Junior Legal Counsel

Ignition Group; Durban; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading South African firm is seeking a contract management professional to draft and negotiate commercial contracts, ensure legal compliance with South African laws, and partner with internal stakeholders for efficient contract delivery. The ideal candidate must have a Bachelor of Laws (LLB), admission as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa, and at least 5 years of experience. In-house corporate experience in the technology or financial services sectors is preferred.

Qualifications

• 5+ years post-admission experience.
• In-house corporate experience preferred.
• Background in sectors like technology or financial services advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate commercial contracts across the Group.
• Ensure compliance with South African commercial laws.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to facilitate contract delivery.
• Support implementation of legal document management tools.

Skills

Commercial contracting

Legal compliance

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Document management

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

Admission as Attorney of the High Court of South Africa

Job description

Description

Contract Management and Commercial Support

• Draft review and negotiate commercial contracts across Group entities (including client supplier partnership licensing and NDAs).
• Ensure contract terms align with business strategy regulatory requirements and Group risk frameworks.
• Support the implementation of Group contract templates clause libraries and playbooks.
• Maintain the contract register and track renewal expiry and variation timelines.
• Assist with internal sign-off processes and coordinate execution via DocuSign or approved platforms.

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Interpret and apply South African commercial privacy and consumer law (e.g. CPA POPIA ECTA BCEA).
• Assist in regulatory submissions audits and client compliance responses.
• Monitor legal and regulatory changes affecting business operations and recommend contract or policy updates.
• Collaborate with Risk and Compliance functions to align documentation with governance standards.

Stakeholder and Business Partnership

• Partner with internal stakeholders (Commercial Procurement Operations Finance Technology) to facilitate contract delivery and mitigate risks early.
• Provide clear business-oriented legal advice and guidance under the supervision of the General Counsel.
• Liaise with external counsel on specialised or escalated matters.
• Contribute to training sessions and awareness initiatives on contract and compliance standards.

Operational Excellence and Reporting

• Support implementation of legal systems document management tools and process automation initiatives.
• Maintain structured legal files and accurate version control of contracts.
• Contribute to monthly reporting to ExCo on contract pipeline risk trends and legal operations metrics.
• Undertake research and benchmarking to support continuous improvement of the Legal function.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) mandatory.
• Admission as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa mandatory.
• 35 years post-admission experience.
• Prior in-house corporate experience advantageous.
• Strong background in commercial contracting with exposure to technology telecoms financial services or customer engagement sectors preferred.