Regional Legal Counsel – Africa

About the role

The Regional Legal Counsel provides in‑house legal support for all CIMMYT operations across Africa. Reporting to senior counsel, the role ensures contracts, compliance and risk matters are managed efficiently to support the organization’s mission in agricultural research and development.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the full contract lifecycle – drafting, reviewing, negotiating, amending, quality‑controlling and archiving agreements such as grants, NDAs, leases and procurement contracts.
• Provide business‑oriented legal advice on corporate, regulatory, labour, tax, administrative, criminal and litigation issues across multiple jurisdictions.
• Support compliance and case‑management activities, tracking cases with dashboards and KPI tools, and ensuring timely closure.
• Advise internal departments (Research, Finance, HR, Procurement, Operations) on day‑to‑day legal matters to mitigate risk and enhance operational efficiency.
• Implement and monitor compliance programmes, including policy alignment, training and internal communications.
• Serve as the legal liaison between regional teams and headquarters, ensuring consistent policy interpretation.
• Research applicable laws, draft legal opinions, memoranda and other documents, and monitor legal service tickets.
• Assist with corporate governance tasks such as powers of attorney, board minutes and statutory compliance.
• Represent the Legal Department in internal and external forums and develop training materials.

Required profile

• Qualified lawyer with experience providing in‑house legal support across several African jurisdictions.
• Strong knowledge of corporate, regulatory, labour, tax, administrative and litigation matters.
• Proven ability to manage contracts and compliance programmes.
• Excellent analytical, drafting and communication skills.

Required skills

What we offer

• Opportunity to work in a leading international non‑profit focused on global food security.
• Collaborative environment with multidisciplinary teams.
• Professional development and training opportunities.