Africa Senior Legal Counsel
Zipline is seeking a senior, strategic, and highly adaptable lawyer to lead and scale legal and compliance efforts across Africa. This role sits at the intersection of compliance execution, regulatory strategy, and public-sector partnership, and will play a critical role in enabling Zipline's growth in complex regulatory environments. The position is a hands-on leadership role within a lean, high-impact Legal Team, responsible for operating and evolving Zipline's global compliance programs in Africa, including hands-on administration of U.S. government awards.
Key responsibilities include designing, implementing, scaling, and continuously improving Zipline's legal and compliance programs across Africa, with a focus on sustainable, practical operations that support rapid growth. The role involves owning compliance with U.S. government award requirements, including FARs and 2 CFR 200, and serving as a primary point of contact for U.S. government contracting officers. Additionally, the position requires leading day-to-day compliance workstreams covering sanctions, anti-bribery and anti-corruption, privacy, healthcare, employment, and product-related regulations.
The ideal candidate will have a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and be a member in good standing of at least one U.S. state or international bar. They should possess at least 7–10 years of relevant legal experience, including experience at a reputable law firm and/or in-house, with a strong preference for international, compliance, government contracting, or regulated-industry experience. The role requires strong judgment, the confidence to make independent decisions, and the ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-paced environments. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, a collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset, and strong organizational skills are essential. Willingness to travel up to approximately 25% to Africa, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., is also required.
Zipline offers a dynamic work environment where employees are empowered to solve new and unique problems with a high level of autonomy. The company values diversity and encourages applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. Employees have the opportunity to be part of projects that truly make a difference for people, contributing to a mission that transforms the way goods move and provides equitable access for billions of people.