Scope of Role: -

The Principal Legal Officer is charged with providing strategic legal guidance and management of legal risks and opportunities for the company. The role holder also leads the drafting of all contracts for approval by executive management, and manages workflow of external legal resources when required. 

Overview of the position: -

• Komari’s Principal Legal Officer is an expert on Ethiopian corporate law and works with Komari’s Strategy Department to develop a strong legal framework in support of organizational effectiveness, innovation, compliance and risk mitigation.  Additionally, the Principal Legal Officer directs outside counsel in litigation and advises senior management on a wide range of matters with emphasis on general business law, alcohol-specific laws, tax, employment, union, contracts, intellectual property and government matters.

• The Principal Legal Officer creates and maintains strong working relationships with skilled outside attorneys across multiple practice areas as well as government officials, policy makers and influencers. They are expected to stay ahead of the legal and government trends of the country in order to flag opportunities and risks for Komari.

• The Principal Legal Officer must be highly experienced and skilled corporate attorney with a strong work ethic and passion for policy and strategy. The role holder also strategically think about the big picture and how to always communicate legal analysis to technical and non-technical audiences. He/ She thrive and remain steady under pressure are a master manager of priorities and projects to deliver high quality outcomes, all with great attention to detail.

Key Responsibilities: -

Legal Guidance and Risk Mitigation

• Cultivate a deep understanding of the business, the beverage industry and the macro legal, government, and regulatory environment to provide proactive, solution-oriented advice.

• Advise Senior Management Team and other staff on legal risks and mitigation measures.

• Ensure organizational compliance with national, regional and local laws, including corporate and tax, employment, advertising, and intellectual property.

• Lead and drive successful litigation strategies, in coordination with outside counsel, to protect the company during lawsuits.

• Lead the drafting of all contracts.

• Advise department teams on legal risks and regulatory opportunities and assist in regular PESTLE analysis.

• Stay abreast of ongoing regulatory reforms of relevance to Komari and participate in the consultations during the development of new regulations.

• Ensure ongoing registration and protection of organizational intellectual property rights.

• Ensure high-quality contract and publication review systems to protect organizational interests.

• Advance company’s mission through creative legal initiatives, including leading any new initiatives as needed to capture opportunities, optimize legal practices and mitigate legal risk.

Team Building and Management

• Develop and strengthen a team-orientation to support programmatic goals, while mitigating legal risk.

• Encourage a culture of high performance, continuous learning and commitment to quality by setting and modeling high standards, including through establishing and monitoring staff performance and development goals, regular performance feedback, supporting career development opportunities, fostering a collaborative environment of growth and learning and facilitating a healthy work/life balance.

Job Requirements

Required Skills & Experience: -

• Degree in Ethiopian law; corporate law specialization preferred.

• Minimum 5 years of legal experience with 3 years in an attorney management role, including a track record for translating strategic thinking and legal analysis into action plans, outputs and results

• In-depth understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Ethiopia’s beverage sector, including alcohol laws.

• Outstanding judgment and creative problem-solving skills, including negotiation and conflict resolution skills.

• Ability to thrive and make decisions in a fast-changing and deadline driven environment, including managing multiple priorities and projects, anticipating future needs and maintaining attention to detail.

• Exceptional and persuasive written and verbal communicator, including experience working with non-lawyers and explaining complex legal and regulatory concepts in a comprehensive way.

• Fluency in spoken and written English and Amharic required. Proficiency in additional Ethiopian languages strongly preferred.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified applicant should apply through the link below

Application Form.