General Counsel (Head of Legal)

Legal & Compliance

K sh 400,000 – 700,000 gross / month

Openings: 1 Location: Nairobi – Muthaiga (Limuru Rd, near Muthaiga Mini Market) Overview: Our client, a diversified Kenyan group spanning consumer, logistics, and digital services, is looking for a General Counsel to architect its legal backbone. This isn’t a maintenance role; it’s a build-and-lead mission. You’ll translate business strategy into airtight legal frameworks, shape policy that scales, and set the tone for governance across fast-moving subsidiaries. As first chair on complex negotiations and regulatory matters, you’ll blend technical depth with commercial instinct. One day it’s a cross-border distribution agreement, the next a data privacy dialogue with ODPC or an IP enforcement strategy. You’ll craft pragmatic playbooks that teams actually use, not legal wallpaper. Your remit includes litigation oversight, board and compliance advisory, and the design of systems that make prevention second nature. The board values clarity, brevity, and courage, counsel who can say “yes, if…” instead of just “no.” For a lawyer ready to shape impact at the group level, this is a stage with reach and visibility. The path runs General Counsel → Group GC/Chief Legal Officer → Board Advisor, with leadership that measures success by sound judgment, not paperwork volume. Key Responsibilities: -Lead legal strategy, budgeting, team build-out, and outside counsel panel. - Own enterprise contracting standards (MSAs, DPAs, procurement, distribution). - Oversee litigation & disputes (strategy, settlement levers, reserves). - Advise Board/EXCO on governance, director duties, and company secretarial liaison. - Manage regulatory relations (ODPC, CBK, CA, NEMA) and compliance calendars. - Protect IP; oversee trademark/brand enforcement and licensing deals. - Implement legal ops tooling (CLM, matter management, templates) and KPIs. Education & Experience: - LL.B + Advocate of the High Court of Kenya; 10–14 years PQE with 4+ in leadership (top firm or in-house). - Strong commercial contracts & regulatory exposure. Skills & Tools: - Negotiation, stakeholder influence, CLM tools, policy design, and board advisory. KPIs: - Contract cycle time, audit/inspection outcomes, litigation exposure trend, policy adoption. Compensation (Kenya): KES 400,000–700,000 + annual performance bonus (up to 20%) + LTIP subject to board approval. Figures are estimates shared by our clients and vary with your experience, interview performance, certifications, and company pay bands. Benefits: - Medical (in/outpatient), life & disability cover, pension (5–7%), professional subscriptions (LSK), training budget, 25–28 annual leave days. Growth Path (hierarchy/expected promotions): - General Counsel → Group General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer → C-Suite/Board Advisor. This is the ideal hierarchy inside the client’s company and thus the expected growth cycle for this position.