Senior Legal Advisor - Commercial And Industrial (Renewables)

Energy Africa Recruitment; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 700,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy firm in Cape Town seeks a Senior Legal Advisor to support renewable energy projects. The role involves managing legal aspects from Preferred Bidder status to Financial Close, requiring strong negotiation and contract drafting skills. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in project finance and renewable energy, contributing to the firm's commitment to achieving net-zero goals.

Qualifications

• 4-5 years of relevant banking, finance, corporate, and project experience.
• At least 3 years of experience in Project Finance transactions.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the implementation of transactions to bring renewable energy projects to Financial Close.
• Leading legal review, negotiation, and approval of project documents.
• Coordinating with departments to meet timelines and deliverables for Financial Close.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract Drafting

Project Finance

Knowledge of Legislation

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Law

Job description

Our Client

Our client is a fully integrated energy firm based in Cape Town, delivering renewable energy solutions to commercial and industrial clients. They work closely with clients to achieve net-zero goals while reducing energy expenses.

Position Overview

As a Senior Legal Advisor, this role is part of the Legal Team supporting the Transactions Team. The team is responsible for taking renewable energy projects from Preferred Bidder status to Financial Close and preparing projects for the construction phase.

The role reports to the Head of Legal and Trading and is a standalone position requiring self-management.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Law
• 4-5 years of relevant banking, finance, corporate, and project experience
• At least 3 years of experience in Project Finance transactions
• Experience in renewable energy projects
• Strong private PPA experience in the C&I sector or project document experience
• Proficiency in contract drafting, with the ability to adapt template documents
• In-depth knowledge of relevant legislation

Responsibilities

• Supporting the implementation of transactions to bring renewable energy projects to Financial Close through negotiation, preparation, and review of legal agreements
• Leading legal review, negotiation, and approval of project documents (e.g., Master Energy Supply Agreements, EPC, O&M) and finance documents
• Supporting legal advisors' appointments and leading legal due diligence with external advisors
• Assisting in structuring transactions across sales in the C&I sector, negotiating financing and related documents
• Coordinating with departments to meet timelines and deliverables for Financial Close
• Supporting secondary market opportunities and tender/RFP submissions as needed
• Negotiating mandates and term sheets with lenders
• Managing drafting of notices and obtaining consents per lender requirements
• Managing Conditions Precedent (CP) Checklist and leading legal review of transaction documents
• Supporting other in-house teams involved in project development and implementation when capacity allows