Head of Legal & Compliance

Job Title: Head of Legal & Compliance

Department: Finance 

Reporting Line: For Legal: reporting to the ENGIE Energy Access Chief Finance Officer &  

For Compliance: reporting to the ENGIE Energy Access CEO. 

Location: Any of the African ENGIE Energy Access Market or Berlin   

About ENGIE Energy Access 

ENGIE Energy Access is one of the leading Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGo) and mini-grids solutions provider in Africa, with a mission to deliver affordable, reliable and sustainable energy solutions and life-changing services with exceptional customer experience. The company is a result of the integration of Fenix International, ENGIE Mobisol and ENGIE PowerCorner; and develops innovative, off-grid solar solutions for homes, public services and businesses, enabling customers and distribution partners access to clean, affordable energy. The PAYGo solar home systems are financed through affordable installments and the mini-grids foster economic development by enabling electrical productive use and triggering business opportunities for entrepreneurs in rural communities. With over 1,700 employees, operations in 9 countries across Africa (Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), over 1.2 million customers and more than 6 million lives impacted so far, ENGIE Energy Access aims to remain the leading clean energy company, serving millions of customers across Africa by 2025. 

www.engie-energyaccess.com  

Job Purpose/Mission  

The Head of Legal & Compliance for ENGIE Energy Access (EEA) is in charge of leading the Legal & Compliance functions for EEA. 

Responsibilities 

  The Head of Legal & Compliance will be expected to:  

• Maintain legal compliance and robust legal agreements for all EEA activities across jurisdictions, with a focus on commercial, regulatory, corporate, privacy, IP and other key issues impacting the EEA business  
• Lead and develop a dedicated EEA legal and ethics team; select, manage and coordinate external legal counsel across 10+ jurisdictions while efficiently managing legal spend at central and country level 

• Act as Ethics & Compliance Officer for EEA, with primary responsibility for the implementation of ENGIE Ethics policies across the business (including through in-person trainings across EEA locations), coordination of Country management’s responses to ethics incidents and related reporting to Group Ethics  
• Be a trusted advisor and thought partner to the EEA Head of Finance, EEA CEO, the wider EEA global management team as well as Country Directors and Heads of Minigrids across Africa, and provide proactive and actionable legal and strategic input on a range of complex business and regulatory issues 
• Identify and manage legal risks and opportunities across relevant African jurisdictions and other relevant EEA locations 
• Understand, interpret and apply current laws and regulations as applicable to EEA’s activities (including SaaS and B2B) 
• Manage litigation / potential disputes arising with partners, customers, regulators, employees or other stakeholders of the business 
• Work with the Finance and Commercial / Country teams, negotiate and unlock catalytic financing and commercial partnerships across Africa 
• Work with the EEA Head of Finance, EEA CEO, Tax team and wider management team, lead all legal work related to the corporate restructuring of the ENGIE Energy Access business and any potential third-party corporate transactions shaping the future of the company 

The Head of Legal & Compliance will manage currently two EEA Legal Counsels as well as the EEA Ethics & Legal Compliance counsel.  

At EEA, we have high expectations for our managers. Each manager plays a key role in creating an exceptional experience not only for our customers but for every person on our team. Our managers help EEA realize our ambitious goals while developing their own leadership skills and facilitating growth for their direct reports.  

We believe that great managers: 

• Deliver ambitious results: As a high-performing and accountable leader, you create an enabling environment for effective action and bold decision which contribute to successful delivery of results. 
• Act with integrity: As an ethical leader you are honest, respectful, objective, and transparent. You create and build upon a foundation of trust and openness. 

• Inspire and mentor the team: As an inspirational leader you walk the talk. You empower and coach your team with trust and humility. 
• Are accessible: as an accessible leader, you develop and maintain deep connections with stakeholders through approachability and active listening. 
• Ensure diversity and inclusion: as an inclusive leader, you ensure diversity and foster a sense of belonging. 

Knowledge and skills  

  Experience: 

• Minimum 8-15 years of Legal experience.  
• Combination of large law firm experience and in-house legal department roles.
• Experience working in African jurisdictions.  
• Experience leading a team and coordinating multiple external legal counsel across a large number of jurisdictions and a variety of topics. 
• Experience in corporate law / M&A, commercial law, and finance transactions, as well as general knowledge of data protection, and IP law.
• Understanding of the Ethics requirements of a publicly listed group such as ENGIE, and experience managing ethics incidents with Country teams and all relevant stakeholders. 
• Understanding of ENGIE Legal & Ethics requirements is a plus. 

Qualifications: 

• Admitted into and in good standing with at least one Bar Association 
• Master’s degree or equivalent in civil and / or common law 
• Experience in transacting business in both English and French Language.

Language(s):  

• English 
• French 

We thank all applicants for their interest, however due to the large volume of applications we receive, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  

ENGIE is an equal opportunity employer, promoting diversity and committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. All applications are screened based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without any regard to origin, age, name, sexual identity, orientation or preference, religion, marital status, health, disability, political opinions, union involvement or citizenship. Our differences are our strengths!