Regulatory Counsel

About this role

We are looking for a Regulatory Counsel to join our Legal & Compliance team. The successful individual will be responsible for providing advice and strategic and tactical direction for regulatory affairs company-wide. This position will report into the Head of Compliance and Risk and will be based in Ghana.

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 and Benin.
• Advise on and shape global regulatory strategy.
• Be responsible for regulator engagement (working closely with the General Manager / In-Market Operations, local country management, corporate finance, legal 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 assisting to implement action items to ensure compliance with legislation once enacted, working closely with the Head of Compliance.
• 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

• LLB degree or an equivalent tertiary qualification. 
• At least 5 - 10 years’ post-qualification experience ideally in financial services. 
• Expert knowledge of and immediate experience in operating in an African cross-border 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 evolving legislative environments.

Capabilities

• To be capable of working effectively and independently in a fast-paced team environment.
• To be able to balance commercial and regulatory interests of the company while applying sound judgment.
• The 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.
• To be resourceful and execution focused, the ability to work independently and to tackle multifaceted and complex cross-border legal projects. You are not driven by hierarchy, happy to roll up your sleeves and participate and lead from the front.
• Have attention to detail, an adaptable approach, be able to manage pressure in a high performance, constantly evolving and often ambiguous regulatory environment.
• The ability to communicate clearly and concisely with the 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, mobile money, telecommunications, banking, or lending.
• Relationships with regulators in Ghana (BOG, GIPC), Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania and experience in French speaking African territories (such as Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire).
• Ability to speak and write in French fluently. 

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
You will be based in Ghana. We operate a remote first working approach where working remotely is our default way of working. We have co-working spaces available in Accra for collaboration and connection and for the use of those who value and want to work out of an office.  You have flexibility where to work from, as long as you have access to a reliable connection and are set up to work remotely.

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.