Executive Head: Legal and Company Secretary

Bidvest Bank Limited; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 400 000 - 500 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial institution in South Africa is seeking an Executive Head - Legal and Company Secretariat. This key leadership role involves providing legal guidance, managing the company secretarial function, and ensuring compliance with statutory requirements. The ideal candidate will have at least 12 years of experience, a postgraduate diploma in Management Sciences, and be registered with the Law Society of South Africa. This position offers a challenging environment with significant responsibilities in governance and risk management.

Qualifications

• 12 years of experience in a relevant field.
• Professional qualification as an Attorney.
• Active registration with LSSA - Law Society of South Africa.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal support services and advice to executives.
• Oversee the company secretarial function and corporate governance.
• Manage legal disputes and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Legal support services

Risk management

Corporate governance

Contract drafting

Team leadership

Education

Post graduate Diploma in Management Sciences

Registration / NQF level 8

Job description

Overview

Primary Purpose
Responsible for the company secretarial function and responsibilities may include other administrative requirements of the organisation. Responsible for ensuring that all statutory requirements and particularly those specified by the Company's Act are complied with.

The Executive Head - Legal and Company Secretariat is a key leadership position within the bank's legal department. This role is responsible for providing strategic guidance, legal advice, and overseeing the company secretarial function. The Executive Head plays a crucial role in ensuring legal compliance, managing legal risks, and safeguarding the bank's interests.

Job Description

Legal Counsel:

• Provide efficient effective legal support services, advice and guidance to the Board, the bank's senior management team as well as any other business units.
• Analyse and understand complex legal and regulatory risks that could affect the bank's operations and activities.
• Draft and review contracts, agreements, and other legal documents to protect the bank's interests.
• Stay updated with new laws, regulations, and industry developments, and advise the bank on potential impacts.
• Development of legal strategy and policies.
• Management and coordination of the IP Portfolio.
• Manage legal disputes, litigation, and regulatory investigations in coordination with external legal counsel.
• Ensure adherence to corporate governance principles and legal compliance across the organisation.

Company Secretarial Function:

• Oversee the company secretarial function, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and corporate governance standards.
• Prepare and manage board and committee meetings, including agenda setting, minutes, and resolutions.
• Maintain accurate records, registers, and filings as required by law and regulatory authorities.
• Advise the board of directors and senior management on corporate governance matters and best practices.
• Coordinate the appointment, induction, and training of board members and ensure effective communication between the board and management.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Monitor and interpret banking and financial regulations to ensure compliance.
• Develop and implement policies, procedures, and internal controls to mitigate legal and regulatory risks.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure proper implementation and adherence to compliance standards.
• Liaise with regulatory authorities and respond to inquiries, examinations, and audits.

Team Leadership And Development:

• Lead and manage a team, providing guidance, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.
• Foster a culture of excellence, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Recruit and retain talented professionals to support the bank's operations.

Qualifications

• Post graduate Diploma and Professional in Management Sciences/ Generic Management
• Registration / NQF level 8

Experience: 12 YEARS

Professional Body: LSSA - Law Society of South Africa

Professional Qualification: Attorney

Competencies

Behavioural Competency: Consistently achieve results, even under difficult circumstances, taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm and holds self and others accountable to meet commitments. Favours data and imperial evidence over opinion and/or intuition, making connections between data and business results. Making data-led decisions, commercialising data. Step up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said. Consistently act in accordance with moral, ethical, professional standards and is authentic in one's interaction with others. Meeting and exceeding customer needs while cultivating relationships that secure commitment and trust, ensuring that the customer perspective is a driving force behind business decisions and activities.

Leadership Competency: Provide excellent leadership and/or management to help others explore and perform at their best. Motivate, develop and inspire self and others to be creative and achieve high performance whilst still having fun. Recognising and responding positively to the need for change, identifying opportunities for change and moving quickly and efficiently in response to nonstop change.

Technical Competency: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics. Provides information people need to know to do their jobs. Provides individuals information so they can make accurate decisions. Is timely with information. Clearly conveys and receives information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the listener, helps them understand and retain the message, and invites response and feedback. Keeps others informed as appropriate. Demonstrates good written, oral, and listening skills. Relating to or using analysis or logical reasoning. Systematically exploring and reviewing information in order to discover meaningful patterns that assist to complete a task or make a decision.

Discipline: Support Services. Risk and Compliance. Support Services.

Area Of Experience: Company Secretarial Leadership Essential. Legal Leadership Essential. Executive Experience Essential.

Note: This position is advertised in line with our commitment to Employment Equity.