Legal Specialist

SBV South Africa; Houghton; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading legal services provider in the UK is seeking a seasoned legal professional for a management role. The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of experience in commercial law and litigation, with strong drafting and negotiation skills. The position requires providing legal advice, overseeing litigation processes, and ensuring regulatory compliance. This is a permanent role located in Houghton with a competitive market-related salary.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years’ experience in commercial law, litigation, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience drafting and negotiating a wide range of contracts.
• Firm understanding of the rules, laws and regulations impacting SBV.

Responsibilities

• Conduct initial case investigation to evaluate evidence for potential suits.
• Oversee litigation processes with external counsel.
• Provide legal advice on corporate governance and employment law.

Skills

Commercial law expertise

Strong legal drafting

Negotiation skills

Regulatory compliance knowledge

Interpersonal communication

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 SMEs (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