Legal Administrator/PA

Pedros Chicken; Durban; On-site; ZAR 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Pedros Chicken is seeking an administrative and personal assistant to support the Legal Department, enabling the legal team to focus on substantive matters by effectively managing documentation and coordination.

You will draft, format and proofread contracts and leases, maintain Excel trackers, liaise with franchisees and landlords, prepare reports, and use approved AI tools with final human review, while handling confidential information with discretion.

Qualifications

• 1–2 years' experience in a commercial legal department or commercial law firm.
• Diploma or equivalent qualification.
• Excellent written English with strong proofreading skills.
• Strong organisational and administrative abilities to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Professional communication and discretion when handling sensitive information.

Responsibilities

• Manage diaries, meetings, and correspondence for the Head of Legal and the department.
• Draft, format and proofread legal documents, including franchise agreements and leases.
• Review and refine draft documents for clarity and accuracy.
• Maintain legal trackers and schedules in Excel (renewals, expiries, deadlines).
• Maintain physical and electronic filing of contracts and confidential documents.
• Liaise with franchisees, landlords, attorneys and internal stakeholders.
• Prepare presentations, reports and supporting documentation for the Legal Department.
• Use approved AI tools to draft and summarize, then review content before use.
• Handle confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Provide general administrative and coordination support as required.
• Monitor deadlines and ensure action is taken timeously.

Skills

MS Office

Attention to detail

Written English

Organisational skills

Communication

Independent work

Interpersonal skills

Education

Diploma or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Teams

Job description

To provide efficient administrative and personal assistant support to the Legal Department, enabling the legal team to focus on substantive legal matters by ensuring that administrative, documentation and coordination requirements are effectively managed.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage diaries, meetings, appointments and correspondence for the Head of Legal and wider Legal Department.
• Draft, format and proofread legal documentation, including franchise agreements, leases, correspondence and related documents, ensuring accuracy, consistency and correct use of defined terms.
• Review and refine draft documents by removing unnecessary or repetitive wording while maintaining the intended legal meaning.
• Maintain and update legal trackers and schedules in Excel, including franchise agreement renewals, lease expiries, trade mark deadlines and litigation matters.
• Maintain accurate physical and electronic filing systems for executed contracts, leases, trade mark records, legal correspondence and other confidential documentation.
• Liaise with franchisees, landlords, attorneys and internal stakeholders regarding routine legal and administrative matters.
• Prepare presentations, reports, spreadsheets and other supporting documentation for the Legal Department as required.
• Utilise approved AI tools appropriately to assist with drafting, summarising and proofreading, while independently reviewing and verifying all AI-generated content before use.
• Handle sensitive legal, commercial and HR-related information with a high level of confidentiality and discretion.
• Provide general administrative and coordination support to the Legal Department as required.
• Assist with maintaining accurate records and ensuring that key legal deadlines and administrative requirements are monitored and actioned timeously.

Requirements

• 1–2 years' experience within a commercial legal department or commercial law firm (essential).
• Minimum 3 years' practical experience using Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.
• Diploma or equivalent relevant qualification.
• Strong attention to detail with a high level of accuracy.
• Excellent written English, with strong proofreading and document-editing skills.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while maintaining a high standard of work.
• Professional communication and interpersonal skills.
• High level of discretion and confidentiality when dealing with sensitive information.
• Ability to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders.