Legal Counsel

HEINEKEN Beverages; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 500 000 - 700 000; Full time

Job summary

A global beverage company in Johannesburg is seeking a driven Legal Counsel to ensure legal compliance and provide strategic legal counsel. The role requires a Bachelor's degree in law, 3+ years of experience in a legal field, and strong advisory skills. Candidates must be capable of managing intellectual property matters and assist with drafting and reviewing contracts. The company values diversity and encourages applications from individuals with disabilities. This is a permanent position with competitive remuneration.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in a legal field.
• Strong understanding of compliance and intellectual property laws.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice to management.
• Handle compliance with relevant laws including Competition Law.
• Draft agreements minimizing risks and maximizing legal rights.

Skills

Legal Advisory

Strategic legal advice

Compliance with Competition Law

Intellectual Property management

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB)

Completed articles at a reputable law firm

Job description

We Go Places! How about you?

Immediate Superior: Legal Manager

Location: Sandton, Johannesburg

Function: Legal

Type of Contract: Permanent

Reference Number: 150364

Closing Date: 27/01/2026

Purpose

To ensure that the company operates within the law at all times, offer counsel on legal issues, be a strategic partner for the organization and drive responsible business conduct.

Key Responsibilities

• Legal Advisory
• Provide expert and strategic legal advice to management.
• Set internal governance policies and manage the impact of external factors.
• Assist with ensuring compliance with relevant policies, including Competition Law and Dawn Raid Guidelines, Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest, Anti-Bribery, Gifts & Entertainment and Ethics & Whistleblowing.
• Create associations of trust and respect with key stakeholders.
• Deal with external parties to the extent necessary at the time (regulators, external counsel, politicians and clients).
• Draft agreements that minimize risks and maximize legal rights.
• Keep abreast of legislative changes.
• Handle all potentially litigious matters in a commercially viable manner and, where possible, ensure recourse to courts is a last resort.
• Support the commercial portfolios (sales, marketing and procurement) primarily through the Legal Manager and Legal Counsel: IP and Marketing.
• Intellectual Property & Marketing
• Manage and protect the company’s intellectual property, such as trademarks, logos, brands.
• Advise on activities of competitors and all other parties involved in the business of passing off of company products or infringing on company’s intellectual property.
• Advise on marketing and brand campaigns, sponsorships and promotional activities. Draft, review and negotiate marketing-related agreements and ensure adherence to competition law, advertising standards, consumer protection regulations and the associated environmental law considerations.
• Case Management
• Assist with consumer product complaints; respond appropriately to such complaints.
• Maintain and regularly update a record of all cases involving the company.
• Ensure that competent external lawyers are appointed to represent the company in litigation matters.
• Assist external lawyers in researching and preparing the company’s cases either as plaintiffs or defendants and vet all papers/documents to be filed by the lawyers on behalf of the company.
• Engage with the company’s external contacts, other lawyers, other persons and government officials with a view to resolving legal and general corporate and regulatory matters.
• Supply Chain:
• Implement and champion the use of Ironclad (CLM) for standardised templates to minimise risk and ensure consistency.
• Support with drafting, review and negotiation of agreements, tenders, procurement contracts, and service-level agreements.
• Collaborate with supply chain and procurement teams to integrate legal considerations into operational decisions.
• Sales:
• Implement and champion the use of Ironclad (CLM) for standardised templates for trade terms, distribution contracts and promotional arrangements to minimise risk and ensure consistency.
• Monitor and mitigate risk related to anti‑competitive practices and support with creating awareness and ensure adherence to competition law policies.
• Provide legal input on commercial initiatives and trade programmes.
• Ad‑hoc Legal Matters
• Assist the International team on various legal matters.
• Manage and co‑ordinate ad‑hoc legal projects.
• Dealing with the various regulatory bodies on behalf of the Company, and filing the statutory periodic returns with such bodies (where needed).
• Assist with implementation and development of legal tech solutions.

Education, Competencies & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB)
• Desired – completed articles at a reputable law firm.
• Min 3 years of experience in a legal field.

Leadership Competencies

• Focuses externally
• Thinks globally
• Shape, drive to win and deliver
• Fosters collaboration and connection
• Engages and inspires others / role model
• Develops people and teams

Functional Competencies

• Strategic acumen - direction and alignment
• Business Analysis and Challenge
• Integrating Perspectives
• Risk Management
• Stakeholder Management

As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply. Heineken Beverages (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd is committed to an organisational culture that recognises, appreciates and values inclusion and diversity. You must be fully eligible to live and work in South Africa to apply.