Associate Counsel - Compliance, NBA Africa & BAL at The National Basketball Association (NBA)

Position Summary

• Play a critical role in the operation of the NBA’s compliance program with responsibility for managing the region’s compliance with applicable law and NBA policy, including leading the third-party due diligence vetting process across Africa. This position may be based in our office locations in Nairobi, Johannesburg, or Dakar.

Primary Responsibility

• Lead third-party due diligence in accordance with the NBA’s policies and procedures, with first line responsibility for assessing and advising legal, regulatory, and reputational risk.
• Proactively analyze relevant deal terms, third-party information, and risk reports in connection with due diligence reviews, provide assessments to the Deputy Chief Compliance Officer.
• Draft reports that succinctly summarize findings and provide a recommended course of action.
• Provide general compliance assistance to employees in the region, including advising on best practices and complex compliance issues, particularly in the areas of anti-bribery and corruption, sanctions, conflicts-of-interest, and business conduct.
• Provide ongoing guidance on adherence to NBA compliance policy.
• Support regional business lawyers in analyzing compliance-related contractual provisions and assessing risk.
• Give regional due diligence and other training to regional employees.
• Effectively track and communicate the status of open issues.
• Maintain broad knowledge of compliance best practices and trends.

Required Skills/Knowledge

• Knowledge of and experience advising clients on sanctions laws and other compliance-related laws and regulations.
• Demonstrated experience balancing commercial goals and risk, with an ability to think strategically and creatively.
• Strong analytical, writing, and verbal communication skills, with an exceptional level of attention to detail.
• Robust, proactive problem-solving skills and ability to identify and facilitate solutions.
• Ability to work autonomously, accurately, and efficiently while balancing a high-volume workload.
• Experience working collaboratively in cross-border environments with legal colleagues and business clients.

Experience Requirements

• Minimum 5 years’ post-qualified or post-admission experience gained at a top-tier multinational law firm and/or a multi-national company.
• Experience working in or supporting a corporate compliance function with knowledge of executing third-party due diligence reviews.
• Experience supporting Africa.

Educational Background

• Law degree from a top tier university.