Jobs at Proten – In-House Legal Counsel Officer

Job Description

The In-House Legal Counsel Officer will serve as the company's primary in-house legal resource, providingcorporate, commercial, contractual, regulatory, compliance, and legal risk supportacross its retail, production, warehouse, logistics, and support service operations in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
The role requires a hands-on, commercially minded legal professional capable of providingline-by-line contract review, legal risk advisory, regulatory guidance, corporate governance support, and effective coordination of external counsel.

Responsibilities
Legal Advisory & Risk Management:

Provide practical legal advice on corporate, commercial, regulatory, labour, tax, and operational matters across the company's business pillars.
Advise the CEO and senior management on the legal implications and risk profile of key business decisions, transactions, partnerships, and new initiatives.
Interpret and apply relevant Nigerian laws and regulations, includingCAMA, FCCPA, tax, labour, and sector-specific regulations.
Prepare legal opinions and risk assessments for proposed transactions, business lines, and market entries.
Monitor changes in legislation and regulatory requirements and advise management on their impact and required actions.
Conduct periodic legal risk reviews across business units and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.

Contract & Document Management:

Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, MOUs, SLAs, NDAs, vendor agreements, employment contracts, and other legal documents.
Review SLAs and commercial agreements to identify onerous clauses, liability exposure, unfavourable terms, and other contractual risks.
Support negotiations with vendors, clients, partners, and other counterparties to secure commercially favourable and legally sound terms.
Maintain a central contract register covering key obligations, renewal/expiry dates, and contractual commitments.
Standardize and maintain commonly used legal and contract templates.
Monitor contractual obligations and ensure potential breaches, disputes, and other exposures are promptly escalated and addressed.

External Counsel & Litigation Management:

Serve as the primary liaison with external lawyers and law firms on litigation, regulatory matters, filings, and specialized legal assignments.
Manage external counsel instructions, performance, costs, legal fees, and invoices to ensure timely and cost-effective delivery.
Coordinate court processes, filings, and litigation matters with external counsel while keeping management informed of developments and potential exposure.
Evaluate and recommend external legal counsel based on expertise, track record, service quality, and cost.
Ensure timely responses to legal notices, regulatory correspondence, and letters before action.
Maintain an up-to-date register of litigation and other legal matters, including status, next steps, and financial exposure.

Compliance & Regulatory Management:

Monitor compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory obligations, including CAC, FIRS, NSITF, ITF, PenCom, and other relevant regulators.
Develop, implement, and periodically review the organization’s legal and regulatory compliance framework and policies.
Ensure timely renewal of business permits, licences, registrations, and other regulatory requirements across all locations.
Support legal/compliance audits and ensure identified issues are appropriately addressed and closed.
Develop and deliver legal and compliance awareness training on areas such ascontracts, data protection, anti-bribery, and regulatory compliance.
Support implementation of data protection and privacy practices in line with theNigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).

Corporate Governance & Company Secretarial Support:

Support statutory filings, board resolutions, corporate governance documentation, and regulatory submissions.
Maintain statutory registers and corporate records, including registers of members, directors, and charges.
Support preparation and coordination of Board, Management, and other governance meeting documentation, including minutes and resolutions where required.
Ensure the company’s corporate structure and documentation remain compliant with applicable requirements.
Safeguard the company’s legal documents, corporate records, and seals.

Cross-Functional Legal Support:

Partner with Internal Control on risk assessments, investigations, compliance reviews, and matters requiring legal input.
Advise HR on employment contracts, disciplinary matters, employee relations issues, and labour-law compliance.
Support Finance and Procurement on vendor contracts, negotiations, debt recovery, payment defaults, and dispute resolution.
Advise Business Unit Heads on the legal implications of new initiatives, partnerships, transactions, and operational decisions.
Collaborate with the Executive Office on Board matters, shareholder communications, and governance-related issues.
Serve as a trusted legal partner to the business, ensuring decisions are made with clear understanding of associated legal risks.

Requirements

LL.B (Bachelor of Laws) and Call to the Nigerian Bar (B.L) are required.
Minimum of 5 years post-call experience in corporate/commercial law, gained in a reputable law firm or in-house legal environment.
Demonstrable experience incontract drafting/review, SLA management, legal advisory, regulatory compliance, litigation coordination, and corporate governance.
LL.M or relevant professional certification in corporate/commercial law is an added advantage.
Strong knowledge of Nigerian corporate and commercial law, contract law, labour law, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance.
Excellent legal drafting, contract negotiation, legal research, and analytical skills.
Strong commercial awareness and ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice.
Excellent written and verbal communication and stakeholder management skills.
Strong organizational, project management, attention-to-detail, and problem-solving abilities.
Ability to manage external counsel effectively and handle confidential and sensitive matters with a high level of integrity and discretion.

Benefits

Housing Allowance.
Annual Leave Allowance.
HMO.
Pension.
Communication Allowance.