Deputy General Counsel

About the role

A leading Lagos-based NGO with operations in several countries is hiring a Deputy General Counsel for its legal department. The Deputy General Counsel acts as a key legal advisor and operational leader under the General Counsel, overseeing legal, regulatory and compliance functions so that global operations comply with the laws of multiple jurisdictions and support the organisation's expansion.

Key responsibilities

• Negotiate, draft, review and execute complex agreements such as property transactions, facility management contracts, equipment supply and maintenance agreements, and commercial contracts with vendors and partners, including due diligence and risk mitigation.
• Manage external law firms, including pro-bono ones, as primary liaison, set performance benchmarks, monitor progress and evaluate them regularly.
• Handle disputes, claims and litigation, assess risks, prepare legal documentation and advise on alternative dispute resolution.
• Provide legal research and advice to management and senior leadership on corporate governance, property, intellectual property, labour law, non-profit regulation and more, explaining complex issues clearly to non-legal stakeholders.
• Help develop and maintain internal legal and compliance policies, audit them periodically and run policy awareness training.
• Ensure operations comply with laws, tax exemptions and ministry regulations, build compliance frameworks, run compliance audits and use data analytics to spot vulnerabilities.
• Build relationships with government agencies and regulatory bodies, represent the organisation in regulatory negotiations and advocacy, and monitor global regulatory and geopolitical trends.
• Oversee mandatory regulatory filings such as annual returns, financial statements and tax documents, and respond professionally to regulatory enquiries and audits.