About The Role
- The Legal Counsel will provide support to Acumen’s East Africa
and Global operations, ranging from investment transactions, compliance
matters, contract review, and operational support.
- The Legal Counsel will be joining a currently 6-person Global
Legal Team and 21-person AEA team, and will work closely with the AEA and
Global programmatic teams to implement their activities. A successful
candidate will be expected to provide timely and relevant legal advice,
collaborate with teams to effect their programs efficiently while managing
overall risk to the organization, coordinate with outside counsel as
applicable, and support and maintain cohesion within the Global Legal Team
and AEA team.
Principal Areas Of Accountability
- Deal Documentation & Coordination: The Legal Counsel will
work closely with the AEA investing team (and other teams that invest into
East Africa) to drive Acumen’s early stage equity, quasi-debt, and other
investments. To the extent capacity is available, the Legal Counsel will
also support investments for Acumen’s portfolio teams in other regions.
The role will assist the teams from end-to-end of an investment lifecycle:
from structuring deal instruments, developing term sheets, conducting due
diligence, negotiating and finalizing investment documentation, managing
outside counsel, to coordinating stakeholders to closing. The role will
also provide legal advice to the teams as needed during the pre- and
post-investment stages, including on corporate governance and board
matters, and provide learning sessions to the team from time to
time.
- Contract Review and Management: The role will involve grant
and commercial contract drafting and review for AEA teams and, to the
extent capacity is available, Acumen’s Global teams. 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;
familiarity with legal issues specific to 501(c)(3) organizations (a U.S.
designation) is a plus. Responsibilities may include providing learning
sessions to the relevant teams from time to time.
- Global Legal Operational Support: The role will involve
spearheading and/or managing operational initiatives relating to legal
matters, cross-functionally and cross-regionally throughout Acumen.
Support may range from developing and communicating internal legal
guidance, updating processes to reflect best practices under applicable
laws, supporting teams with proper recordkeeping, and collaborating with
the Director of Legal to create efficiency and scale within the Global
Legal Team.
- Compliance: The Legal Counsel, in collaboration with Acumen’s
Risk and Compliance Manager, will ensure that AEA activities are in
compliance with local laws and best practices, especially in regards to
maintaining the legal status of Acumen’s local entities. Other
responsibilities may include: navigating relevant local laws across
multiple jurisdictions, keeping abreast of regulatory developments,
liaising with outside counsel and memorializing guidance, rolling out
compliance recommendations and advising programmatic teams accordingly,
and providing learning sessions to the AEA team from time to time on
regulatory and compliance matters.
- Project Management: The role requires developing and
implementing various projects on behalf of the AEA and Global teams,
including working with colleagues across functions, self-discipline and
problem solving to progress in the face of uncertainty, and creating
milestones toward timely execution. An example may include strategizing on
efficient investment processes, including developing templates and
resources as needed in collaboration with the programmatic teams.
Qualifications And Skills
- Minimum of 5 years experience practicing transactional law, in
particular: (1) strong commercial/corporate law background with experience
in transaction advisory work covering equity and quasi equity financing
structures and (2) experience working directly with investor clients.
- Fluency in English.
- Familiarity with venture capital investing is a plus, as is
experience in the developing world or with an impact-oriented investor.
- Ability to navigate ambiguity, distill complicated ideas in a
clear and straightforward way, think strategically, and develop innovative
solutions.
- Ability to work proactively and under pressure, as well as
deliver projects independently with minimal oversight required.
- 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 a plus.
- Self reflective and aligned with Acumen values.
- Permanently authorized to work in Kenya, with a license to
practice law.
How To Apply
