Principal Counsel, Zipline
Africa Legal
Transforming the way goods move
Posted today
Transforming the way goods move
1001+ employees
Posted today
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 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 the job involves
- 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
- 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
- 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
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 12 rounds)
Mar 2026
$200m
SERIES H
Jan 2026
$600m
SERIES H
Total funding: $2.1bn
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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