Legal Officer (Lands Department)
Location: Nairobi with occasional travel
About Bridge International Academies
Bridge International Academies is a for-profit startup company revolutionizing education across Africa with a unique business model. The company runs a large-scale network of low-cost primary schools in Kenya that significantly outperforms other primary schools in the same areas because of our “school in a box” systems.
Our schools profitably deliver this high-quality education for less than $4 per child per month, which enable the schools to cover all their costs and create a profitable central organization at scale. We have launched 37 schools in Kenya, we will double in size in the next 6 months, and plan to rapidly scale the company to serve more than 1 million students across the continent.
About this position
Bridge International Academies is looking for an energetic, dynamic individual
with extensive experience in conveyancing to support the Lands Department /
Unit at BIA. Because of the projected growth, the company is continuously
looking for land where the schools will be built ALL over the Country in due
course. It is the role of the Legal Officer to ensure that we are compliant in
as far as Land transactions are concernedLocation: Nairobi with occasional travel
About Bridge International Academies
Bridge International Academies is a for-profit startup company revolutionizing education across Africa with a unique business model. The company runs a large-scale network of low-cost primary schools in Kenya that significantly outperforms other primary schools in the same areas because of our “school in a box” systems.
Our schools profitably deliver this high-quality education for less than $4 per child per month, which enable the schools to cover all their costs and create a profitable central organization at scale. We have launched 37 schools in Kenya, we will double in size in the next 6 months, and plan to rapidly scale the company to serve more than 1 million students across the continent.
About this position
A central part of our operations includes the identification, verification, negotiation and purchase of plots of land for our schools – this might be inside a slum or in a low-income community on the edge of a town.
These plots sometimes have clouded title histories, but through our land identification and procurement process we must establish a certain amount of security -- understanding the previous ownership, other potential competing claims, titling possibility, issues with city / municipal council, lands office, etc.
To make these determinations and the actual purchase, the process may involve negotiations with local village elders, local government administration, and local landlords, and ultimately a sales or lease contract written with some or all of these participants.
It is incumbent on the Legal Officer will ensure that all documentation in as far as the Land transactions are concerned are valid.
The Legal Officer will focus on the following elements which will include but not limited to:
Legal risk
- Provide
legal protection and risk management advice especially on legal
information
Policy development
- Reviewing
and drafting contracts, agreements and internal policies and ensure they
are in compliance with all statutory and legal requirements
Contract negotiation
- Reviewing
all contracts and other documentation where BIA has committed itself and
assessing legal implications that need to be brought to the attention of
the Management
- Preparing,
reviewing and modifying contractual instruments to support and assist and
support various business activities
- Negotiating,
reviewing and drafting documentation for business transactions and
preparing and advising on necessary check lists to be adopted to ensure
timely information is available for decision making
Litigation management
- Investigating
the causes of litigation
- Reviewing
any outstanding litigation and liaising with any external lawyers
- Develop
a risk matrix on the implications of new projects
Regulatory compliance
- Formulate
compliance check lists to be used for the purpose of ensuring that all
information is provided accordingly
- Continuously
monitor compliance with statutory obligations e .g stamp duty and related
issues that arise
- Ensuring
that all licenses, agreements and agreements of BIA are valid and the
legal contracts are renewed before expiry
- Ensuring
safe custody of all legal documentation in order to maintain
confidentiality
Reporting
- Prepare
monthly / quarterly / bi annual reports as required
About you
- Possession
of an LLB undergraduate degree and Diploma in Law
- Must
be registered with a Professional body
- Possession
of a minimum of 5 years experience in conveyancing
- Proven
track record of developing comprehensive contract documents as a risk
mitigation measure
- Excellent
relationship management and communication skills necessary for interaction
with negotiating parties
- Demonstrate
knowledge of and experience with laws dealing with commercial contracts
administration particularly contract negotiation , preparation and
administration
- Ability
to provide independent advice (orally and in writing) to management on
highly technical matters
- Good
planning and organizational skills
- Ability
to delicately solve sensitive matters
- Ability
to work for long hours
- Previous
field experience desirable
You can
apply and view detailed job requisitions on the Careers page at
www.bridgeinternationalacademies.com
www.bridgeinternationalacademies.com
You can now click on this link www.kenyanvacancies.com to visit our sister website for more vacancies.