Yalelo Zambia is part of the FirstWave Group of companies. FirstWave is Africa’s leading tilapia producer and is growing rapidly with operations in Zambia and Uganda. We are on a mission to provide affordable, sustainable protein to African households. The group operates state-of-the-art tilapia farming operations in Zambia and Uganda as well as a fish feed mill in Zambia (in a joint venture with a renowned feed producer). The group is established in the Netherlands. In order to support further growth and professionalize our business, we are now looking for an entrepreneurial Group Legal Counsel, who will take charge of all legal, compliance and tax compliance matters in our group to support the group’s further growth. We offer a hybrid working model, with occasional travel to other countries. The contract may be full-time or part-time.

Job Profile

In this role you will lead and develop our legal function and be responsible all legal, governance, and (tax) compliance matters. You will ensure that all activities related to these matters, both strategic and tactical, will align with both the group’s long-term objectives and short-term business needs, and provide high-quality, proactive, objective and commercially orientated legal advice to internal stakeholders across the group. As Group Legal Counsel, you will be the primary legal counsel for the Dutch holding company and for our businesses in Uganda and Kenya, and you will be overseeing the Zambian legal team for our businesses in Zambia. Furthermore, you are responsible for our group’s legal entity management and will support financing transactions and our annual reporting process. As the group’s company secretary, you will ensure due corporate governance procedures are followed to ensure sound decision-making and will work closely with the Board and company’s shareholders. You will report to the Group CEO.

Main Responsibilities and Deliverables

• Support the group in financing/funding transactions in light of its exciting growth path
• Provide legal, regulatory and tax oversight, advice and support to the group entities in order to achieve our short-term targets and long-term strategic goals.
• Ensure group compliance with regulatory, legal, tax and internal governance requirements through the implementation of effective systems
• Act as legal counsel for our holding company and our Uganda legal entity (which is responsible for our Uganda and Kenya business)
• Implement a contract management framework facilitating standards for our business agreements
• Oversee the day-to-day administration of the group and its operating companies
• Proactively identify and deliver on initiatives in the legal domain that help further grow and professionalize our business

You have (desired skills and expertise)

• Around 7+ years of relevant experience as a Lawyer, preferably at a top firm and/or as an in-house Legal Counsel.
• Broad legal interest, solid knowledge of drafting and negotiating commercial contracts and experience in broad aspects of corporate law, M&A transactions and legal entity management
• A pragmatic, self-starter, flexible and business-oriented approach, with the ability to quickly gain an understanding of business situations and identify root-causes
• Execution-driven, including developing, implementing and maintaining effective targets and systems to achieve our goals.
• The ability to effectively manage complex situations with internal and external stakeholders
• The ability to lead others, build the group’s legal vision, create trust, and build strong networks and relationships.
• Excellent written and oral communication in English
• Willing to travel regularly
• Experience with working in a multi-cultural setting

What we offer

• Central role with a wide span of control in a rapidly growing, entrepreneurial, PE-backed group
• Serve a purposeful mission: provide affordable, sustainable protein to African households
• Close contact with the Board, country CEOs and the business, reporting to the Group CEO
• International work environment and diverse organization, with travel to and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa
• Competitive salary
• Hybrid working model if required with occasional travel to our other entities.
• Full-time/part-time availability can be discussed

• Experience overview



• Motivation for the job



• Preferred contract type (full-time, part-time)