Group Legal Officer

Role Overview

This position combines legal counsel with company secretarial duties for a corporate group, ensuring that every business activity operates within the law while also protecting the organisation from contractual and regulatory risk. Day to day, the role involves drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements, advising leadership on employment and governance matters, and maintaining statutory records so that board decisions and compliance filings are always accurate and timely. The work matters because it directly safeguards the group’s reputation, supports its strategic decisions, and keeps all legal and corporate governance obligations fully satisfied.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts—including service level agreements, annual maintenance contracts, project agreements, partnership deeds, subcontractor terms, employee agreements, and ICT vendor contracts—to ensure they are legally sound, aligned with group policies, and structured to mitigate liability.
• Manage the full contract lifecycle, tracking renewal dates, compliance obligations, and performance conditions to ensure all parties meet their commitments and that the group’s interests are protected at every stage.
• Prepare and negotiate lease agreements for new premises, coordinate the registration process with relevant authorities, and advise on property-related legal risks and obligations.
• Provide pragmatic legal counsel across the group on operational issues, with particular focus on labour law compliance, disciplinary proceedings, and evolving employer-employee regulatory matters.
• Ensure corporate governance compliance by monitoring adherence to applicable statutes, regulations, governance codes, and recognised best practices, and by proactively identifying gaps or changes in the legal landscape.
• Oversee board and committee administration, including verifying proper director appointment procedures, maintaining minute books, recording accurate meeting minutes, and ensuring annual returns are filed promptly with regulators.
• Support the implementation of corporate strategy by offering legal insight on business initiatives, ethical considerations, and governance implications, and coordinate the annual governance audit with an accredited professional.
• Present governance audit findings and recommendations to the board during formal sessions, ensuring that corrective actions are discussed, minuted, and followed through.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws degree (LL.B) from a recognised university, and admission as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya with a valid practising certificate.
• Registered as a Certified Public Secretary (CPS(K)) with a current practising licence.
• At least five years of post-admission legal experience, including a minimum of three years working in a corporate legal environment—whether in-house, at a law firm servicing corporate clients, or a mix of both.
• Proven experience acting as a company secretary or in a comparable governance role, with a track record of liaising confidently with regulators, external lawyers, auditors, and board members.
• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills, with the ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, business-friendly advice for non-legal stakeholders.
• Solid working knowledge of Kenyan corporate law, employment law, commercial transactions, and corporate governance codes, including practical experience managing compliance filings and board procedures.
• Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail, and the judgement to handle sensitive or confidential matters with discretion and professional integrity.