Acumen was incorporated on April 1, 2001, with seed capital from the Rockefeller Foundation, Cisco Systems Foundation and three individual philanthropists. Our desire was to transform the world of philanthropy by looking at all human beings as members of a single, global community where everyone had the opportunity to build a life of dignity. The organizatio...

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Program Legal Associate, East Africa

Job Type

Full Time

Qualification

BA/BSc/HND

Experience

2 years

Location

Nairobi

Job Field

Law / Legal

The Legal Associate will work closely with, and report to, the Program Legal Counsel in Canada and the East Africa Legal Counsel to provide legal support across all programme activities. This role will play a critical part in supporting programme delivery while ensuring adherence to internal and external requirements. A successful candidate will be expected to provide timely and relevant legal advice, collaborate with teams to effect the programme efficiently while managing overall risk, and coordinate with outside counsel as applicable. This role will be a fixed-term contract subject to the duration of the Programme.

Principal areas of accountability:

Compliance:

The role will work with the Program Legal Counsel and East Africa Legal Counsel to ensure that Acumen Canada activities are in compliance with Canadian laws and AEA activities are in compliance with Kenyan laws, including maintaining the legal status of local entities. Such responsibilities may include: coordinating timely governmental filings and registrations, developing and implementing appropriate policies, keeping abreast of regulatory developments, liaising with outside counsel and memorializing guidance, and rolling out compliance recommendations and advising programme teams accordingly.

Programme Process Implementation:

To optimize for efficiency and scale, internal processes will be developed to ensure the Programme’s compliance with Canadian laws and donor requirements. The role will work with the Program Legal Counsel to implement and maintain adherence to such internal processes. Responsibilities may also include conducting due diligence assessments, and collaborating with the teams to answer questions and resolve deviations from the process.

Contract Review:

The role will involve working with the Program Legal Counsel and the East Africa Legal Counsel on contract drafting and review for all programme activities. The scope may range across charitable and commercial issues, including general contract, intellectual property, data privacy, employment, governance and formation matters. Familiarity with legal issues specific to Kenya is required; the role will be expected to become familiar with relevant legal issues specific to Canada, together with the Program Legal Counsel.

Deal Documentation & Coordination:

The Legal Associate, in collaboration with the East Africa Legal Counsel, will support the AEA investing team on Acumen’s early-stage equity, debt, and other investments. Support may range from assisting with conducting due diligence, managing timely deal processes across various internal and external stakeholders, drafting and reviewing investment documentation, coordinating with outside counsel, and assisting with regulatory approvals and filings. The role will also support the East Africa Legal Counsel in providing legal advice to the team as needed during the pre- and post-investment stages.

Project Management:

The role requires supporting the Program Legal Counsel and the East Africa Legal Counsel in developing and implementing various projects on behalf of the programme, including collaborating with colleagues across functions, self-discipline and problem solving to progress in the face of uncertainty, and assisting in creating milestones toward timely execution. The role will also support initiatives to improve processes, including developing templates, tools, and resources in collaboration with programmatic teams. A successful candidate can effectively juggle multiple workstreams simultaneously, proactively manage priorities, and consistently ensure deadlines are met.

Qualifications and skills

Minimum 2 years experience practicing transactional law and supporting legal projects across various stakeholders; familiarity with venture capital investing is a plus, as is in-house experience.

Ability to assess potential legal liabilities associated with various business activities and support the implementation of risk management protocols.

Ability to navigate ambiguity, help simplify complex issues, and contribute to practical and creative solutions.

Ability to work proactively and under pressure, as well as support projects to completion.

Ability to stay organized and keep stakeholders in the loop. Good project management and stakeholder management skills.

Familiarity with financial concepts and instruments, investment vehicles, investments, acquisitions, and similar transactions.

Strong organizational and diplomacy skills, including excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Commitment to accuracy, attention to detail and follow-through.

Amenable to working with different time zones in an efficient manner.

Commitment to, and enthusiasm for, the organization’s mission and business model.

Ability to remain cool-headed in unexpected or emotionally charged situations, using pragmatism to stay focused on the greater goal, and withstanding the tests of a rapidly changing environment with resilience, resolve, empathy and humor.

Experience with non-profit and/or investment regulations and compliance is a plus.

Self reflective and aligned with Acumen values.

Permanently authorized to work in Kenya, with a license to practice law.

• Ensure Acumen Canada activities are in compliance with Canadian laws and AEA activities are in compliance with Kenyan laws, including maintaining the legal status of local entities.
• Coordinate timely governmental filings and registrations.
• Develop and implement appropriate policies.
• Keep abreast of regulatory developments.
• Liaise with outside counsel and memorialize guidance.
• Roll out compliance recommendations and advise programme teams accordingly.
• Implement and maintain adherence to internal processes to ensure the Programme’s compliance with Canadian laws and donor requirements.
• Conduct due diligence assessments.
• Collaborate with teams to answer questions and resolve deviations from the process.
• Draft and review contracts for all programme activities, covering charitable and commercial issues including general contract, intellectual property, data privacy, employment, governance and formation matters.
• Support the AEA investing team on Acumen’s early-stage equity, debt, and other investments.
• Assist with conducting due diligence for investments.
• Manage timely deal processes across various internal and external stakeholders.
• Draft and review investment documentation.
• Coordinate with outside counsel for investments.
• Assist with regulatory approvals and filings for investments.
• Provide legal advice to the investing team as needed during the pre- and post-investment stages.
• Develop and implement various projects on behalf of the programme.
• Collaborate with colleagues across functions.
• Problem solve to progress in the face of uncertainty.
• Assist in creating milestones toward timely execution of projects.
• Support initiatives to improve processes.
• Develop templates, tools, and resources in collaboration with programmatic teams.

• Transactional law practice
• Supporting legal projects across various stakeholders
• Assessing potential legal liabilities
• Implementing risk management protocols
• Navigating ambiguity
• Simplifying complex issues
• Contributing to practical and creative solutions
• Working proactively and under pressure
• Project completion
• Organization
• Keeping stakeholders informed
• Project management
• Stakeholder management
• Familiarity with financial concepts and instruments
• Familiarity with investment vehicles
• Familiarity with investments
• Familiarity with acquisitions
• Familiarity with similar transactions
• Strong organizational skills
• Diplomacy skills
• Excellent written communication skills
• Excellent verbal communication skills
• Commitment to accuracy
• Attention to detail
• Follow-through
• Working with different time zones efficiently
• Commitment to the organization’s mission and business model
• Enthusiasm for the organization’s mission and business model
• Cool-headedness in unexpected or emotionally charged situations
• Pragmatism
• Resilience
• Resolve
• Empathy
• Humor
• Familiarity with non-profit regulations and compliance
• Familiarity with investment regulations and compliance
• Self-reflection
• Alignment with Acumen values

• Minimum 2 years experience practicing transactional law and supporting legal projects across various stakeholders.
• Familiarity with venture capital investing is a plus.
• In-house experience is a plus.
• Permanently authorized to work in Kenya.
• License to practice law.