Job Description

Job SummaryPURPOSE OF THE JOBTo lead and oversee the provision of corporate legal services and advice to the organisation on a range of corporate legal matters, including labour matters. Assess the potential legal risks and implications of corporate strategies, business initiatives and projects. The role provides strategic direction and advisory support to legal advisors, ensuring their development and the consistency of legal guidance across the organisation.KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS1. Strategic Outputs

• Collaborate with the General Counsel to set the strategic direction for the provision of corporate legal services and related strategies across the organisation.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the organisation's corporate legal strategy and execution plan in alignment with the overall business objectives and strategy.
• Cascade the execution plan to ensure direct reports manage their portfolios in line with the division's vision, strategy, and goals.

2. Legal Function

• Oversee the provision of comprehensive legal services and advice to corporate units, including Finance, Treasury, Human Capital, and Corporate Services.
• Oversee compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies and keep abreast of changes in legislation and ensure that all operations and decisions align with the regulatory requirements.
• Communicate the risks and legal issues associated with a broad range of commercial transactions and operational matters specific to corporate divisions.
• Draft, vet and review various corporate legal contracts, including service agreements, consultancy, software and hardware support, leases, and grant agreements.
• Provide legal advice on procurement, supply chain management, and tender processes.
• Participate in the procurement committee, offering legal guidance.
• Lead negotiations with service providers and consultants to secure favourable terms for the organisation.
• Manage corporate and employment litigation, including contractual disputes and CCMA referrals.
• Conduct advanced legal research into corporate legal matters, providing in-depth legal opinion and legal implications.
• Identify issues requiring specialist legal input, liaise with external attorneys and prepare comprehensive briefs as needed.
• Manage the legal budget for external legal service providers, ensuring cost-effectiveness.
• Deliver general legal support to operational and corporate units as needed.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and support to the legal team, ensuring adherence to required service levels.
• Lead and direct various ad hoc legal investigations within the organisation.
• Build positive working relationships and create cross-functional synergies.
• Guide and manage direct reports to ensure the effective execution of unit strategies and portfolio management.
• Monitor and manage the performance of external attorneys involved in projects or legal matters.

3. Stakeholder Engagement

• Build positive working relationships and create cross-functional synergies.
• Represent the legal function at relevant internal committees.
• Provide legal reports on the progress of key matters to the Executive Committee, business units and various

committees. * Manage and build relationships with external attorneys, and various key stakeholders in the legal fraternity.4. People Management

• Provide direction and management to the direct reports to enable the execution of strategy and manage their portfolios effectively.
• Manage and evaluate the performance of the direct reports against set targets, KPI's and metrics.
• Define, cascade and monitor business and people performance objectives of direct reports.
• Attract, retain, and develop high-calibre talent. Develop and maintain sufficient depth in all critical functions, minimising "key-man" risk.
• Optimise skills usage within the unit.
• Accountable for performance management of all direct reports, managing their performance in relation to quality standards and agreed benchmarks and objectives, focusing on all aspects of sound people management.
• Develop the skills and abilities of all team members, with the result that they perform to their highest potential and optimize their current and future job performance.
• Proactively support the bank's diversity strategies and initiatives.
• Contribute to building synergies and cooperation across functions in the organisation.
• Promote the organisational values and a culture of High Performance within the Unit.

Key Measurements of Outputs

• Quality of legal agreements and opinions.
• Legal compliance-based target for the year on regulatory fines, penalties and contraventions to law.
• Litigation management: win/loss ratio in legal disputes or litigations.
• Quality and accuracy of agreements, opinions and solutions provided.
• Legal spend on cases - track on a budget or year-on-year comparison.
• Effective management of legal claims and litigation risks.
• Management of total case/agreement/opinion / other legal costs.
• Clean audit.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCEMinimum Requirements:1. A Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) or legal postgraduate qualification.
2. Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa.
3. A minimum of 8-10 years' post-qualification experience in Corporate Litigation/ Commercial/Finance/Banking or Corporate Law.
4. The experience must include a minimum of 5 years' experience in a management position within a legal environment.
5. Knowledge and understanding of all legislation relevant to the banking environment (i.e., Banks Act, NCA, FICA, FAIS, Reserve Bank Act, Competition Act, Magistrates Court Act, High Court Act).
6. Ability to conduct research and interpret case law.
7. Expert knowledge of risk and financial management principles, philosophy and methodologies to lead the most complex legal cases, projects/ assignments and agreements in the banking environment.
8. Ability to interact professionally and confidently at all levels of management and clients and other internal and external stakeholders.Desirable Requirements:
1. Post-graduate qualification in Banking Law/ Project Finance.KEY INTERNAL LIAISON RELATIONSHIPS
1. Executive Management and Senior Management
2. Audit & Risk Committees
3. All Divisions in the organisation
4. Overall senior and executive managementKEY EXTERNAL LIAISON RELATIONSHIPS
1. External Customers and Suppliers
2. Executives of other commercial banks
3. External CounselFempower PersonnelRecruiter

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