Reporting directly to the CEO, the General Counsel & Compliance Officer will serve as the Company's principal legal advisor, providing strategic and commercially focused legal support across corporate governance, commercial contracting, regulatory matters, legal risk management, dispute resolution, and ethics & compliance. The role will support the Board and executive leadership team while ensuring the Company maintains the highest standards of legal and regulatory compliance across its operations.
The successful candidate will advise on a broad range of upstream Oil & Gas matters, including Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs), Joint Venture (JV) arrangements, commercial agreements, financings, regulatory engagement, and corporate transactions. The role will also support growth initiatives, including acquisitions, divestments, and other M&A activities, while overseeing external legal counsel and managing legal risks associated with the Company's business operations.
In addition to leading the Company's legal function, the General Counsel & Compliance Officer will be responsible for driving a risk-based compliance program encompassing due diligence, investigations, policy guidance, training, monitoring, and ethical business conduct. The position requires a commercially minded legal professional with strong stakeholder management skills, the ability to influence at Board and executive level, and a proven track record of balancing legal risk with business objectives.
Candidates should possess significant corporate and commercial legal experience within the Oil & Gas or Energy sector, including exposure to the Egyptian upstream industry, PSCs, JV structures, and M&A transactions. Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills, sound judgement, and experience operating within complex, regulated, and project-driven environments are essential. Due to current business requirements, this opportunity is open to Egyptian nationals only.
Position Title: General Counsel & Compliance Officer
Staff or Temp: Staff
Expected package: To be discussed
Location: Egypt
Reports to: CEO
Role Summary
The General Counsel & Compliance Officer is the company’s primary legal advisor, providing business-focused counsel across corporate governance, commercial contracting, regulatory engagement, and legal risk management for the Company and its subsidiaries/branches ("The Company"). The incumbent will be accountable for the delivery of business focused legal services for The Company. The role safeguards The Company’ complaint standing enables compliant execution of strategy and projects and supports sound decision-making in a dynamic Oil & Gas environment. Compliance responsibilities are delivered as a focused, risk-based program to promote ethical conduct and policy adherence.
Key Accountabilities
- Deliver timely, pragmatic legal advice to management and the Board, identifying legal and commercial risks and recommending actionable mitigations.
- Own the quality and consistency of legal agreements (drafting, review, negotiation) and ensure alignment with The Company standards and delegation of authority.
- Maintain effective corporate governance and company secretarial support, including board/committee documentation and statutory records as applicable.
- Manage legal risk and disputes, including strategy, documentation and settlement/litigation recommendations where material.
- Manage external legal counsel and ensure timely and efficient delivery.
- Provide focused Ethics & Compliance support through risk-based planning, due diligence, training, monitoring, and recordkeeping (summarized scope).
Core Responsibilities
A. Legal Advisory & Commercial Support
- Advise the CEO, leadership team, and Board on legal aspects of strategic, operational, governance, and ethical matters; translate ambiguity into clear options and decisions.
- Support commercial teams in negotiations with partners, contractors, lenders/banks, and governmental authorities; ensure risks, liabilities, and protections are appropriately balanced.
- Plan, organize and lead the provision of external legal support to The Company, including but not limited to projects that have strategic value and financial impact, regulatory compliance issues and employment matters.
- Draft, review, negotiate, and maintain templates for contracts and legal documents (e.g., NDAs, services, procurement, JV/partnering, financing, and other business agreements).
- Provide support on corporate governance and company secretarial matters, including Board/committee meeting packs, resolutions, minutes, approvals, and statutory filings where applicable.
- Support maintenance of corporate records and authority registers; advise on governance best practices and control frameworks.
- Liaise with shareholder legal teams as needed and coordinate specialist input (tax, regulatory, competition, HSE/legal intersections, etc.).
- Advise on contractual disputes, claims, and issues arising under contracts/concessions; propose resolution strategies, escalation paths, and settlement parameters.
- Lead coordination with external counsel: scope, budgets, instructions, review of pleadings/advice, and management reporting for material matters.
- Identify and manage legal risks (contract, regulatory, reputational, financial); maintain a legal risk register and ensure controls/mitigations are implemented.
- Support financings and day-to-day banking legal matters (security documents, guarantees, conditions precedent, and related documentation) as required.
- Serve as a speak-up channel and triage concerns; coordinate investigations and outcomes with relevant stakeholders while maintaining confidentiality and fairness.
- Develop and execute an annual, risk-based compliance plan (risk assessments, targeted training, and monitoring).
- Conduct integrity due diligence on counterparties; flag red flags and recommend mitigations and risk ratings.
- Advise on core policy topics (Gifts & Entertainment, Conflicts of Interest, sponsorships/social investments, trade sanctions) and maintain essential registers and records.
- Thorough understanding and hands-on experience with Due Diligence (CDD) and related compliance frameworks
Key Interfaces
Internal: CEO, Executive Leadership Team, Finance, Commercial/Procurement, Operations/Projects, HR, HSE, IT, Corporate Communications, PMO/Strategy.
External: Shareholders’ legal teams, JV partners, regulators/government entities, counterparties, lenders/banks, external counsel, auditors/consultants.
Performance Measures (KPIs)
- Turnaround time and quality of legal advice and contract reviews (accuracy, practicality, risk clarity).
- Contracting outcomes: reduced rework, improved risk allocation, and timely execution against business timelines.
- Governance effectiveness: completeness and timeliness of Board/committee documentation and statutory compliance (where applicable).
- Dispute management: early risk identification, resolution cycle time, and cost control for external counsel.
- Compliance program effectiveness: completion of annual plan deliverables, training completion, and timely maintenance of key registers (no material breaches).
Education (Preferred):
Bachelor’s degree in law (LL.B.). Postgraduate qualifications (LL.M., diploma in corporate/commercial law)
Experience (Minimum):
10+ years of progressive legal experience, including corporate/commercial contracting and advisory work in the Oil & Gas/Energy Industry. Prior exposure to project-based environments, or regulated industries is strongly preferred.
Core Competencies:
- Demonstrated knowledge and practical experience in the international oil and gas industry
- Knowledge and experience in UK law/contract law.
- Strong corporate/commercial legal drafting and negotiation skills; ability to simplify complex issues for business decision-makers.
- Sound judgement and integrity; confident handling of sensitive and privileged information.
- Stakeholder management and influence across functions and with external parties.
- Structured risk management mindset; proactive issue spotting and mitigation planning.
Technical & Digital Skills:
- Advanced Microsoft 365 (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint) and disciplined document control/versioning.
Fluent English (written and spoken) is mandatory. Arabic is strongly preferred.
Certifications (Preferred):
Company secretarial/governance training, compliance/ethics certification, or equivalent professional accreditation is an advantage.
Personal Attributes
- Business-oriented mindset with the ability to balance legal protection and commercial outcomes.
- Calm under pressure; able to manage competing priorities and tight deadlines.
- High attention to detail with clear, executive-ready writing and communication.
- Independent, proactive, and collaborative approach; comfortable operating in fast-paced environments.
- May require extended hours during negotiations, critical project milestones, or dispute escalations.
- Occasional travel may be required for partner meetings, government engagement, or site/project needs.