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Job Title- Legal Counsel

Reporting to - Legal Manager

Department - Legal

Job Purpose
Legal Counsel is responsible for management of civil and criminal court cases, maintenance of the litigation database and assisting in case investigation and assessment on behalf of the company. The position ensures that the company's dispute resolution mechanisms are effective and that court cases are properly managed in compliance with the country's legal and regulatory framework. The position shall also be an advisory one with the officer providing expert opinion and execution on all matters pertaining litigation and risk management.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in managing all litigation matters within the company and its subsidiaries, including handling matters in person as required
• Receive and process summons and pleadings filed against the company
• Ensure accurate documentation of cases, including maintaining the litigation tracker and keeping records of all upcoming court dates and case progress for each case
• Give sound legal opinions on litigation matters within the company and its subsidiaries with key focus on cost management
• Draft for review and approval all demand letters, legal instruments and court defense responses
• Participate in negotiation of out of court settlements and draft settlement agreements for execution
• Conduct legal research, monitor legislation changes and advise management on the same
• Visit different courts throughout the country to follow up on litigation matters and support field teams in prosecution of cases as may be required
• Initiate process of case withdrawal from court where matter has been settled and debt cleared
• Together with the Legal manager, map out the company's litigation portfolio
• Oversee legal compliance in all facilities leased by the company
• Maintain regular communication with external panel of lawyers, insurance service providers and other stakeholders
• Any other duties as assigned from time to time

Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from a recognized institution
• Minimum 3 years of relevant work experience

Technical Skills

• Litigation & Contract Management
• Legal policies and procedures
• Relationship building
• Teamwork and collaboration
• People skills
• Records management

Behavioral Skills

• Creativity in developing dispute resolution solutions towards out of court settlements
• Develop and improve on processes
• Promote good working relationships with all stakeholders in the litigation process
• Self motivated

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• Provide legal advice and counsel on a variety of corporate and commercial matters.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of contracts, agreements, and legal documents.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and corporate policies.
• Manage and advise on litigation, arbitration, and other dispute resolution matters.
• Conduct legal research and prepare legal opinions on complex issues.
• Assist in the development and implementation of corporate governance policies and procedures.
• Advise on intellectual property matters, including trademarks and copyrights.
• Support the HR department on employment law issues.
• Liaise with external counsel and regulatory bodies as needed.
• Identify and assess legal risks and recommend appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Stay updated on legal developments and industry trends relevant to the company's operations.
• Maintain organized and up-to-date legal records.
• Provide training and guidance to internal stakeholders on legal matters.
• Support mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions.
• Ensure the company's interests are protected in all legal dealings.

• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from a recognized university.
• Admitted to practice law in Kenya, with a current practicing certificate.
• Minimum of 6 years of post-qualification experience in corporate law, commercial law, or a related field, preferably with experience in a law firm or in-house legal department.
• Strong expertise in contract law, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance.
• Excellent legal research, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to draft and negotiate complex legal documents.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage a diverse workload, and meet tight deadlines.
• Proficiency in legal research databases and standard office software.
• High ethical standards and a commitment to professional integrity.
• Experience with cross-border transactions is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to provide practical and business-oriented legal advice.

The Foundation
We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we're committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team
"Guidance, Solutions, Integrity" describes the Legal division's approach to providing responsive legal guidance supporting pursuit of the Foundation's mission and implementation of the foundation's programmatic and operational strategies. The Legal team delivers comprehensive legal services by providing efficient and reliable legal guidance, managing legal risk, and supporting the development of solutions to achieve the mission of the foundation and its affiliated entities.

The Legal team partners with our colleagues across the foundation and its affiliated entities to enable mission-driven work by maintaining an efficient, well-run global organization where employees can thrive and make their best contributions. Doing this well requires effective collaboration, strong alignment, and thoughtful planning across both operational and programmatic teams – as well as shared accountability for mitigating risk and optimizing the foundation's operational resources.

Your Role
We seek a
Deputy Director, Legal
to provide legal advice in support of the Foundation's programmatic activities, while also supporting its operational needs as appropriate. This position requires a commitment to the Foundation's mission and a strong understanding of the legal and regulatory landscapes in Kenya and across the rest of Africa, and the ability to navigate diverse legal systems and cross-cultural settings. The successful candidate will work closely with internal teams and external partners across multiple jurisdictions to help structure legally sound, mission-aligned work in dynamic and evolving environments. This is an exciting opportunity to apply your legal skills to some of the world's most pressing challenges. You will be part of a dynamic legal team supporting high-impact work that improves lives across the globe.

The postholder will serve as a member of the Foundation's Legal Team and collaborate with other team members to represent the entire Foundation and ensure effective coverage, work allocation and communication regarding legal issues across the Foundation, all from a "one legal team" and "one Foundation" perspective.

The role will be based at the Foundation's office in
Nairobi
, and report to a Director on the Legal Team (based in Seattle).

What You'll Do

• Understand and provide legal support for the programmatic and business objectives of internal client groups, notably the Foundation's Africa Team, develop creative solutions, mitigate legal risks and resolve issues using the appropriate legal framework in consideration of the Foundation's values and consistent with Foundation practices and policies.
• Structure, negotiate, and draft legal documents related to the Foundation's investments, including grants, contracts, and complex transactions and collaborations, and other Foundation activities in furtherance of the Foundation's charitable objectives (collectively, "Investments").
• Understand legal compliance best practices for, and help ensure Foundation-wide consistency regarding Investments, including with respect to applicable laws, Global Access, data/privacy matters, charitability, intellectual property, for-profit engagement and advocacy.
• Demonstrate broad generalist expertise to proactively identify legal issues and collaborate, where appropriate, with other Legal Team members to lead the resolution of complex and strategic legal issues across Africa, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Establish a partnership of trust with key internal stakeholders and participate as a strategic and day-to-day advisor. Serve as an active and key contributor to the Foundation's Africa Leadership Team.
• Serve as the Legal Team's relationship manager for the Foundation's office in Kenya (and other country offices as required) and support the Foundation's activities across the African continent, working closely with the leadership and staff of the Foundation's Africa Team and providing guidance and helping to coordinate legal team resources where appropriate.
• Facilitate compliance with regulatory requirements applicable to the Foundation's offices in Africa and other Africa-based activities as well as help ensure Foundation-wide consistency, including developing generalist familiarity and, where appropriate, collaborating with other Legal Team members on operational matters (including requirements related to employment/labor, tax, office registration, cybersecurity, insurance, records retention, and workplace health and safety).
• Partner with other Foundation operations teams to support Foundation goals and policies as appropriate.
• Build relationships with and manage outside counsel, as applicable.
• Support training and education of Foundation personnel on legal issues, as well as grantees and partners as appropriate.
• Keep current on and track relevant applicable new and emerging laws, policy developments and best practices, including those relating to tax-exempt organizations, private foundations, cross-border giving and operational compliance in Kenya and the wider African continent.
• Travel to the Foundation's other Africa offices and its offices in the U.S. on a consistent basis required; travel to other Foundation offices as appropriate; and other travel as required.

Your Experience

• Academic: Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from a recognized university required; Masters of Law preferred.
• Professional: Admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with a current practicing certificate. Member in good standing of the Law Society of Kenya.
• Minimum of 12 years' experience in the practice of law, of which at least seven years must have been in Kenya.
• Combination of law firm and in-house counsel experience strongly preferred.
• History of effectively supporting a demanding client base, serving as counselor on ground-breaking, emerging legal issues in a complex, fast-paced and evolving legal and policy environment.
• Direct experience guiding and generally advising clients on broad and multi-jurisdictional commercial legal and business matters in cross-cultural, multilingual, and often politically sensitive environments on the African continent is a plus.
• Experience with supporting grant making and other investment vehicles within philanthropy or representing an international non-governmental agency or a U.S. based not-for-profit is a plus.
• Expertise in leading, drafting and negotiating complex transactions and collaborative relationships.
• Ability to identify potential business and/or operational issues that could impact business objectives of internal clients.
• Ability to collaborate across a legal team and with clients and/or business partners as well as the ability to build relationships to gain the respect and trust of others.
• Ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly and non-legalistically to clients in both writing and orally.
• Ability to work with diplomacy, flexibility, efficiency, intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm both individually and collaboratively as part of a team effort in a highly matrixed organization.
• Ability to prioritize work in the context of an organization's risk tolerance framework, priorities and objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to learn and apply new areas of law applicable to nascent and evolving technologies, business models, regulatory systems, and investment models, demonstrating intellectual curiosity and excitement to engage proactively and confidently with unfamiliar topics.
• Highest standards of ethics and integrity.
• Sense of balance, humor and perspective.

Other Attributes

• Demonstrated passion for the Foundation's mission and values and Legal Team purpose statement.
• Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational settings, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people.
• Ability to travel up to 30% internationally.
• Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

Application deadline
: 2 October 2025

Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations
If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement
We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.