Legal Director

PLP Group; Cape Town; Hybrid; ZAR 1,500,000 - 2,100,000; Full time

Job summary

Protect Group is seeking a Legal Director to lead international contracting and regulatory initiatives from our South Africa base in Cape Town. This permanent, full‑time role reports to the Chief Risk and Operations Officer and requires strong English communication and 4+ years post-qualification experience.

You will draft and negotiate across jurisdictions, build legal operations capabilities within sales workflows, and advise on governance, tax, and compliance matters to drive growth while

Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal English; strong communication skills.
• Self-starter with a fast-growing business mindset.
• Commercial and solutions-based problem solving.
• Ability to manage high-volume day-to-day contracts.

Responsibilities

• Own the contract lifecycle from instruction to signature across jurisdictions.
• Maintain contract templates and playbooks for speed.
• Support corporate projects, diligence, and information gathering.
• Prepare compliance policies and regulatory submissions.
• Support CoSec on governance and board/shareholder docs.
• Coordinate with immigration consultants for visa processes.
• Advise stakeholders on legal risks and regulatory changes.
• Stay updated on laws affecting the business.

Skills

Drafting & negotiation

Corporate Transactions

Regulatory engagement

Legal operations

Compliance policies

Employee law

International experience

Job description

Legal Director - Protect Group

Location: South Africa (Cape Town) office based/hybrid

Contract: Permanent, Full-Time

Reports to: Chief Risk and Operations Officer

Salary: Competitive and based on experience

Must have: Fluent in English & must have 4+ years post qualification experience

About Protect Group Protect Group specialises in enhancing customer experience and generating additional revenue for businesses through innovative technology solutions. Founded in 2016, we have rapidly grown to serve over 400 business partners across 75+ countries, with a presence in 12 global offices. Our dynamic, AI-driven widget integrates seamlessly into online booking and sales platforms, providing customer-centric solutions that boost satisfaction and ancillary revenue without significant upfront costs. At Protect Group, innovation is at our core - we continuously seek new ideas and technologies to stay ahead in today's fast-changing market. As a part of the Protect Group team, you will join a community that values collaboration and a shared purpose, fostering a strong sense of community. We believe in accountability and owning our responsibilities, ensuring that we deliver on promises and find solutions when challenges arise. 'Protect People' are talented, ambitious, and passionate individuals who bring energy and enthusiasm to their work every day. We are looking for someone who shares our passion for disrupting global industries across transportation, travel, hospitality, events, and financial services, driving continuous growth and success.

Role Description

• Drafting and negotiating international contracts across multiple jurisdictions
• Supporting corporate transactions and associated due diligence exercises
• Developing legal operations capabilities in the context of sales workflows
• Leading or supporting global regulatory initiatives and responses in existing and new jurisdictions
• Drafting compliance policies HR support including employee contract drafting and visa administration
• Providing legal support to CoSec teams for corporate and tax governance matters

Required Skills and Experience

• Strong drafting and negotiation skills across a broad range of contracts, with the ability to run matters end-to-end with minimal supervision
• Experience supporting corporate and transactional matters, including due diligence and disclosure exercises
• Exposure to regulatory engagement, licensing or authorisation processes in more than one jurisdiction
• A practical interest in legal operations - templates, playbooks and workflow tools that allow a small team to handle volume
• Experience drafting compliance policies and translating regulatory requirements into workable internal process
• 4+ years of post-qualification experience
• Well-versed in employee-related laws and regulations
• International experience beneficial

Responsibilities

• Taking primary ownership of the contract lifecycle - from instruction through negotiation to signature - for customer, partner and supplier agreements across multiple jurisdictions
• Maintaining and improving contract templates, playbooks and standard fallback positions so that routine matters can be handled at pace
• Supporting corporate projects as they arise, including information gathering, document preparation and diligence responses
• Preparing and maintaining compliance policies, and supporting regulatory submissions and responses in existing and new markets
• Supporting the CoSec team on corporate and tax governance, including entity maintenance and board and shareholder documentation
• Liaising with external immigration consultants for visa processes, Participating in HR-related matters worldwide
• Advising internal stakeholders on the risks and potential legal implications of matters that arise as part of the day-to-day running of the business (ensuring compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and company policies)
• Staying updated on changes in relevant laws and regulations impacting the business and proactively advise the business on those changes

Requirements and Characteristics

• Excellent written and verbal English and very good communication skills overall
• Outgoing and ready to collaborate with colleagues
• Self-starter, prepared to accept and respond to the challenges of a fast-growing business
• A "can do" attitude, with a commercial and solutions based approach to problem solving
• Able to offer a hands-on approach to assigned projects and work under pressure
• Comfortable moving between high-volume day-to-day contract work and one-off strategic projects, without a preference for only the latter
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and assess risks and propose creative solutions
• Adaptable, proactive and actively contributing to the growth and development of the business
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality