Sahara Group is not just a great place to work; it is a dynamic and exciting experience that will take your career to great heights. Whether you are a fresh graduate or an experienced professional, you will deepen your skills, broaden your knowledge, and enlarge your thinking. Become part of our team, and be empowered to make global achievements. When you think of a rewarding career, think SAHARA.
Sahara Group is recruiting to fill the below position:
Senior Legal Counsel at Sahara Group
Job Title: Senior Legal Counsel
Operating Company: Sahara Energy Field Limited
Location: Lagos State
PURPOSE STATEMENT:
To provide efficient and professional, Legal and contractual support to the Upstream companies of Sahara Group, thereby promoting communication, anticipating risks, reducing liabilities, preventing litigation, defending corporate interests and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, whilst reducing costs of external counsel
Key DeliverablesThe successful candidate will amongst other duties be required to:
- Guarantee the company’s interests in all dealings
- Take decisions on legal issues and provide advice and support to team members and management in acquisition of upstream assets
- Supervise the Legal team and provide direction for the day to day performance of the Legal function
- Responsible for drafting and negotiation of commercial and contractual agreements and follows through their implementation
- Responsible for monitoring the execution of contracts to ensure due compliance
- Renders legal support to team members on various commercial and contractual agreements
- Takes part in negotiation with partners, contractors and government agencies
- Provide legal advice on laws, regulations and rules for the Upstream industry in Oil and Gas, and ensure compliance.
- Will be expected to attend top level meetings with private and public corporations.
- Select and manage the work of external legal counsel engaged by the company
- Liaise with external solicitors for litigation and other transactions
- Additional Information
Knowledge/Skills:
- Strong commercial legal background along with extensive demonstrable negotiation skills
- Must be well versed in West African legal and regulatory frameworks such the Nigerian Petroleum Sharing Contract (PSC) and other West African regulatory regimes. Knowledge of the draft Nigerian Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) would be an added advantage.
- Working knowledge of Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) and Crude Handling Agreements (CHA).
- Relevant experience of most energy and natural resource laws.
- Law degree and professional legal qualification and must be called to the Nigerian Bar
- Excellent writing and negotiation skills.
- Good knowledge of Microsoft Office especially MS Word and PowerPoint.
- Strong academic background and capable of applying jurisprudence in real situations
- Very strong legal contracting skills
- Influencing, negotiating and facilitation skills
- Ability to work as part of a team and with both internal and external stakeholders with diverse cultural backgrounds
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Good drafting skills
- Fluent written and spoken English
Minimum Qualification / Experience:
The ideal candidate should have 10 years post call experience, 5 of which must be core experience in a law firm or commercial oil and gas environment
Personality Traits:
- Good team spirit
- In-depth knowledge and experience in drafting and reviewing contracts.
- Excellent business judgment and ability to apply business solutions to legal problems
- Excellent track record (with demonstrated successes).
- Demonstrated planning and organizational skills, including the ability to anticipate tasks, set priorities, meet deadlines, and function smoothly under strict deadlines and shifting priorities
- Ability to think strategically and to envision and balance
Working Relationships
- Executive Management and Board members
- Team members
- Group Legal
- Joint Venture Legal partners
- External Solicitors;
- Regulatory bodies with jurisdiction over the SEFL’s business namely NNPC, NAPIMS, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) etc.