Company Secretary / Head of Legal — Senior Legal Role (Lagos)
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Employment Type: Full-time
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Strategy, positioning, and expert restructuring for high-stakes applications.
⚡ Limited weekly review slots • Structured • Results-focused
Who is this for?
Applicants applying for competitive funding, study visas, academic programs, research grants, or professional proposals needing expert-level positioning.
About the Employer
This role sits with a top financial holding company in Nigeria that oversees a portfolio of subsidiaries across finance, IT solutions, and currency services. The organization values strong corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and practical legal counsel that enables business growth while safeguarding stakeholder interests.
Role Overview — Company Secretary / Head of Legal
The Company Secretary / Head of Legal will serve as the principal legal advisor to the Board and executive team. You will lead legal strategy, ensure regulatory compliance across subsidiaries, manage contracts and litigation, and help design and implement compliance frameworks. This is a strategic leadership role requiring deep experience in financial services law and corporate governance.
Key Responsibilities
- Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, SLAs, transactional documents, and corporate policies.
- Provide timely, pragmatic legal advice to business units and senior management.
- Monitor regulatory and legislative developments affecting the financial services sector.
- Oversee regulatory filings, license renewals, and communications with regulators.
- Implement and maintain compliance frameworks and corporate governance best practices.
- Manage litigation matters, liaise with external counsel, and maintain a litigation tracker.
- Identify legal and regulatory risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
- Support audits and risk reviews with necessary legal input and documentation.
- Mentor and develop junior legal staff and build a strong compliance culture.
Requirements & Qualifications
- Post-call experience of at least 8 years in legal roles within the financial services sector or related areas.
- Proven experience advising boards and senior management on corporate governance matters.
- Deep knowledge of financial services regulations, compliance, and licensing requirements.
- Strong drafting and negotiation skills; comfortable with commercial transactions.
- Demonstrable experience in litigation management and working with external counsel.
- Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and leadership skills.
- LLB + BL (or equivalent); additional compliance or corporate governance certification is advantageous.
Remuneration
Competitive salary and benefits (depending on experience). Exact package will be discussed during final stages of the recruitment process.
Application Deadline
22nd October, 2025
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their application to: careers@conceptgroup-ng.com using the job title “Company Secretary / Head of Legal” as the subject line. Include a CV, brief cover letter, and relevant certificates.
Sample CV – Company Secretary / Head of Legal
Lagos, Nigeria | aisha.bello@email.com | +234 809 000 0000
PROFILE:
Seasoned legal professional with 10+ years’ post-call experience in the financial services sector. Expertise in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, contract negotiation, litigation oversight, and board advisory. Proven leader with strong stakeholder management skills.
KEY SKILLS:
• Corporate governance & board advisory
• Regulatory compliance (CBN, SEC, FCA frameworks knowledge)
• Contract drafting & negotiation
• Litigation management & external counsel coordination
• Compliance frameworks & policy development
• Team leadership & mentoring
EXPERIENCE:
Head of Legal – Financial Services Firm, Lagos (2019–2025)
* Led legal and compliance functions across group subsidiaries.
* Managed licensing, regulatory filings, and key enterprise contracts.
* Implemented a compliance monitoring framework that reduced regulatory incidents.
Senior Legal Counsel – Bank X, Lagos (2015–2019)
* Advised on lending transactions, vendor contracts, and dispute resolution.
EDUCATION:
LLB – University of Lagos; BL – Nigerian Law School
Cert: Advanced Compliance (Institute of Banking & Finance)
REFERENCES:
Available on request.
Sample Cover Letter
I write to express my interest in the Company Secretary / Head of Legal role. With over a decade of legal experience in financial services and a track record of advising boards on governance and regulatory matters, I bring both technical depth and practical leadership.
At my current role, I led successful license renewals, restructured compliance processes, and managed significant litigation matters with external counsel. I am confident in my ability to protect the company’s legal interests while enabling business initiatives.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your organization.
Sincerely,
Aisha Bello
Sample Motivation Statement
Sample Application Email
Dear Recruitment Team,
Please find attached my CV, cover letter and copies of relevant certificates for the Company Secretary / Head of Legal position. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss my application.
Kind regards,
Aisha Bello
📧 [aisha.bello@email.com](mailto:aisha.bello@email.com)
📞 +234 809 000 0000
Sample Reference / Employer Letter
This is to confirm that Mr. / Ms. [Name] served as Senior Legal Counsel at [Company] from [start date] to [end date]. During this time, they demonstrated exceptional legal judgment, strong corporate governance competence, and reliable leadership in managing regulatory matters and litigation. They leave in good standing and are recommended for senior legal roles.
Sincerely,
[Name of Referee]
[Position] | [Company] | [Contact Information]
Interview Preparation Guide — Company Secretary / Head of Legal
Role-Specific Questions (8–12)
- Describe your experience advising a board on corporate governance matters.
- How have you managed regulatory compliance across multiple subsidiaries?
- Walk us through a complex contract negotiation you led.
- How do you structure litigation oversight and work with external counsel?
- What compliance frameworks have you implemented and why?
- How do you monitor changes in law and translate them into business actions?
- Describe a time you identified and mitigated a material legal risk.
- How do you balance commercial objectives with regulatory duties?
- How have you supported audits and regulatory inspections?
- What is your approach to mentoring junior legal staff?
General Interview Questions (5–7)
- Tell us about yourself and your leadership style.
- Why are you interested in this role with our group?
- What are your strengths and development areas?
- How do you manage competing priorities under pressure?
- Where do you see your legal function adding value in the next 12 months?
Suggested Answers — Talking Points
- For governance: mention board packs, meeting minutes, advising on conflicts of interest, and drafting resolutions.
- For compliance: cite frameworks put in place (e.g., policy suites, reporting lines, monitoring dashboards) and measurable outcomes.
- For contracts: highlight commercial terms negotiated, risk allocation, and business impact.
- For litigation: explain your tracker system, selection of external counsel, and cost/risk management approach.
- For regulation monitoring: describe subscriptions, legal horizon scanning, and translating changes into SOPs and training.
- For leadership: emphasize mentoring, delegation, and building cross-functional relationships with risk, finance, and ops.
Do’s & Don’ts
- Do: Bring concise examples of board-level advice you’ve given.
- Do: Prepare a short summary of a compliance framework you implemented.
- Do: Show commercial awareness — link legal action to business outcomes.
- Do: Ask intelligent questions about governance structure and risk appetite.
- Do: Be ready to discuss specific regulations relevant to financial services.
- Don’t: Rely only on legal jargon — explain in plain business terms.
- Don’t: Overstate results — be factual and evidence-based.
- Don’t: Criticize past boards or employers — remain professional.
Preparation Checklist
- Update and print your CV and a one-page summary of key achievements.
- Prepare 2–3 case studies: governance advice, compliance implementation, contract negotiation.
- Review current regulatory updates affecting banks, leasing, and payments.
- Bring originals and copies of qualifications and post-call documentation.
- Plan travel, confirm time and venue, and arrive early.
- Prepare questions about reporting lines, board dynamics, and compliance priorities.
Extra Pro Tips
- Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure answers to behavioural questions.
- Bring a concise one-page governance “executive brief” you can leave with the interview panel.
- Demonstrate both technical legal knowledge and commercial judgment.
- Follow up with a short thank-you email that reiterates one key value you’ll bring.
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