Senior Legal Counsel, Zipline
Africa
More information about location
Transforming the way goods move
Be an early applicant
Transforming the way goods move
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
More information about location
1001+ employees
Company mission
To build the world's first logistics system that serves all people equally.
Role
Who you are
- 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 or engaging with government entities, regulators, or public-sector stakeholders, ideally in international or emerging-market contexts
- 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, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C
- JD required
- Member in good standing of at least one U.S. state or international bar
- At least 7–10 years of relevant legal experience, including experience at a reputable law firm and/or in-house (international, compliance, government contracting, or regulated-industry experience strongly preferred)
What the job involves
- Zipline is seeking a senior, strategic, and highly adaptable lawyer to lead and scale legal and compliance efforts across Africa
- This role sits at the intersection of compliance execution, regulatory strategy, and public-sector partnership, and will play a critical role in enabling Zipline’s growth in complex regulatory environments
- You will be a key member of Zipline’s lean, high-impact Legal Team, responsible not only for operating and evolving Zipline’s global compliance programs in Africa—including hands-on administration of U.S. government awards
- This is a hands-on leadership role
- One day you may be advising on a nuanced Nigerian employment or healthcare regulatory issue; the next, leading engagement with a U.S. federal contracting officer, supporting negotiations with an African ministry of health, or helping the business navigate export controls, sanctions, or anti-corruption risks
- You will work cross-functionally with Operations, Policy, Government Affairs, People, Finance, and Engineering, and will report directly to Zipline’s Deputy General Counsel
- 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
- 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)
- 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 market
- Translate complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable guidance for business and technical teams
- Partner with internal public affairs, policy, and operations teams to align legal, compliance, and government relations strategies
- Monitor and assess regulatory and policy developments across relevant African jurisdictions and advise leadership on emerging risks and opportunities
- Help shape Zipline’s long-term legal and regulatory strategy in Africa, balancing compliance rigor with innovation and speed
- 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
- Support commercial negotiation, contracting, and procurement processes
Our take
Zipline is reinventing how the world moves goods - one flight at a time. What started as a bold idea to deliver life-saving medical supplies by drones has grown into the world's first logistics network designed to serve everyone, everywhere. From rushing blood and vaccines to remote clinics, to dropping off everyday essential for Walmart customers, Ziplines's autonomous drones are proving that fast, reliable delivery doesn't have to be limited by roads or geography.
Zipline has an edge over potential future competitors as the company has thousands of hours and over 35 million miles of flight to prove the system is safe and effective. It’s also one of the first companies to receive a full commercial operating certificate, putting Zipline in a strong position to continuously branch out to other markets.
The unicorn company operates globally and has signed its first government contract with Rwanda to provide up to 2 million drone deliveries by 2029. Beyond government partnerships, Zipline has its sight set on everyday consumers, preparing to launch commercial deliveries straight to individuals houses. With its Walmart collaboration expanding and even Chipotle orders taking to the skies in Texas, Zipline isn't just redefining delivery - it's aiming to reach every corner of commerce, with a future that looks as bright as its ambitions.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
34% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 10 rounds)
Jan 2026
$600m
LATE VC
Nov 2025
$150m
GRANT
Total funding: $1.6bn
Company HQ
South San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Keller Rinaudo Cliffton
(Co-Founder & CEO)Having studied Economics and Biotechnology at Harvard, they worked for almost 11 months as a self-employed rock climber. They combined their academic and practical experience to co-found Zipline in July 2011.
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