Legal Counsel
Wave is a mobile money company reinventing financial services across Africa. It lets users deposit, withdraw, and pay bills for free, send money for a 1% fee, and buy airtime instantly, serving everyday consumers who need affordable, accessible banking.
Projects
About Wave
Wave offers mobile money services designed to make banking modern and affordable, primarily for underserved populations across Africa. Its core product allows users to deposit and withdraw money for free, pay bills for free, send money to anyone for only 1%, and buy airtime instantly, backed by toll-free customer support and strong security. Wave operates across numerous African markets including Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, DRC, Gambia, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, with a global team building what it describes as 'the future of money, Africa-first.' The company emphasizes a distinct hiring philosophy and culture rooted in transparency, mission-driven work, honesty, and rapid iteration, serving individual consumers and agents who rely on Wave for everyday financial transactions.
Skills
About the Role
You will play a key role in supporting the Legal Team and contributing to the company's growth and compliance objectives, operating in the Burkina Faso and Niger markets. You will work closely with operational and functional teams to help them achieve their goals while proactively identifying, assessing, and managing legal risks to ensure full compliance with applicable laws and regulations. You will provide clear, practical, and business-oriented legal advice and implement legal strategies that protect the company's interests. You will report directly to the Head of Legal.
Requirements
- Master's degree in Law or equivalent
- 3–5 years of professional legal experience, ideally within a dynamic corporate or regulatory environment
- Fluency in both written and spoken French and English
- Proven experience in corporate governance, including planning and preparing for board and shareholder meetings
- Strong knowledge of general legal and regulatory requirements applicable to corporate and commercial activities
- Experience in a law firm, Financial / Telco sector
Responsibilities
- Draft, review, and negotiate contracts across all business areas, ensuring alignment with company objectives and compliance with applicable laws
- Support contract drafting and review for Wave's core products and services
- Lead and participate in complex, high-value contract negotiations
- Enhance and manage the contracting process, including contract policies, contract management systems, electronic signature tools, and document archiving procedures
- Implement group legal policies and propose updates based on legal developments and best practices
- Develop and apply procedures for managing legal claims and disputes, including pre-litigation strategy, mediation, arbitration, and litigation follow-up
- Provide legal support for employment matters, including contracts, disciplinary procedures, and terminations
- Provide support for the company secretary
- Collaborate with the Risk and Controls teams to identify legal risks and implement mitigations and internal controls
- Support the rollout and enforcement of the company's data privacy compliance framework
- Provide legal advice on licensing and regulatory requirements
- Build and maintain relationships with external law firms and manage legal service delivery
- Contribute to cross-functional legal initiatives and support other legal priorities as they arise
Benefits
- Generous health insurance for yourself and your dependents
- Generous parental leave policies (26 weeks for mothers and 4 weeks for fathers)
- Subsidized child care when you return to work
- Subsidized gym memberships and fitness classes
- Airtime reimbursement