General Counsel - Readvertised

Key Responsibilities

1. Establish and Lead the Legal Department

·      Lead the design and implementation of the organization's legal strategy, policies, and operating procedures, engaging outside resources as needed.

·      Build and manage a legal team appropriate to organizational needs and growth.

·      Develop systems for contract management, compliance monitoring, legal risk assessment and knowledge management.

·      Create internal training programmes on legal, compliance, and governance matters.

2. Legal Advisory and Governance

·      Serve as the primary legal advisor to the CEO, Executive Team, and Board of Directors.

·      Provide strategic legal guidance on organizational governance, enterprise risk, and business strategy.

• Draft, review, negotiate and advise on simple to complex agreements including donor contracts, partnership agreements, sub-awards, technology agreements, data-sharing agreements, procurement contracts and other transactions and contracts.
• Advise on Board governance, bylaws, committee structures, resolutions and governance best practices.
• Develop practical legal guidance that enables business and programme teams to manage day-to-day legal issues while balancing operational effectiveness with legal and regulatory compliance.

3. Regulatory and Compliance Oversight

·      Advise on compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where Village Enterprise operates (e.g., Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, UK, US).

·      Lead legal oversight of Village Enterprise's U.S. nonprofit obligations, including advising on compliance with Internal Revenue Service requirements applicable to Section 501(c)(3) organizations, nonprofit governance standards, charitable registration obligations, and related federal and state regulatory requirements.

·      Oversee legal compliance relating to institutional funders, philanthropic foundations, corporate donors, and government grantors while advising on adherence to grant agreements, regulatory obligations, and nonprofit governance requirements applicable to a U.S.-based international organization.

·      Lead organizational compliance relating to safeguarding, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, sanctions compliance, counter-terrorism financing, privacy and data protection.

·      Maintain organizational registrations, licenses, and regulatory filings.

4. Risk Management

·      Partner with the CFO and other functional leaders to advise on and support a comprehensive risk management framework.

·      Identify and advise on legal risks, and provide legal input to support the CFO and other functional counterparts in assessing and mitigating financial, operational, and reputational risks.

·      Manage litigation, disputes, investigations, and outside counsel relationships.

·      Oversee insurance coverage and risk‑transfer mechanisms.

5. Employment and Labour Law

·      Provide strategic legal guidance on employment and labor matters across multiple jurisdictions, working closely with local counsel as needed.

·      Advise on executive employment agreements, employee relations, investigations, disciplinary processes, workplace accommodations, whistleblower matters, and employment litigation risk.

·      Support Human Resources in developing legally compliant employment policies, contracts, compensation practices, organizational restructures, and workforce planning.

·      Advise on workplace investigations, grievances, and terminations.

6. Donor, Programmatic, and Field Operations Support

·      Advise on legal compliance for program implementation, research activities, and field operations.

·      Support due diligence for partners, vendors, and subcontractors.

·      Advise on intellectual property, technology platforms, and data governance.

·      Support legal aspects of innovative financing mechanisms (e.g., Outcomes funding, Results‑Based Financing).

Safeguarding: "Safeguarding at VE is everyone’s responsibility."

• Continuously sensitize program participants about possible risks of child abuse, sexual/financial exploitation, prevention, and response mechanisms.
• Ensure compliance with VE’s safeguarding policies and Code of Conduct in all programs, operations, and practices.
• Report any incident of child or adult safeguarding in program operations for appropriate action and follow-up.

Qualifications and Experience.

Required

·      Law degree (JD, LLB, or equivalent) from an ABA-accredited law school or equivalent recognized institution, and active membership in good standing with a U.S. state bar or the equivalent professional qualification in England and Wales (e.g., Solicitor or Barrister).

·      Minimum 10–15 years of legal experience, including at least 5 years in a senior in-house counsel or general counsel role.

·      Significant experience advising multi-jurisdictional, mission-driven, or regulated governance, compliance, and enterprise legal risk.

·      Proven ability to build and lead a legal function.

·      Demonstrated proficiency personally drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts, grants, and other agreements.

·      Exceptional judgement, integrity, and ability to navigate complex, high‑risk issues.

Preferred

·      Experience serving as General Counsel or Deputy General Counsel of a U.S. 501(c)(3) organization with international operations, including advising on tax-exempt compliance and Board relations.

·      Familiarity with IRS nonprofit regulations, charitable solicitation requirements, and international grant compliance.

·      Experience supporting international operations through coordination with local legal counsel across multiple jurisdictions.

·      Experience with FCDO, World Bank, or other major donor frameworks.

·      Familiarity with impact measurement, research ethics, and data protection regimes.

·      Experience with innovative financing structures (e.g., DIBs, RBF).

Prior work with social enterprises or organizations operating at the intersection of development and entrepreneurship.

Key Competencies

·      Strategic thinking and ability to anticipate legal and organizational needs.

·      Strong leadership and team‑building skills.

·      Excellent communication and negotiation abilities.

·      High emotional intelligence and ability to work cross‑culturally.

·      Ability to balance legal risk with operational realities in resource‑constrained environments.

·      Commitment to Village Enterprise’s mission to end extreme poverty through entrepreneurship.

Why Join Village Enterprise

Village Enterprise is a leader in the Povert graduation model in Africa pioneering innovative approaches to support first‑time entrepreneurs in rural Africa. As General Counsel, you will play a pivotal role in safeguarding the organisation’s mission, strengthening its governance, and enabling responsible growth as we scale our impact.

To Apply:

Interested and qualified candidates who meet the set criteria are invited to send their Cover Letter and CV (Maximum 3 pages) including 3 referees, on the online platform. 

Affirmative Action:

Village Enterprise will provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals. Employment decisions at Village Enterprise will be based on merit, qualifications and abilities. Village Enterprise does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, age, disability, marital status or any other characteristic protected by the law. Village Enterprise will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would result in undue hardship to daily operations.

Village Enterprise is a corruption, solicitation or bribery free organization. We or any of our employees or associates do not charge money from job applicants before, during or after recruitment. Please report malpractices through our safeguarding Tollfree hotline 0800724810

To be communicated