Legal & Compliance Manager

We are looking for a legal professional with at least 3 years of experience to become the right hand of our Head of Legal & Compliance. You will support Vendis Capital and its funds on a broad range of legal and regulatory matters, from fund set-up and fundraising to fund events, investor onboarding, portfolio transactions and FSMA compliance. It is an interesting, hands-on role that offers broad exposure to the legal side of a licensed private equity fund manager, in close collaboration with the investment and finance teams. You are precise, AI-agile and have a genuine can-do mentality. Fluent in English and Dutch; French is a plus.

About Vendis

Founded in 2009, Vendis Capital is an independent private equity firm specializing in consumer brands in Europe. Vendis Capital Management is an alternative investment fund manager (AIFM) licensed by the Belgian FSMA and manages its flagship funds Vendis Capital II, III and IV as well as its recent fund Vendis Transition. In partnership with experienced entrepreneurs and managers, Vendis aims to invest in small to medium sized consumer companies in order to help them realise their potential for growth and value creation. Vendis invests in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, DACH and in the Scandinavian countries.

To support its continued growth, Vendis Capital is looking to strengthen its legal & compliance team by hiring a Legal & Compliance Manager. Reporting to the head of legal & compliance, you will work closely with the legal & compliance colleagues as well as with the investment and finance teams.

Function

• Support the management of the daily legal, contractual and administrative affairs of Vendis Capital and the investment funds under its management, i.e. all legal, regulatory and corporate actions and documentation relating to the activities of the manager and the funds.
• Assist with the legal aspects of setting up new investment funds, and prepare and execute fund events (e.g. closings, capital calls, distributions, liquidations, restructurings), including the related minutes, investor notices and documentation.
• Support the fundraising of new funds from a legal perspective, including fund documentation, side letters, investor due diligence questionnaires and the subscription and closing process.
• Actively use AI tools and digital platforms, and help improve and automate legal, compliance and fund administration processes.
• Prepare and follow up on the periodical reporting obligations of the manager and the funds and in general, follow up and implement procedures to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements applicable (AML/KYC, AIFMD, marketing, SFDR, DORA etc.).
• Monitor and coordinate the relationship with the funds’ investors (KYC onboarding of new investors, follow-up on questions, information gathering etc.).
• Assist in specific topics regarding the investments of the funds in portfolio companies (LOIs, NDAs etc.).
• Prepare, introduce and follow up on files with the regulatory authority (FSMA).
• Monitor the regulatory and legislative evolution with a focus on investment funds related topics (e.g. AIFMD II).
• Take ownership of recurring tasks (registers, minutes, filings, signing processes, document management) with accuracy and reliability.
• Contribute to the broader operations of the firm: in a small team, you will also pick up operational and organizational matters outside the strict legal and compliance scope (e.g. coordination with service providers, internal processes and ad-hoc projects).

Profile

• You have a Master in law.
• You have at least 3 years of experience as legal advisor or lawyer in one or more of the following domains: corporate law, banking/finance law, regulatory and/or tax law. Experience with fundspecific regulations (AIFMD, SFDR, AML/KYC) is considered a plus.
• You are fluent in English and Dutch; French is a plus.
• You are highly precise, organized and are able to work in a changing environment.
• You are a quick learner, you are pragmatic and proactive and you like to take initiative.
• You are AI-agile: you use AI tools in your daily work, critically review their output and are keen to make processes smarter. You are proficient in Word, Excel and fund management platforms.
• You are a team player, but able to work autonomously.
• You have the ability to build good interpersonal relationships and you like to work in close partnership with the people in the business.
• You have a genuine can-do attitude: no task is too small, and you handle routine and administrative work with the same care as complex files.
• You are open-minded and flexible, and you are happy to step in on operational topics wherever the team needs support, not only on legal and compliance matters.
• You have a strong sense of integ