Description Allied Talent Partners is a talent marketplace, connecting experienced professionals with climate-related projects and businesses in Africa.
High-level overview The client is a development finance institution and impact investor, is backed by the UK Government and has over 75 years of experience.
As a trusted partner to businesses in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, the client invests in fostering more productive, sustainable, and inclusive economies, helping communities improve their lives.
The client partners with nearly 1,500 businesses, supporting their growth by setting clear objectives, managing impact across the portfolio, and ensuring alignment with the Operating Principles for Impact Management, of which the client is a founding signatory.
The client is seeking to develop a pool of Project Finance Lawyers (PFL) to serve as consultants on an as-needed basis.
The aim is to establish clear pay structures and work arrangements to ensure efficient access to legal support, addressing past challenges.
The team can be short-staffed due to medical leave, resignation, and secondment, making it essential to have an organized, readily available group of legal advisors to avoid last-minute arrangements.
There will likely be no immediate need for PFLs until early next year.
Role and Responsibilities Role: | Project Finance Lawyer Direct Report | Deputy Chief Legal Officer – Project Finance, BII Candidates required | 3-5 Deliverables Draft and negotiate project finance agreements: Prepare and review contracts including loan agreements, security documents, and guarantees, ensuring compliance with regulatory and institutional requirements.
Risk assessment and mitigation: Identify and assess legal risks associated with project financing, proposing strategies to mitigate these risks, particularly in relation to sovereign risk, currency fluctuations, and local regulations.
Due diligence: Conduct thorough due diligence on projects, including reviewing regulatory, environmental, and compliance issues to ensure the project's legal soundness.
Compliance with financing frameworks: Ensure all project financing activities adhere to both internal and external legal frameworks, including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) guidelines and other relevant regulations.
Collaboration with stakeholders: Work closely with internal teams (legal, risk, investment) and external stakeholders (borrowers, co-lenders, governments) to structure, negotiate, and close project finance transactions effectively.
Requirements Experience required Demonstrated experience as a PFL, with direct experience across project documents (Terms of Reference, Project Scope, Detailed Design, EIA etc.)
and finance documents with a strong knowledge of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), EPC contracts, and O&M contracts.
Understanding of risk allocation in contracts, particularly in scenarios where there is only one potential buyer for the project's output.
Familiarity with all project-side contracts (FIDIC, red, silver books etc.)
necessary for financing project development (typically power projects) in Sub-Saharan Africa Experience working in and across any of the following institution s is highly desirable: European development finance institutions, specifically DEG (German), Proparco (France), BII (British) and FMO (Dutch) would be highly desirable.
Independent Power Producers (IPP) or broader infrastructure sectors.
Power utilities such as EDF – Electricite de France Technical requirements Qualification in common law jurisdictions is preferable.
However, other-qualified lawyers with relevant experience, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, will also be considered.
8+ years of experience (2 years tutelage plus a minimum of 6 years as full lawyer) Strong understanding of risk allocation in the context of project finance, particularly within power and related contracts in the developing world.
Soft skills Strong communication skills to effectively engage and collaborate with senior management.
Strong coordination skills to navigate the range of stakeholders and partners with varying objectives.
Other requirements Ability to undertake other legal tasks on a day-to-day basis as allocated Ability to work full-time on an interim basis Benefits Location | London – Remote is okay – Time zone alignment CET preferred.
Operational requirements | Proficient in English Terms of Agreement Required start date | Jan 2025 Contracting period | 3-6 months Budget | TBD Allied Talent Partners is a talent marketplace connecting experienced professionals and climate experts, locally and globally, to climate-related projects with non-government, private and public organisations, initially focused on Africa.