Core Purpose of the Role
To provide in-house legal drafting, review, and advisory support that enables compliant, commercially sound decision-making, while ensuring disciplined legal risk identification and consistent contract quality across SolarAfrica’s operations.
Position of the job in the organisation:
The Legal Advisor will report directly to the Head of Legal. Should a Senior Legal Advisor position be established, the role will then report to the Senior Legal Advisor.
Principal responsibilities:
Legal Drafting and Review
- Draft, review, and support negotiation of commercial and project agreements, including NDAs, MoUs, supplier and service agreements, leases, and first-pass reviews of EPC, O and M, and PPA-adjacent documentation.
- Prepare and issue contractual correspondence, including letters of demand, notices, and responses.
- Support contract renewals, amendments, and variations from a legal review perspective.
Legal Advisory and Risk Support
- Advise internal stakeholders on key contractual terms, legal implications, and risk exposure arising from tenders, supplier contracts, customer agreements, and project documentation.
- Analyse contracts pre-award, identify legal and commercial risks, and provide clear, practical recommendations.
- Support contract strategy discussions by assessing legal risk associated with available options and proposed approaches.
Procurement and Commercial Support
- Participate in and support procurement processes, including RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs, from a legal and governance perspective.
- Provide legal input into bid documentation, deviation schedules, and contracting strategies.
- Support preparation for contract negotiations and work alongside commercial leads as required.
Post-Signature Contract Support, Disputes, and External Counsel
- Support and advise on day-to-day post-signature contract management matters, working in coordination with Contracts Managers responsible for project execution and administration.
- Provide legal advice on contractual interpretation, rights and remedies, review of notices and correspondence, variations, claims, and dispute escalation.
- Support the management of contractual disputes, claims, and compensation events, including matters referred to arbitration or court.
- Prepare legal positions, correspondence, and supporting documentation for dispute resolution proceedings.
- Coordinate with and manage external legal consultants and counsel, including briefing, document preparation, progress tracking, and cost monitoring.
Governance, Compliance, and Document Control
- Maintain legal templates, clause standards, and precedent documents.
- Support consistent naming, filing, and document-control standards for legal agreements and dispute-related documentation.
- Ensure compliance with applicable statutory and internal governance requirements in the contractual context.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of legal policies, procedures, and compliance guidance.
- Provide regular updates on assigned legal matters, risks, disputes, and turnaround times.
- Any other job duties associated with this role.
Experience & Skills
- Minimum 5+ years’ experience in a legal or commercial legal advisory role
- Strong experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts
- Knowledge of contract law, procurement processes, and dispute resolution
- Experience coordinating with external legal advisors
- LLB or equivalent law degree.
Specific attributes:
- Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills.
- High levels of integrity, professionalism, and sound judgement.
- Strong commercial awareness and ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.
- Excellent attention to detail with a structured and organised approach to work.
- Ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Desirable attributes:
- Experience within the renewable energy, infrastructure, or project-based sectors.
- Proven ability to provide practical, commercially balanced legal advice to non-legal stakeholders.
- Awareness of legal, regulatory, and market developments relevant to the business environment.
Competencies
- Adaptability
- Communication & Influence
- Leadership
What Does Success Look Like?
By month 3:
- I will have a thorough understanding of SolarAfrica’s legal environment, systems, contract landscape, and internal governance structures.
- I will be fully familiar with all core contract types used across the business, including PPAs, EPC agreements, lease agreements, installer and supplier contracts.
- I will have identified key legal, contractual, and compliance risk themes across active contracting workflows.
- I will have identified key legal, contractual, and compliance risks and prioritised them based on business impact.
- I will have gained a clear understanding of existing legal and contract support processes and highlighted priority improvement are
- I will have established strong working relationships with key stakeholders across compliance, commercial, procurement, sales, and operations.
By month 6:
- I will be providing consistent and timely legal drafting and review support across sales, procurement, and commercial activities.
- I will be actively supporting sales, procurement, and commercial teams with contract negotiations, amendments, and renewals.
- I will be providing clear, commercially balanced legal advice on proposed contract changes and new agreements.
- I will be coordinating effectively with external legal advisors where required, ensuring cost control and efficient turnaround times.
- I will have introduced consistent contract templates, clause standards, and a centralised contract filing and naming system.
- I will be advising management on legal and contractual risks before agreements are signed, reducing exposure and rework.
By month 12:
- I will be operating as a trusted legal advisor to cross-functional teams, providing day-to-day legal support with sound judgment and appropriate escalation.
- I will be a trusted legal and commercial advisor to senior management and cross-functional teams.
- I will have contributed to embedded and consistent legal review and governance practices that support scalable business growth.
- I will be adding measurable value through reduced legal risk, improved contract turnaround times, and better commercial outcomes.
- I will be contributing to policy development, compliance initiatives, and continuous improvement of legal processes.
- I will be supporting dispute resolution and post-signature legal matters.
- I will be supporting SolarAfrica’s growth strategy by enabling faster, more secure deal execution aligned with scalable legal practices.
Core Values:
We hire, reward, and recognise our team against these values. It is imperative that you believe in these values and demonstrate them consistently.
- We are passionate and proud of what we do.
- We communicate candidly, especially when it is difficult.
- We take the initiative, share our mistakes, and grow together.
- We are dependable and take accountability.
- No one person is bigger than the solution - no egos.
