Program Legal Associate, West Africa

Acumen is hiring a Legal Associate that will provide legal support to AWA, including in connection with a new five-year programme being operated out of Canada that aims to impact ~400 early-stage social enterprises in the African green economy that are creating and improving dignified work opportunities for women and youth (the “Programme”).

The Legal Associate will work closely with, and report to, the Program Legal Counsel in Canada and the West 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 West Africa Legal Counsel to ensure that Acumen Canada activities are in compliance with Canadian laws and AWA activities are in compliance with Nigerian 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 West 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 Nigeria 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 West Africa Legal Counsel, will support the AWA 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 West 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 West 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.