Regulatory Counsel

About this role

As Regulatory Counsel you will form an integral part of the Risk & Compliance team at JUMO. You will be accountable for providing an advisory role on strategic and tactical direction for regulatory affairs company-wide. This position will be remote and will report directly into the Head of Compliance & Risk.

You will

• Identify, track and manage regulatory issues across all our markets of operation currently in Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, South Africa and Benin.
• Work with the Head of Department to advise on and shape global regulatory strategy.
• Be responsible for regulator engagement (working closely with the General Manager // In-Market Operations, local country management and strategic delivery teams) and project management of new license processes.
• Scope new territories and products for understanding of legal framework (legal, regulatory, capital restrictions, shareholding restrictions, AML and KYC requirements, credit reporting, consumer protection, data privacy, and cross-border data flow requirements and challenges). 
• Oversee regulatory runway of pending legislation and work with the business to develop necessary controls to comply with it.
• Oversee in-house regulatory requirements & manage all regulatory queries and interpret and advise thereon. 
• Advise on regulatory issues arising from our partner and key stakeholder relationships.
• Oversee and coordinate outside regulatory counsel where their services were retained. 

You will need

• A LLB degree and admission as Attorney.
• At least 5  years’ post-qualification experience, ideally from within a top tier law firm or strong in-house environment.
• Expert knowledge of and experience in operating in an African cross-border financial services (payments or lending) legal and regulatory environment.
• An understanding of data privacy, AML/KYC, credit reporting, tax and/or outsourcing frameworks and regulation.
• Significant experience engaging directly with regulators and managing new license processes.
• A track record of interpreting and navigating regulations and defining strategy in an evolving legislative environment.
• Fluency, both written and spoken, in English. 

Capabilities

• Capable of working effectively and independently in a fast-paced team environment.
• Commercial and professional: able to balance commercial and regulatory interests of the company while applying sound judgment.
• Ability to perform most of the work, drafting and research in-house, and retaining outside counsel only where specific risks or skills are solved for.
• Resourceful & execution focused, ability to work independently and to tackle multifaceted and complex cross-border legal projects. Not driven by hierarchy, happy to roll up their sleeves and participate and lead from the front.
• Attention to detail, adaptable approach, able to manage pressure in a high performance, constantly evolving and often ambiguous regulatory environment.
• Communicates clearly and concisely with ability to simplify complexity and focus on the important commercial issues.
• Strong cultural awareness and experience in working across diverse environments.

Bonus if you have 

• Experience in micro-credit and/or mobile money.
• Relationships with regulators across Africa.
• French language proficiency.
• Experience within the telecommunications industry.
• A Risk management qualification and/or experience in Enterprise risk.

We ask a lot of each other at JUMO, but we give a lot too.

You will love

• Collaborating with smart, engaging people in an inspiring work environment
• Working for impact
• Growing and learning continuously, with loads of encouragement and support
• Boldly taking risks as we navigate new challenges
• Flexible work practices enabling your best delivery
• Being autonomous and empowered to lead

Remote First

We operate with a remote-first approach, where working remotely is our default way of working. However, we also have co-working spaces in our main hubs for collaboration, connection, or for those who prefer working from an office. You have the flexibility to choose where to work, as long as you have a reliable internet connection and are set up for remote work.

Diversity and Inclusion

At JUMO, we firmly believe that diversity strengthens our teams. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive recruitment process that cultivates an environment where all individuals can be authentic, collaborate, and thrive.