Job Description

LEGAL AND COMPLIANCE SERVICESCAPE TOWN OFFICEThe South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) strives to improve the nation's health and quality of life by funding and conducting relevant and leading health research. It further aims to promote equity, career development and progression.Senior Legal Advisor Duration: 3 Year ContractThe SAMRC's Legal & Compliance Services Department currently requires the services of a Senior Legal Advisor with an LLB degree who is an admitted Attorney in South Africa. The Senior Legal Advisor will report to the General Counsel: Legal, Compliance, Public Policy & Governance, oversee Legal advisors as well as other administrative staff. This position is based at the SAMRC's Cape Town offices. Candidates must be able to understand the business and operations within which they will be operating, show and possess financial acumen and demonstrate sound knowledge of corporate governance principles and obligations applicable to public entities, be equipped with good managerial skills, excellent negotiation and communication skills, presentation skills, business and legal drafting skills, as well as dispute resolution skills and importantly, the ability to work under pressure.Responsibilities include:

• Understanding of the strategic operational co-ordination and integration of the SAMRC business areas and strategies and ensuring that the required legal resources are provided to these areas.
• Initiating, designing, developing new initiatives / programs aimed at enhancing the value proposition of the legal / compliance fraternity to growing the SAMRC statute in the medical / health research realm.
• Regulatory compliance management, executes board-approved compliance management policies and procedures.
• Deputise to or act as General Counsel when internal processes so require.
• Recommend to General Counsel, the appropriate client units service strategy / approach.
• Provide guidance to science leadership (e.g. Unit Directors, Principal Investigators, etc);
• Managing, supervising or mentor all employee's junior to SLA within the legal department and its related work requirements.
• Holding professional knowledge on how a public entity operates, what are its related business needs, requirements, and limitations, how it interacts with other organs of state, institutions and with departments and or the required disciplines to support these requirements.
• Interpreting the overall SAMRC business plan into required best practices, systems, rules, regulations, and where applicable budgets to achieve the SAMRC business goals.
• Structuring legal advice to enable the business to accomplish the strategic objectives set.
• Providing relevant legal advice and / or written opinions to Directors and Senior management.
• Negotiating contracts including commercial agreements in collaboration with project teams.
• Drafting, vetting, and amending contracts and commercial agreements independently.
• Managing litigation (initiating or defending) where so instructed on behalf of the SAMRC in matters pertaining to it.
• The demonstration of and employment of excellent legal research skills.
• Monitoring public policy and legislative developments relevant to the MRC and engaging policy developers and enforcement / regulatory agencies.
• Developing SAMRC internal policies / protocols / precedents / frameworks.
• Conducting presentations and training on legal issues and legislation.
• Where appropriate, assist in Labour Relations including individual and organised dispute resolution proceedings.

Core requirements:

• Bachelor of Laws degree
• Admission as an attorney in terms of the applicable law
• 8 years post-admission experience in legal practice or in-house legal function
• Experience with contract initiation and development
• Experience working with litigation processes
• Willingness to relocate and be based in Cape Town for the duration of the contract.

SKILLS, WORK EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES:

• Public sector law and the related legal framework within which the government components, utilities, enterprises and agencies operate.
• Litigation in the lower, higher and superior courts with particular focus on reducing the cost and time of litigation, preserving the reputation of the organisation retaining key partners / stakeholders of the organization.
• Alternative Dispute Resolution with strong understanding of international and sector ADR regimes.
• Thorough understanding and grasp of the common law.
• Thorough understanding of the law of contract, locally and internationally.
• Ability to draft sound and reliable policies, communications, opinions, commercial documents.
• Ability to draft sound and reliable contracts.
• Good understanding and knowledge of Intellectual Property law regime applicable to public sector involvement in research and development, including designs, patents, copyright and trademarks.
• Excellent grasp of Corporate / Commercial law, and related practices and procedures, especially in the public sector.
• Thorough understanding of Regulatory and Compliance matters, including interpretation and monitoring of laws.
• Thorough understanding of the interphase between compliance, ethics, performance management and risk functions.
• Public policy development and interpretation.
• Practical understanding of Labour law, including Human Resources and Industrial Labour Relations covering individual and organised dispute resolution proceedings.
• Exposure and understanding of relevant health, scientific, technological and medical law, handled by, impacting on or affecting the SAMRC.

Terms & Conditions: The SAMRC retains the right not to make an appointment. In accordance with the SAMRC's Employment Equity Plan, preference will be given to suitably qualified candidates from the designated groups. For this reason, we require race, gender and disability status to be specified. Disabled persons are encouraged to apply. By submitting your application, SAMRC concludes that you are a competent person to consent and that you are giving consent to the SAMRC to process and further process all personal information contained in the application in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, Act No 4 of 2013 (as amended). The SAMRC does its best to provide the most accurate information; however, if there is anything wrong and unclear applicants are encouraged to contact the HR Recruitment Office at 021-938 0648 before the closing date.A salary in the region of R 1 086 914 per annum, cost-to-company.Closing date: 10 April 2025PLEASE QUOTE THE REFERENCE NUMBER (R835B) IN ALL COMMUNICATIONS. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT YOUR SUBMISSION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED SHOULD YOUR APPLICATION NOT BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE REQUIRED INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTATION.This website is optimised for secure, standards compliant web browsers. In order to view and use this website, you should use a web browser other than Internet Explorer.Options include: The latest version of 'Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Opera and Safari'

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