Legal & Corporate Affairs Manager

Making of Champions (MoC) is Nigeria’s leading Sports Media & Management Company whose mission it is to ignite a revival in Athletics in Nigeria, a sport that has brought Nigeria 13 of the 25 Olympic Medals in the nation’s history. MoC has become a beacon of hope in Nigerian Athletics, impacting Track & Field in Nigeria through various projects to realise the vision that Nigeria can be among the Top 3 Nations in Track & Field globally over the next 5 years.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Legal & Corporate Affairs Manager
Job Location: Nigeria

Job Descriptions

• MoC is looking to add a Legal & Corporate Affairs Manager to join the team in Lagos – it is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced lawyer to take responsibility for our sports media & management business, overseeing a broad spectrum of commercial and media rights agreements, including leading the sponsorship drive for MoC projects, such as the Student-Athlete Scholarship, the Top Sprinter Reality Show and MoC Grand Prix & Relays.
• The Legal & Corporate Affairs Manager will assist the company with all its in-house legal and compliance (company secretarial) functions.
• They will identify and analyse the company’s exposure to legal risks that may arise from transactions and/or operations and give accurate and timely counsel.
• They will be responsible for drafting, reviewing, negotiating and providing legal opinions on agreements, contracts and other legal documents.
• The Legal & Corporate Affairs Manager will also be responsible for building and leading MoC’s Corporate Sponsorship pipeline. This will involve developing and maintaining the marketing plan to secure sponsors for various MoC Projects, in order to meet or exceed the overall business objectives. Responsibilities include sponsor prospecting, proposal customization and presentation, contract revision and servicing, sponsor follow-up and support.
• The role requires a pro-active, energetic candidate with prior work experience in a commercial or client-facing environment. Building and maintaining relationships will be key, and a natural interest in Sports Management and sporting events would be a plus.
• We’re looking for a highly driven lawyer to contribute to the success & growth of Athletics in Nigeria and forge an exciting career in Sports Management!

Responsibilities
Legal Manager/Company Secretarial:

• Identify and analyse the company’s exposure to legal risks that may arise from transactions and/or operations and give accurate and timely counsel
• Draft, review, negotiate and provide legal opinions on agreements, contracts and other legal documents
• Liaise with external solicitors as necessary, draft and respond to correspondence on behalf of the Company, and maintain litigation schedule where necessary
• Preparation and filing of returns with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Organise and ensure orderly conduct of statutory meetings, and Maintenance of statutory books
• Manage the relationship between the board and management, and Advising the board on the Company’s corporate obligations and best practices in Corporate Governance
• Stay up to date with relevant alterations in legislation and policies – should have working knowledge the requirements of Pencom, ITF and other similarly relevant regulatory bodies relating to Corporate and Labour law

Corporate Affairs (Sponsorships):

• Develop and implement a sponsorship plan & proposals for MoC’s Student-Athlete Scholarship, and MoC Competitions, e.g. Top Sprinter and MoC Grand Prix & Relays, and any other MoC projects as required. Develop and implement budgets required to achieve sponsorship plans.
• Manage all sponsorship activities, including Sponsor prospecting, proposal customization and presentation, contract revision and servicing, Sponsor follow-up and support, representing the company at corporate and sports functions, etc
• Develop and maintain Sponsorship Pipeline, the database of target, prospective and secured Sponsors and Partners, building and sustaining long lasting relationships at each stage of the pipeline.
• Frequent Sponsor follow-up, with monthly written updates to each Sponsor on the progress of their sponsored Athletes and/or the impact of MoC Competitions or other MoC projects they have sponsored.
• Identify and develop new business opportunities and create effective plans to pursue these, involving research and conceptualization of the appropriate marketing approach on a client-by-client basis.
• Interact consistently with MoC’s in-house Media, Management & Coaching teams, to ensure coordinated marketing of MoC Athletes, Competitions and other projects to prospective Sponsors and Partners.
• Develop marketing plans/strategies for MoC Athletes & Competitions, to ensure maximum impact in terms of Sponsor attraction & retention.
• Preparation of monthly & quarterly Sponsorship updates to CEO, and presentation of quarterly plan & projections. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• A Bachelor of Laws Degree and must have been called to the Nigerian bar
• 3-5 years post call experience and previous experience of working in a commercial or client-facing environment
• Integrity and constant awareness of confidentiality and sensitivity
• Thorough knowledge of the Companies and Allied Matters Act
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Word & PowerPoint
• Experience working in sports, media or entertainment industries and a demonstrated passion or interest in Sports Management beneficial
• Exceptional communication abilities – excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills – and strong salesmanship, energy and drive
• Strong planning, organizational and time management skills
• Ability to multitask and focus on a variety of projects while working closely with prospective & current Corporate Sponsors, and MoC teams