Principal Counsel, Africa Legal

About Zipline

Zipline is the world’s largest and most experienced drone delivery service. We are on a mission to serve all humans equally by ensuring access to food, medicine and essential goods anytime, anywhere. We design, build, and operate the world’s largest autonomous logistics system, delivering critical supplies quickly and reliably. Today, Zipline operates on four continents, makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 30 seconds, and has completed millions of deliveries to date, including blood, vaccines, medical supplies, food, and retail products. 

Our customers include the world’s largest and most prominent healthcare systems, governments, retailers, restaurants and global businesses who rely on us to save lives, reduce emissions, increase economic opportunity, and provide delivery from point A to point B as fast as possible. The drone is only 15% of what we’ve built to enable seamless, reliable, global operations.

Our system strengthens supply chains, reduces congestion, and gives people time back. With more than 140 million commercial autonomous miles safely flown, Zipline is redefining access to healthcare, consumer products, and food across the globe.

We operate at a global scale and are looking for practical problem solvers who thrive on real-world challenges and rapid growth. Our team is motivated by building systems that have a direct, meaningful impact on people’s lives and by scaling the future of logistics. We are seeking people who sculpt from first principles, enjoy facing adversity, and can do the impossible at record breaking speeds.

About You and The Role

Zipline is seeking a senior, strategic, and highly adaptable lawyer to lead and scale legal and compliance across multiple countries of operation in Africa. This role sits at the intersection of compliance execution and regulatory strategy and is critical to enabling Zipline's continued growth in complex and evolving regulatory environments.

You will independently lead all Africa Legal & Compliance operations and strategy while serving as an integral member of Zipline International's high-impact Legal Team. You will also be a key member of the Zipline Africa Leadership Team, with the Heads of People and Finance and our Country Directors, and with a dotted reporting line to Zipline Africa's CEO. You will work cross-functionally with the Africa Leadership Team, Operations, Policy, Government Affairs, People, Finance, and Engineering, and will report directly to Zipline’s Deputy General Counsel.

This is a hands-on leadership role that offers the rare opportunity to build and shape the Legal function with significant autonomy, while benefiting from the collaboration and support of a larger global legal team. One day you may be advising on a complex Nigerian employment or a healthcare regulatory issue in Cote d’Ivoire; the next, developing compliance training for teams across Africa or helping the business navigate export controls, sanctions, anti-corruption, and other cross-border legal risks.

What You'll Do

• Design, implement, scale, and continuously improve Zipline’s legal and compliance programs across Africa, with a focus on sustainable, practical operations that support rapid growth
• Lead day-to-day compliance workstreams covering sanctions, anti-bribery and anti-corruption, privacy, healthcare, employment, and product-related regulations
• Support internal investigations, audits, and risk assessments, partnering closely with People, Finance, and senior leadership
• Manage litigation and disputes across Zipline’s African markets 
• Translate complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable guidance for business and technical teams
• Own compliance with U.S. government award requirements, including FARs and 2 CFR 200, and serve as a primary point of contact for U.S. government contracting officers (including at the U.S. Department of State)
• Monitor and assess regulatory and policy developments across relevant African jurisdictions and advise leadership on emerging risks and opportunities

Cross-Functional Partnership & Culture

• Act as a senior legal advisor to business leaders, providing pragmatic, risk-calibrated guidance 
• Build strong relationships across the company and help foster a durable “culture of compliance” where teams understand the rules of the road and feel empowered to raise issues early
• Help shape Zipline’s long-term legal and regulatory strategy in Africa, balancing compliance rigor with innovation and speed

What You'll Bring

• A willingness to dive deep into unfamiliar issues and operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-environments
• Strong judgment and the confidence to make independent decisions, coupled with the discernment to escalate when appropriate
• Experience advising on legal and compliance matters, preferably in international or emerging-market environments
• The ability to break down complex legal and regulatory problems into clear priorities and practical solutions
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to advise senior stakeholders
• A collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset and strong organizational skills
• Willingness to travel up to ~25% to Africa and San Francisco headquarters

What Else You Need To Know

Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws or our own sensibilities.

We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!