Senior Manager, Legal at Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc

Overall, Purpose of the Job

• The role is designed to support the Legal Director of SEPLAT PLC and its Subsidiaries (“the SEPLAT Group”) to guide and advise the Board of Directors, the Executive team, and the Leadership Team on the legal framework of the SEPLAT Group and its interplay with the external legal environment, while scanning the internal and external horizon for actual and potential legal risks and implications of all of the business transactions.
• The role will ensure the delivery of all upstream transactions that portend legal, commercial, and or reputational risks within the Exploration and Production (E&P) departments and all legal workstreams on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, financing, and debt restructuring, corporate finance and tax, corporate restructuring, enterprise risk management, intellectual property rights, and protection, corporate law.
• The role evaluates and weighs multiple inputs and impacts of any business decision or action on the SEPLAT Group and works in an integrated manner with the Legal Director and the Executive Team to deliver the purpose, objectives, and the strategic business growth plan of the SEPLAT Group.

Principal Accountabilities

• Act as a key resource, providing strategic legal advice and assurance to the Board, Board Committees, CEO, Executive Team, and providing strategic legal advice and support to the Board.
• Closely work with the Legal Director to deliver the growth and transformational objectives of the SEPLAT Group and drive the culture of the Group, as set by the SEPLAT PLC Board.
• Provide commercial and transactional expertise –
• Manage legal and regulatory compliance in Exploration and Production and corporate transactions:
• Enterprise Risk Management
• Manage Dispute Resolution
• Champion the overall legal health of SEPLAT
• Public Advocacy
• External Counsel
• Joint Venture Responsibilities

Job Knowledge and Qualifications

(Indicate minimum knowledge and essential background qualifications necessary to perform the job competently):

• A Degree in Law; is required. An MBA, a Master’s degree, or a Ph.D. in Law will be an added advantage. Must be qualified to practice as a lawyer in Nigeria and be a member of the Nigerian Bar Association.

Relevant Experience:

• At least 20 years post-call, with experience in Law administration, Legal advisory in Energy, Upstream, Midstream and Commercial in an international law firm or similar post-call experience with a mid-sized or major E&P company in Nigeria.
• Proficient knowledge of MS Word, Excel, and other Microsoft applications.
• Exposure and working experience with an international oil firm for at least 8 years
• Proven evidence of sustained performance and delivery at mid-management or management level in a midsized or major E&P operation.
• Legal experience in Oil & Gas across geographies (especially Nigeria and the United Kingdom).

Competencies (Technical skills, behavioral competencies, specialized training, or Defined Competencies as outlined in Seplat Competence & Training System):

• Strong expertise in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating agreements for complex transactions across the Upstream, Midstream, and with local and international private/government parties.
• Working knowledge of the evolving local and international ESG and New Energy landscape, including the Legal issues and obligations faced by an Oil & Gas Company with dual listing status.
• Ability to drive the legal aspects of, and manage complexities arising within, an entire project/transaction value chain (i.e., from Project structuring to post-completion);
• Strong interpersonal skills and robust negotiation skills.
• Knowledge of legislation governing g operations in Oil & Gas