Group Company Secretary and Head of Legal

JOB VACANCY: GROUP COMPANY SECRETARY AND HEAD OF LEGAL

Reports To: Group Chief Executive Officer / Board of Directors

Location: Harare, Zimbabwe (Group Head Office)

Scope: A well-established, diversified logistics and freight group operating across the region, together with its subsidiaries and related entities

Overall Purpose of Job

Ensure full compliance with corporate governance and statutory requirements, safeguard the legal and regulatory standing of the Group, and provide strategic legal and board advisory support to the Board and Executive Management.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Serve as Company Secretary to the Board and its subcommittees, ensuring compliance with the Companies and Other Business Entities Act, ZSE Listing Requirements, and COBEA 2019, including meeting administration, minute-taking, resolutions, and maintenance of statutory registers and records.

Provide legal counsel to the Board and Executive Management, and draft, review, and negotiate contracts, SLAs, and third-party agreements across the Group's divisions and subsidiaries, while managing litigation risk and external counsel instructions.

Serve as liaison with external counsel for any litigation, acting in an oversight capacity to ensure all company interests are protected.

Serve as primary liaison with regulatory bodies (ZSE, SECZ, CTC, POTRAZ) on licensing, compliance, and merger and acquisition notifications, and provide legal and company secretarial support on M&A and capital raising transactions.

Develop, review, and implement Group-wide governance and risk policies aligned with Zimbabwean law and international standards, and advise the Board on enterprise risk management.

Manage shareholder relations and statutory disclosure obligations in line with ZSE requirements, coordinate the AGM and other shareholder meetings, and provide legal guidance on labour relations and employment matters in collaboration with HR.

Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor's degree in Law (LLB) or equivalent; a postgraduate qualification in Corporate Governance, Law, or an ICSA/CIS/CGIZ qualification is a strong advantage.

A minimum of 7-10 years' post-qualification experience in company secretarial practice and/or in-house legal counsel roles, with at least 3 years at a middle management level or upwards.

Prior experience with a ZSE-listed entity, or exposure to listed-company governance, is essential.

Sound working knowledge of the Companies and Other Business Entities Act, ZSE Listing Requirements, COBEA 2019, Labour Act, and related Zimbabwean regulatory frameworks.

Registered member in good standing with the Law Society of Zimbabwe (or equivalent professional body).

Skills and Competencies

Strong drafting, negotiation, and legal analysis skills, with the ability to produce deployment-ready documents under tight timelines.

Excellent board and stakeholder management skills, with sound judgement and discretion in handling confidential and sensitive matters.

Strong regulatory liaison skills and experience engaging with bodies such as the ZSE, SECZ, CTC, and POTRAZ.

High attention to detail, strong organisational skills, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams across a multi-entity group.

Sound commercial acumen and the ability to balance legal risk management with business objectives.