Legal and Governance Associate

Experian Group; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Experian Africa seeks an experienced in-house Counsel to draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements and advise on data protection, regulatory compliance, and governance matters.

You will support the business in relation to credit法规 and data privacy requirements, coordinating with internal teams and external counsel as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB).
• Admitted Attorney.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a legal office or role, preferably in financial services.
• Experience in drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts.
• Experience with data protection and national credit laws.
• At least 2 years’ experience in the credit/credit bureau industry.

Responsibilities

• Advise staff and clients on data access, credit regulatory queries, and related legal matters (e.g., Reg 19(13), Prescribed Purposes).
• Draft, review and negotiate various types of agreements.
• Act as liaison between the legal team and internal clients; be the first point of contact.
• Draft legal letters including termination and breach notices.
• Draft and maintain standard template letters for the business.
• Investigate unauthorised data access allegations.
• Manage the legal email inbox.

Skills

LLB

Admitted Attorney

Contract drafting

Contract review

Negotiation

Data protection

Credit laws

Credit bureau experience

Education

LLB

Job description

Role Overview

Job Purpose

Contract Drafting, Review & Negotiation

• Draft and review commercial agreements (e.g., sales, procurement, service-level, NDAs etc).
• Identify legal risks and propose mitigation strategies.
• Negotiate contract terms with internal stakeholders and external parties.
• Maintain contract templates and playbooks.

Legal Advisory & Risk Mitigation

• Provide day to day legal advice to business units.
• Flag potential legal risks proactively and recommend solutions.
• Interpret laws, regulations, and policies for internal teams.
• Understanding of the impact of the NCA and POPIA on the business, and advising accordingly
• Effectively collaborative and consult with internal and external stakeholders on various legal matters.
• Ensure the business complies with non-core, but high-risk legislation (for example Companies Act, PAIA, RICA, Consumer Protection Act) in order to ensure that the legal obligations are met.

Legal Research

• Conduct research on new laws, regulatory changes, industry standards and case law.
• Prepare legal opinions.

Responsibility:
Legal

• To advise and assist staff and clients with regards to data access credit regulatory queries and give legal advice on related matters ie Reg 19(13), Prescribed Purposes
• To draft, review and negotiate various types of agreements.
• Act as liaison between the legal team and internal clients to advise on legal related matters and be first point of contact.
• Draft legal letters including termination and breach of contract letters.
• Draft and maintain standard template letters for use by the business.
• Investigating unauthorised data access allegations
• Manage the legal email inbox.

Regulatory Compliance and Governance

• Assist with preparing regulatory submissions, collating evidence for matters such as NCR onsite examinations/inspections, and supporting responses to Information Regulator (SA) submissions and investigations.
• Support legal research activities and assist with monitoring legislative and regulatory developments affecting Experian Africa, including reviewing NCR guidance notes, Information Regulator notices, and publications from the Central Bank of Lesotho.
• Provide administrative and drafting support for corporate governance activities, including assisting with Board and committee meeting minutes, the drafting and maintenance of Terms of Reference, resolutions, registers, and statutory filings.
• Assist in maintaining the governance records repository and support adherence to internal governance processes and regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to the implementation and maintenance of sound corporate governance and good corporate practices, including assisting with compliance obligations under the Companies Act.

Litigations

• Support the end-to-end management of litigation and regulatory disputes involving the company.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders and external legal counsel, oversee the collection and review of evidence and documentation, monitor legal spend, and provide regular reporting on litigation risks, developments, and outcomes.

General Legal Department Management

• Update, maintain and ensure timeous submission to the risk department in relation to the departmental risk register for Legal.
• Maintain the departmental policies and ensure periodic updates take place as and when the time comes up for renewal or update
• Perform any other task as requested by the legal manager and / or General Counsel Africa

Experience and Skills

• Legal bachelor’s degree (LLB)
• Admitted Attorney
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a legal office / position or role and preferably in the financial services industry. Experience with sales departments will be an advantage.
• Experience in drafting, reviewing and negotiation of contracts.
• Experience with data protection and national credit laws will be an advantage
• At least 2 years’ experience in the credit / credit bureau industry will be an advantage

About Experian

Experian is a global data and technology company, powering opportunities for people and businesses around the world. We operate across a range of markets, from financial services to healthcare, automotive, agribusiness, insurance, and many more. Experian invests in people and new advanced technologies to unlock the power of data. We have an amazing team of 25,200 people in 32 countries.

Our uniqueness is that we celebrate yours. Experian's people first, inclusive and purpose driven culture is multi award-winning; World's Best Workplaces 2025 (Fortune Global Top 25), Great Place To Work in 26 countries to name a few. Check out Experian Life on social or explore our Careers Site to understand why. Experian is also proud to be an Equal Opportunity and Aff…

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