Legal Officer

About the role

The Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF) is seeking a Legal Officer to join its Legal Unit in Nairobi. The role will provide strategic legal and compliance support to enable AECF’s mission of catalyzing private‑sector solutions for rural poverty, agribusiness and renewable energy across Africa.

Key responsibilities

• Provide legal advisory services to AECF and its stakeholders, ensuring proper representation in all legal matters.
• Lead drafting and negotiation of a wide range of agreements, including loan funding, collateral, donor funding, downstream partner and service provider contracts.
• Support portfolio and investment teams in structuring contract documentation, preparing information memoranda and negotiating deal terms.
• Implement and manage country registrations and advise on governance and operational documents.
• Monitor in‑country and cross‑border regulatory issues, communicate risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Build legal capacity across the organization, delivering workshops for investees and project staff on contractual obligations and donor compliance.
• Conduct legal assessments and provide guidance on regulatory and donor compliance for project teams.

Required profile

• Qualified lawyer with experience in commercial and development‑sector transactions.
• Proven ability to draft and negotiate complex agreements and to interpret regulatory frameworks.
• Strong analytical skills and capacity to communicate legal risks to non‑legal stakeholders.
• Experience working in African frontier markets or with international donors is an advantage.

Required skills

• Contract drafting and negotiation.
• Legal research and regulatory analysis.
• Knowledge of donor funding and compliance requirements.
• Capacity‑building and workshop facilitation.