Legal Specialist

SBV South Africa; Houghton; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A multinational security services provider is seeking a Legal Management professional to oversee legal matters including compliance, litigation, and contract negotiations. The successful candidate will have a Bachelor's in law, be an admitted attorney, and have 3-5 years of experience in relevant legal fields. Responsibilities include case investigation, advising on regulations, and maintaining compliance with legal standards. This is a permanent position located in Houghton, with market-related salary and the need for occasional travel.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years experience in commercial law, litigation, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience drafting and negotiating various contracts.
• Strong legal drafting skills.
• Knowledge of legal principles governing the employer/employee relationship.
• Understanding of rules, laws, and regulations impacting SBV.

Responsibilities

• Conduct case investigations to support potential suits.
• Draft, negotiate and review diverse agreements.
• Oversee litigation processes with external counsel.
• Provide legal advice on contract law and regulatory matters.
• Establish and maintain partnerships across business units.

Skills

Commercial law

Litigation

Regulatory compliance

Legal drafting

Employee/employer relationship knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s in law

Admitted attorney

Job description

Description

Case Assessment and Investigation

• Conduct initial case investigation to determine if enough evidence exists to defend a potential or existing suit.
• Engage in pre-litigation settlement discussions to attempt to resolve matters.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a diverse range of agreements, and file comprehensive complaints and airtight responses.
• Make frequent court appearances, hearings, and pre-trial conferences.
• Advise business partners on the admissibility of evidence.
• Assist the investigators in terms of assessing and validating the Company’s case.

Compliance

• Identify and assess legal risks in business operations and recommend appropriate controls.
• Support compliance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements through advice, documentation, and internal reviews.
• Ensure accurate filing and secure record-keeping of legal documents and correspondence.
• Contribute to internal audit responses, risk reporting, and governance frameworks where applicable

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

• Oversee litigation processes, working with external counsel to protect SBV’s commercial and reputational interests.
• Act as internal liaison between legal providers and SBV departments to ensure strategy alignment and cost effectiveness.
• Guide internal investigations, evidence gathering, and pre-litigation assessments relating to contractual breaches, employee matters, and operational incidents.

Legal Advisory

• Provide timely legal advice on contract law, corporate governance, employment law, POPIA, and sector‑specific regulatory matters.
• Draft legal opinions, guidance notes, and internal advisory memoranda.
• Support the development and rollout of legal policies, awareness sessions, and internal training.
• Monitor changes in the legal and regulatory landscape and assess potential business impacts.

Drafting and reviewing of contracts

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements including supplier contracts, procurement agreements, SLAs, MOUs, NDAs, and subcontractor arrangements.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, SBV policies, internal governance, and relevant risk frameworks.
• Collaborate with business units to align contract terms with operational realities and client requirements.
• Maintain and update standard contract templates and processes to support efficient and risk‑managed contracting.

Assisting IR on labour related matters

• Monitor legal risk in documentation and give guidance on the acceptable assumption of risk.
• Provide legal guidance at arbitration or mediation when required.
• Engage with council on complex matters.
• Interpret laws and help business partners/employees to understand legal options.
• Review of applications in terms of section 37D of the Pensions Funds Act.

Establish and maintain collaborative partnerships and a wide relationship network across business units

• Implements a strong collaborative work‑ethic with the team and with partners externally, providing support to and seeking support from business partners when necessary.
• Building and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders such as SAPS and legal networks.
• Keeps Head of Legal and Compliance abreast of developments and risks as they occur.

Governance

• Subscribe and align to SBV Services' ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standards, ensuring the department’s processes and quality management system is at all times in compliance with the standard.
• Support SBVs ESG journey, reporting on and managing the ESG requirements to ensure a positive reflection and outcome.

Live the organisation culture within one’s Business Unit

• Live the department’s values while inspiring confidence and generating excitement, enthusiasm and commitment towards the mission.
• Initiate and lead a culture of performance driven output through shared purpose vision and values.

Lead as an Ambassador and executor of Change.

• Act as a change management architect in periods of change to ensure business continuity.
• Manage the integration of business units into a seamless end to end solution for customers.
• Effectively communicate and embed new processes and procedures as they occur, addressing or escalating matters/ concerns to the SME’s (subject matter experts) when required.
• Facilitate the necessary presentations, workshops, or forums to ensure consistent and accurate communication is given across one’s portfolio.

Requirements

Minimum work experience required

• 3–5 years’ experience in commercial law, litigation, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience drafting and negotiating a wide range of contracts.
• Strong legal drafting
• Knowledge of the legal principles that govern the Employer/Employee relationship.
• Firm understanding of the rules, laws and regulations impacting SBV

Minimum Education / Qualification Required

• Bachelor’s in law
• Admitted attorney
• Driver’s license with own vehicle
• Willingness to travel nationally at short notice
• Fully acquainted with regulatory and legislative compliance

Work Level: Management
Job Type: Permanent
Salary: Market Related
EE Position: Yes
Location: Houghton