Legal Senior Manager (M&A and Projects)

To support senior members of the legal team by providing legal advice and support in connection with a designated portion of a large, complex project or M&A transaction (in any jurisdiction), or a simple standalone project or M&A transaction. This includes drafting legal documents and agreements, identifying and raising legal risks, and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations to facilitate timely resolution of legal issues.

Key Accountabilities:

Legal Advice and Support

Power Projects

• Draft, review, and negotiate project-related agreements (e.g., JDAs, shareholder agreements, offtake contracts).
• Support development activities, particularly in North and West Africa.
• Lead legal due diligence across jurisdictions.
• Advise on legal risks, regulatory compliance, and project structures.
• Liaise with co-sponsors, government entities, and lenders.

M&A Transactions

• Draft, review, and negotiate SPAs, shareholder agreements, and related documents.
• Support cross-border M&A execution in the energy and utilities sectors.
• Assess legal risks and coordinate with internal teams.
• Assist in term sheet negotiation and manage external counsel.
• Support review of legal aspects of financial models and closing deliverables.

Legal Risk Management

• Identify legal risks in the assigned project or transaction and propose mitigation strategies for review by senior lawyer and/or line manager

Legal Documentation

• Develop, update, and maintain legal templates for use in assigned projects or transactions.
• Prepare RFPs for the appointment of external legal counsel, including comparative analyses, to ensure alignment with project requirements.

Agreements and Contracts

• Review and revise agreements relevant to the assigned project or transaction to ensure alignment with Company interests.
• Handle less complex negotiations and support more complex negotiations as needed to protect the Company's position.

Monitoring of Legal Partners

• Monitor the performance of external legal counsel and provide input to ensure they meet expected standards.

Collaboration

• Coordinate with external parties (law firms, shareholders, banks, offtakers, etc.) to gather required legal information and documentation.
• Support interactions with senior management on legal issues and implications concerning the assigned project or transaction.

People Development

• Provide on-the-job coaching and mentoring to junior team members on legal aspects of the assigned project to support talent development.

Policies, Processes, Systems & Procedures

• Implement approved legal department policies and procedures and ensure adherence to maintain quality standards.

Qualifications :

• Qualified in both a common law jurisdiction (e.g., UK, US, Canada) and a civil law jurisdiction (e.g., France, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, etc.).
• Strong academic credentials from a reputable university or law school.
• 4 years of post-qualification experience at a top-tier international law firm or in-house legal team with exposure to the energy or utilities sector, M&A transactions, and project development
• Proven experience in cross-border M&A, particularly in emerging markets.
• Proven experience in project development in the energy or utilities sector, particularly in North and West Africa.
• Full professional fluency in English and French (written and spoken).
• Strong legal drafting, analytical, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work effectively in fast-paced, multicultural environments.
• Commercial acumen and sound judgment.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams and meet deadlines.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to support transaction closings and stakeholder meetings.