Legal Manager
ARISE IIP
🚀 Position: Legal & Tax Manager – Francophone Region
Location: Togo
Reports to: CEO / Group Head of Legal
Languages: Professional fluency in French and English
🧭 Role Overview
You will be fully responsible for legal function and support tax functions. Ensuring compliance with local and international regulations, managing audits and disputes, structuring transactions, reviewing contracts, and advising senior leadership on governance and tax planning.
🛠 Key Responsibilities
Tax Compliance & Management
- Advise for filing, and payment of corporate income tax, VAT, withholding taxes, etc., ensuring all deadlines are met.
- Coordinate tax audits: draft responses, liaise with authorities, and manage disputes/appeals.
- Advise on transfer pricing compliance and documentation.
- Identify exemptions, credits, and opportunities to optimize tax efficiency.
- Maintain internal tax policies.
Legal Counsel & Governance
- Provide legal support on transactions, commercial contracts, IP, governance, and compliance with relevant local frameworks e.g. OHADA.
- Draft, review, and negotiate a full range of contracts: lease, commercial, confidentiality, distribution, service agreement.
- Company Secretary / Support internal governance: organize board/shareholder meetings, draft resolutions and statutory documents.
- Manage legal risks and disputes, including litigation, administrative investigations, or regulatory inspections.
- Stay informed on regulatory and legal changes; update policies and advise management accordingly.
Advisory & Structuring
- Proactively advise on tax structuring for cross-border transactions, withholding taxes, and local incentives or tax regimes.
- Collaborate on financial, treasury, and operational projects to ensure legal and tax alignment.
Team & Stakeholder Management
- Coordinate internal teams and external advisors to ensure coherent tax/legal guidance; supervise junior staff.
- Serve as liaison with tax authorities, legal counsel, auditors, and cross-functional teams (Finance, Legal, Contracts).
- Coordinate with Board of Directors and maintain all required governance, board matters to ensure governance.
Reporting & Governance
- Contribute to monthly/quarterly/annual tax reporting; prepare tax provisions under local laws.
- Maintain updated tax/legal dashboards, track audit progress and litigation status, and manage compliance calendars.
🎯 Required Qualifications & Competencies
Education
Master’s in Law, Taxation, Finance, or equivalent
Experience
8–10 years in tax or legal roles, including at least 3–5 years in a management or coordination capacity. Experience in international corporations, or consulting firms preferred.
Technical Skills
Strong knowledge of company law, corporate tax, VAT, withholding tax, transfer pricing, deferred tax, and local legal frameworks (OHADA, EU, etc.).
Languages
Fluent French and English, both written and spoken.
Soft Skills
Leadership, analytical thinking, negotiation, resilience under pressure, effective communication with authorities and senior leadership.
📍 Work Environment & Benefits
- Location: Togo.
- Contract: Permanent (CDI).
- Band: E2