Legal Specialist at West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC)

Job Objective

The Legal Specialist will support the Legal Department to ensure robust legal risk management across commercial transactions and regulatory compliance processes. The role is focused on contract review and negotiation, compliance monitoring (including anti-bribery, anti-corruption, AML, KYC/S and data protection) and supporting key departments such as procurement and sales. The role will work closely with the Manager, Legal Operations, internal stakeholders and external parties to uphold legal and ethical standards in all business operations.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Support in developing, implementing and monitoring the company’s compliance policies, procedures and frameworks in line with applicable laws, telecom regulations, and industry best practices
• Support initiatives related to anti-bribery, anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, data protection (including GDPR and local data laws) and cybersecurity compliance
• Review, draft and support the negotiation of a broad range of commercial contracts, including vendor agreements, service level agreements, clients contracts, NDAs and licensing arrangements. Ensure that all contracts align with internal policies, risk frameworks, and applicable legal and regulatory standards
• Support the Procurement team by reviewing supplier agreements, RFIs, and RFPs to ensure compliance with procurement policies. Assist the Sales and Commercial teams in structuring customer agreements and navigating legal risks in business development initiatives
• Perform legal and regulatory compliance assessments for new partnerships, product offerings and business transactions. Monitor and analyse legislative and regulatory developments in the telecoms sector and advise the business on compliance obligations and risk exposure
• Support the implementation and monitoring of Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Supplier (KYS) due diligence processes in line with internal protocols and applicable laws. Assist in the periodic review and updating of KYC and supplier documentation to ensure ongoing alignment with AML/CFT requirements
• Prepare and maintain compliance documentation to support internal and external audits as well as regulatory inspections. Assist in identifying gaps in compliance processes, remediating those gaps and tracking the implementation of corrective actions
• Support the full contract lifecycle, including intake, review, negotiation, approvals, execution, renewals and archiving. Maintain accurate records of contract statuses and key obligations within the contract management system
• Contribute to the design and delivery of compliance training and awareness programs, including onboarding sessions and refresher modules, to foster a strong compliance culture across the organisation
• Provide day-to-day legal support to business teams and assist with administrative tasks within the legal function. This includes drafting internal legal memoranda, supporting company secretarial tasks and assisting with document review, filing and governance matters

Minimum Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) from a recognised institution; Postgraduate diploma or bar admission is an advantage
• Minimum 3-5 years’ experience in a legal or compliance role, ideally in the telecommunications, ICT, regulated sectors, Law Firm
• Strong understanding of contract law, commercial transactions and regulatory frameworks (data protection, AML/CFT, competition law, etc.)

Experience & Skills: 

• Experience in reviewing, drafting and negotiating commercial contracts
• Knowledge of KYC/KYS requirements and risk-based due diligence processes
• Familiarity with local and international compliance standards (e.g. GDPR, ISO 27001, FCPA, UK Bribery Act)
• Excellent organizational skills, interpersonal skills, excellent written and verbal communication skills and capable of simplifying technical and legal content
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
• Organised and process-driven with attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy
• Capable of building effective working relationships across multi-disciplinary teams
• Solutions-oriented with a continuous improvement mindset
• Competent in using Microsoft 365 and compliance management tools

Attributes

• Integrity, honesty and high ethical standards
• Client-focused with a collaborative mindset
• Boundless, adaptable and eager to learn
• Personal excellence and dedication to quality
• Able to work under pressure, manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Professional, and a strong team player
• Adaptable and eager to learn, comfortable working across various compliance and legal areas
• Strong analytical and communication skills, capable of presenting complex information simply and clearly