Director : Legal Advisory Services

City of Johannesburg; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Johannesburg seeks a Director for Legal Advisory Services to lead, manage, and innovate in providing legal counsel, ensuring compliance with legislation while protecting the City’s interests. This role demands a strategic leader with extensive legal experience in a managerial capacity, particularly within large organizations.

Qualifications

• Grade 12 and a Bachelor’s degree in Law required.
• 10 years of legal experience with 5 years in middle management.
• Preferably an admitted Attorney or Advocate.

Responsibilities

• Lead legal advisory and support services for the City.
• Direct the management of litigation against the City.
• Manage contract support and legal assistance for procurement.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Planning

Legal Compliance

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Law at NQF level 7

Job description

Job title : Director : Legal Advisory Services

Job Location : Gauteng, Johannesburg Deadline : July 02, 2025 Quick Recommended Links

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Minimum Requirements :

• Grade 12 and a Bachelor’s degree in Law at NQF level 7;
• 10 years of legal experience, of which 5 years must be at middle management level in a managerial position within a large organisation;
• Preferably an admitted Attorney or Advocate.

Primary Function :

• Lead and direct comprehensive and innovative legal advisory and legal support services to the City and its MEs in order to ensure operations and decisions of the municipal structures and office bearers comply with the legislative requirements applicable to local government and that the interests of the Council are protected.

Key Performance Areas :

Forward Planning, Productivity / Performance and Personnel Management, Financial Control

• Develop and implement a legal advisory and legislative framework within which the entire Group should operate.
• Manage and oversee the implementation of a legal advisory services policy in the entire Group.
• Identify and define immediate, short-term, and long-term objectives associated with legal advisory and legal support services and processes.
• Contribute and assist with the development of the Department and Directorate's Service Delivery and Budget Implementation Planning (SDBIP) for implementation by the Directorate and sub-directorate.
• Directs and controls outcomes associated with the utilisation, productivity, and performance of personnel in the Legal Advisory Services Directorate.
• Preparation, monitoring and control of the annual legal advisory services and legal budget.
• Provide input to the Department's, Directorate's and sub-directorates Demand Planning process.

Policy Implementation

• Manage and facilitate the implementation of strategies, business plans, policies and procedures of Council structures and departments relating to its functional area.

Legal Advisory Services

• Direct the provision, development, and management of enabling legal support and advice to Council structures and departments relating to its functional area, by providing legal comments
• Direct the provision, development, and management of enabling legal support and advice to Council structures and departments relating to its functional area, by providing legal opinions.
• Pro-actively and / or immediately advise the MMCs and Heads of Departments on areas of non-compliance and legal risks and mitigation thereof.
• Scrutinise comments to verify whether they comply legally.
• Manage a proactive legal advisory service.
• Manage and oversee the provision of legal support to the Mayoral committee, SubMayoral Clusters, Section 79 Committee and other committees within the functional area.
• To ensure the amendments to schemes, consent uses, subdivisions, consolidations, street closures, park closures, premier consents, lifting of restrictive deed conditions, amendments of general township plans, extension of township boundaries and township establishments

Litigation Management Services

• Manage and ensure the management of litigation against the City and its Municipal Entities (MEs) in respect of the functional area and in the best interest of the City. Prepare, monitor and control the annual litigation costs budget.
• Manage the representation of the City before various statutory forums and tribunals, such as the Public Protector, the Human Rights Commission etc.
• Manage and oversee responses to the Auditor General.
• Present and report to various council structures on the management of litigation in the Group

Contract Support Services

• Development and implementation of a Contract Management Framework for the Group.
• Manage and oversee contracts entered into by and between the City / MEs and third parties are administered and monitored.
• Manage and ensure contract support and legal assistance to the Supply Chain Management Department and other departments in procurement-related matters.
• Manage and ensure contract and legal support and advice to procurement committees such as Bid Specification Committees, Bid Evaluation Committees, the Central Acquisition Committee, the Executive Adjudication Committee and the Accounting officer in procurement-related matters.
• Manage and ensure that procurement within the City complies with the relevant legislation and policies when providing contract and legal support and advice.
• Manage and ensure the provision of a Panel for Legal Professional Services for the Group.

Legal Advocacy Services

• Manage and coordinate By-Laws.
• Oversee and manage the development, drafting and amendment of by-laws for the municipality,
• Manage and oversee the provision of comments on new bills and legislation.
• Developing and managing the Systems of Delegations for the City (Executive and Administration).

General

• To provide general contract support and legal advisory services to Political leaders, Heads of Departments, committees or any meeting where contract support and legal advisory services is required.
• Perform other duties assigned as required within the Group Legal & Contracts Department

Organising

• Manage and ensure effective and efficient Departmental, Directorate and sub-directorate functions, processes, procedures, systems and policies.
• Manage and oversee the Recruitment, Selection & Placement process for sourcing of suitably qualified litigation specialists / legal advisors and support staff for the Directorate and sub-directorate.
• Ensure effective and efficient Procurement Management in line with Supply Chain Management processes, legislative, regulatory and policy framework

Leading and Directing

• Provide sound leadership for the achievement of the Directorate and subsub-directorate's objectives.
• Manage the provision of expert advice and support to the Department's management in areas such as litigation management, operations, finance, human resources and strategy in as far as litigation management and legal advisory services are required.
• Manage and facilitate communication and collaboration between different directorates, sub-directorate's and levels of management.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Manage projects and initiatives to drive change and improvements within the Directorate and sub-directorates.
• Manage and facilitate business analysis and recommend improvements to enhance the Directorate and sub-directorate's efficiency and effectiveness.
• Stay up to date with industry trends and best practices to provide innovative solutions and recommendations to the Department's Management

Monitoring, Controlling and Reporting

• Manage and implement good governance and effective risk management systems.
• Manage and ensure effective control of the Directorate and sub-directorate's Human Resources.
• Manage and ensure effective Directorate and sub-directorate's Financial Resource control.
• Manage and ensure effective Directorate and sub-directorate's Asset Management and Control.
• Monitor and report on the progress and impact of the Department's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in relation to Contract Support and Legal Advisory Services

Administration

• Manage specific administrative and logistical requirements associated with the Department, Directorate and sub-directorate's operations