Legal Counsel

ompany Overview:

Solarcentury Africa (SCA) is a leading renewable energy developer and asset owner.  We are focused on delivering utility-scale, commercial and industrial (C&I), and captive power projects across Sub-Saharan Africa. We develop, finance, own and operate solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects that provide reliable, affordable, and sustainable power for sale to regional and domestic power markets, utilities and large commercial and industrial customers.  In the last 12 months SCA has achieved COD on projects in Namibia and Zambia, closed two debt facilities (one being a debt platform for its merchant fleet), won tenders for two large projects for industrial users, and significantly progressed projects in Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique to FC / “construction start”.

Role Overview:

If successful, you will join the small but mighty SCA legal team and a company which is delivering projects, and raising capital, quicker and in greater volume than its competitors.  The expectations are therefore high, the opportunities to learn and develop considerable, and the chance to directly contribute to renewable MWs being deployed in emerging markets real.

As a developer, owner and trader, SCA must design and agree a large volume of legal documentation, from land leases, licences and permits, EPC / O&M contracts, PPAs, concessions and grid agreements.  As a borrower of commercial and DFI debt, SCA executes complex financing and security documentation.  As a shareholder and equity investor SCA enters into share and purchase agreements, shareholder agreements and other corporate documentation.  The successful candidate will be involved in all of those workstreams.

Day to day, the role will also encompass the legal requirements of a growing, international company.  The successful candidate will be involved in project management, advice to senior management on legal risk and mitigants, input into business strategy, some cosec / corporate structuring work, and management of external counsel both in England and Africa.

Regularly the Legal Counsel will be asked to represent SCA at meetings with public or private sector stakeholders.  At those meetings the Legal Counsel’s role could be either or all of the following, lead, explain, negotiate, consensus build and take decisions on behalf of SCA.

The role is a unique opportunity for a lawyer to continue to review and negotiate agreements as they would in private practice, whilst benefiting from the more consistent hours of in-house life and the ability to input directly to SCA strategy and decision making.

Key Responsibilities:

• Draft, review and negotiate:

- a range of project development documentation, including land agreements, grid agreements, power purchase agreements, concessions, implementation / government support agreements;

- EPC and O&M agreements, supply contracts, and bonds;

- a range of finance agreements and associated documentation, including debt facilities, parent company guarantees, security agreements and direct agreements; and

- a range of corporate agreements such as SPAs, SHAs, and share subscription agreements,

in each case, liaising with the various SCA departments (Engineering, Operations, Finance, Business Development, Trading) to gather feedback, get certain points reviewed and produce documentation that protects their interests.

• Review and analyse key project permits and consents, and assist in the project development phase by advising on the package of rights a project needs in each jurisdiction.

• Contribute to the project development process by actively managing legal workstreams and pushing them forward, including by directly contacting / meeting with counterparties.

• Assist in the contract management phase, particularly of EPC contracts, by advising on Contractor and Employer claims, extension of time / additional cost requests and disputes.

• Give written and verbal advice to Heads of Department and senior management on legal risk and mitigants, and contribute to project and company decision making.

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with counterparties and stakeholders, including with local partners, within utilities / ministries, contractors, and funders. Liaise effectively and regularly with those counterparties.

• Review relevant regulation, legislation, policy and licensing regimes in order to understand how projects should be developer and operated in relevant jurisdictions.

• Represent SCA at meetings / negotiations with key stakeholders.

• Support in the day to day legal requirements of SCA, including corporate and tax structuring, drafting and implementing company policy, shareholder loans, tendering and managing external counsel.

• Take a lead role on embedding AI tools in the SCA Legal Team’s way of working.

Qualifications and Experience:

The successful candidate should possess the following qualifications, skills, and experience:

• Law degree.
• At least five years post qualification experience in an international law firm and/or in house, in projects / project finance, corporate finance or M&A, ideally with an energy / renewable energy focus. Candidates with more experience are also encouraged to apply.
• Demonstrable experience of drafting and negotiating transactional legal documentation, ideally of the type set out in the Key Responsibilities section above.
• Demonstrable experience of working in international markets, preferably emerging markets.
• An understanding of project financing structures for large-scale renewable energy projects, including the roles of equity investors, lenders and development finance institutions, would be advantageous.
• An understanding of how an in-house legal function should support and facilitate business activities and decision making.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple workstreams and meet competing deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with strong stakeholder management and relationship-building abilities.
• Confidence engaging with government authorities, utilities, consultants, contractors, and commercial partners, often in a lead role.
• A proactive, solution-oriented approach with the ability to identify challenges and develop practical, commercially focused solutions.
• Willingness to undertake travel to Sub-Saharan Africa as required by project needs.
• Experience with legal AI tools.