Legal Manager: Corporate & Commercial

BoF Careers; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company is seeking a Legal Manager to support their Upstream business. This role involves providing corporate and commercial legal services, managing legal risks, and ensuring alignment with business objectives. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in legal support for mergers and acquisitions, strong analytical skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years post admission experience.
• Extensive experience in managing legal support for mergers and acquisitions.

Responsibilities

• Provide corporate and commercial legal services supporting De Beers' strategy.
• Manage legal risks and provide counsel to internal stakeholders.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Collaboration

Autonomy

Resilience

Education

Legal Practitioner Qualification

Job description

Job Description

As a Legal Manager, you'll play a crucial role supporting the Upstream business as it navigates the implementation of this strategy in fast moving and sometimes uncertain operating landscapes.

You will manage and be accountable for the provision of corporate and commercial legal services to the De Beers Group Upstream business in the jurisdictions in which it operates and/or has an interest, and occasionally to the Group's corporate office. This role will proactively engage relevant functional stakeholders to identify and monitor legal requirements and risks, procuring and delivering legal support to achieve business outcomes while mitigating and minimizing risks.

If you're passionate about legal excellence and eager to contribute to groundbreaking projects, we want you on our team!

Key Responsibilities

1. Provide robust and comprehensive corporate and commercial legal services, supporting the implementation of De Beers' strategy.
2. Ensure comprehensive legal support in respect of mergers, acquisitions and disposals, corporate restructurings, corporate regulatory law, procurement contracts, immovable property law and construction law.
3. Foster strong relationships with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment between legal strategies and business objectives.
4. Assess potential legal risks and provide counsel, suggesting mitigation strategies.
5. Collaborate with the Legal Manager: Corporate.
6. Drive the development and roll-out of training initiatives for internal stakeholders.
7. Collaborate with peers to refine essential resources like templates and best practice guides.
8. Manage external legal relationships ensuring cost-effective, high-quality services.
9. Oversee the budget for the delivery of corporate and commercial legal support.
10. Work with senior leadership to harmonize legal and group objectives.
11. Support the success of the Legal function's activities:
    1. Stakeholder Management: Manage internal stakeholder relationships to deliver high-quality, effective and timely advice.
    2. Support Head of Legal: Assist the Head of Legal: Corporate & Upstream in addressing corporate and commercial issues.
    3. Risk Reporting: Report key corporate and commercial risks and progress to the Head of Legal: Corporate & Upstream.
    4. Cost-Effective Support: Work with the Legal Operations Manager to develop scalable ways of providing corporate and commercial legal support.
12. People & Teams:
    1. Demonstrate behaviour in line with De Beers' values, standards and a professional workplace.
    2. Participate as an effective team member, working collaboratively to achieve business goals.
    3. Contribute to the broader business by optimizing overall business results.
13. Safety, Health & Environment:
    1. Demonstrate behaviour in line with health, safety and environmental standards and with De Beers' values.
14. Financial:
    1. Manage the legal budget for corporate and commercial legal support.
    2. Identify and address opportunities for improved cost management.
15. Compliance
    1. Set and adhere to organizational policies to drive performance and compliance.

Qualifications

• Qualified as a legal practitioner/admitted attorney in one or more of the jurisdictions in which the De Beers Group has operations or does business.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years post admission experience.
• Extensive experience in managing legal support in respect of merger, acquisition, and disposal transactions, complex sales agreements, and bespoke commercial arrangements.
• Proficient in handling complex commercial law assignments, considering challenges posed by multiple regulators and stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills in assessing legal risks and developing strategies for commercial contracting matters.
• Proven track record of collaborating with colleagues in finance, corporate finance, business development, tax roles, and regulators.
• Broad understanding of South African laws; mining industry experience and knowledge of mining law - useful but not essential.
• Commercial understanding of the consequences of legal scenarios/ decisions.
• Knowledge of commercial law and company law, with familiarity in specialist areas such as environmental, construction, international sanctions law, and domestic and international anti-corruption law - useful but not essential.
• Experience in leading a legal team in private practice in a major international or regional law firm (at the partner, counsel or senior associate level) or in-house (at a senior level) - preferred.

Skills/Competencies

• Operates with a high level of autonomy.
• Motivated, commits significant personal and discretionary effort to deliver future value.
• Consistently strives to exceed performance objectives.
• Displays tolerance and resilience and is not easily discouraged or deterred from achieving required outcomes.

Additional Information

The post is dependent on the successful completion of the company's pre-employment protocol such as qualification verification, relevant psychometric assessments, and a clear security clearance.

Who We Are: De Beers Group

De Beers Group is a company with a rich history and a sparkling future. Since 1888 our experts have searched the world for nature's most precious gem. Our diamonds bring beauty to the world. But we think they can do so much more. We want our diamonds, and our business, to make life brilliant - for our people, our customers, and the world around us.

Venetia Mine is part of De Beers Group Managed Operations Business which integrates mines, operations and support functions in the De Beers Group producer countries of Canada and South Africa to shape a safe, sustainable future for De Beers Group's people, shareholders, communities and partners.

Safety

Safety first is a way of life for us. We are unconditional about the safety, health and well-being of our colleagues, at work and at home, and about that of the communities where we work. We aim to lead the industry by investing in innovation to protect people, who are at the heart of our business. Our high performing teams take accountability for their own and others' actions, work collaboratively, and always show care and respect.

Background Checks

By applying for this job, you provide consent that your personal details, including your fingerprints, can be used to conduct background screening where appropriate. For more information, please visit: https://www.angloamerican.com/site-services/applicant-privacy-notice/applicant-privacy-notice-en

Privacy Statement

De Beers Group collects and processes personal data in accordance with the relevant regulations. For more information, please visit: https://www.angloamerican.com/site-services/applicant-privacy-notice/applicant-privacy-notice-en

Inclusion and Diversity

We are committed to promoting an inclusive and diverse workplace where we value and respect every colleague for who they are and provide equality of opportunity so that everyone can fulfil their potential.

Closing Date: 23 MAY 2025