring compliance, and fostering knowledge sharing to advance Africa50’s mission of accelerating infrastructure development across Africa.

Principal Responsibilities

The Legal Counsel will provide primary legal support to Africa50’s funds and platforms in connection with the following:

* Serve as legal point of contact for internal and external stakeholders. Support investor relations, fundraising documentation, and regulatory filings as needed.
* Manage and supervise board processes and deliverables, including managing and supervising the services provided by fund administrators, planning and executing a board communications strategy, preparing and coordinating the preparation of materials for the shareholder meetings, draft minutes and corporate resolutions etc;
* Provide legal advice and support to investment teams in connection with transactions, including reviewing and negotiating early-stage documents such as non-disclosure agreements, MOUs etc.
* Assume responsibility for new and portfolio investments, including drafting and reviewing legal documentation, conducting due diligence and negotiating with external counterparties.
* Advise on the selection of external counsel, supervise external counsel and manage legal costs.
* Obtain and expand country knowledge, experience and best practices arising from Africa50’s business and effectively share this knowledge internally.
* Provide legal advice and support on all corporate/non-transaction agreements to which Africa50 or its related entities are party.
* Liaise effectively within the Africa50 Group, share knowledge and provide support to other Africa50 platforms and funds as needed.
* Other items to be determined by the General Counsel from time to time.

Candidate Profile

Essential Qualifications & Experience

* A degree in private and public law, international finance, commercial law, comparative and corporate law; admission to practice in a major jurisdiction
* At least 10 years’ experience (made up of a combination of private international law firm and in-house experience). Experience working in a fund would be advantageous.
* Experience working on issues relevant to asset managers, private sector investors or international financial institutions in the emerging markets.
* Fluent in written and spoken English. Working proficiency in French is advantageous.

Business Acumen

* Sound legal and commercial judgment. Independent, pragmatic and business-oriented, with the capacity to identify, assess, and communicate legal risks in proposed transactions and business initiatives.
* Ability to work efficiently with business colleagues. Provide practical, business-oriented solutions that balance risk mitigation with deal execution.
* 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.
* 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 integrity, discretion, and tact 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.