In-House Legal Counsel & Company Secretary

Role Overview

This senior in-house appointment sits in Nairobi and reports straight to the Group Chief Executive Officer, carrying a dual mandate that blends legal advisory work with company secretarial responsibility. Day to day, the post-holder handles commercial contracting, litigation and dispute oversight, corporate governance, regulatory compliance and the management of external counsel, while also supporting the group's upstream oil & gas activities and its specialised waste management operations. The role matters because it keeps the group's subsidiaries, SPVs and joint venture interests on solid legal ground, flags risk early enough for management to act on it, and gives the Board a dependable governance and statutory compliance function.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted legal adviser to executive management and the Board on corporate, commercial, employment, regulatory, contractual and operational questions, converting legal exposure into clear, workable guidance.
• Draft, review and negotiate the agreements the business runs on — commercial, operational, procurement and service contracts — and manage the risks that arise from claims, liabilities, variations, renewals and terminations.
• Run litigation, claims, arbitration and dispute resolution matters, including the instruction and coordination of external advocates.
• Fulfil the Company Secretary mandate: convening Board and shareholder meetings, preparing resolutions and minutes, maintaining statutory registers, completing statutory filings and safeguarding corporate records.
• Advise the Board and management on corporate governance, directors' duties, company law and statutory obligations, and monitor compliance with licences, permits and regulatory requirements while escalating key legal and compliance risks.
• Provide legal support to upstream oil & gas workstreams — joint ventures, joint operating agreements and oilfield services — as well as specialised waste management operations.
• Support subsidiaries, SPVs, joint ventures and related entities on corporate, contractual and regulatory matters.
• Manage relationships with external legal advisers and keep external legal spend under review, while developing and maintaining legal templates, policies, procedures and records.

Requirements & Qualifications

• LLB degree and admission as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
• Current membership of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
• Qualified Company Secretary and/or membership of the Institute of Certified Secretaries (ICS).
• A minimum of seven years' post-qualification experience.
• Proven depth in commercial contracts, litigation, corporate governance, company secretarial practice and regulatory compliance.
• Experience advising subsidiaries, SPVs, joint ventures or working on corporate transactions.
• Background in energy, oil & gas, petroleum, waste management or another regulated sector is highly advantageous; direct exposure to upstream oil & gas operations is an added advantage.
• Strong commercial judgement, negotiation, legal drafting, communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Capacity to work independently and deliver practical, business-focused legal solutions in a fast-paced environment.