Manager: Office of the General Counsel

PwC; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

PwC seeks a Manager in the Office of the General Counsel to oversee contracting, data protection and risk for PwC across Southern Africa. The role collaborates with engagement teams to mitigate contractual and reputational risks, review complex agreements and support tender processes.

Key focus areas include SaaS agreements, IP considerations, compliance with POPIA and GDPR, and providing practical legal advice to diverse PwC services.

Qualifications

• LLB or equivalent with 3–5 years' PQE in commercial law.
• Admitted attorney or advocate in South Africa (active or non-practicing).

Responsibilities

• Review, draft and negotiate client, supplier and joint venture agreements.
• Review data protection provisions and data processing agreements, incl. cross-border transfers.
• Assess and advise on SaaS arrangements, IP ownership and related risk.
• Identify and mitigate contractual and reputational risks for PwC and clients.
• Support tender processes by reviewing RFPs and tender conditions.

Skills

Contract law

Contract drafting

Commercial law

Data protection

SaaS agreements

Tender reviews

Legal research

Risk management

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

LLB or equivalent

Admitted attorney/advocate (SA)

Job description

Job Description

PwC’s purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. The firm’s purpose is underwritten by its values and strategic objectives.

Main Purpose

The position is for a Manager: Office of the General Counsel.

The role reports to the Associate Directors responsible for Contracting, Technology, IP and Data Protection, a key pillar within the PwC in-house legal team.

The role supports PwC’s client facing business and internal teams across South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini and Namibia when contracting with clients and third parties and is expected to work closely with engagement teams, identify, manage and mitigate contractual legal and reputational risks to the firm by applying sound commercial principles, relevant laws and internal policies.

Primary Responsibilities for this Role

The role requires:

• Solid and demonstrable understanding of commercial and contract law and the ability to apply such legal principles in a commercially practical way when providing advice to PwC and its lines of service (Advisory, Tax, Deals and Assurance Services);
• The review, drafting and negotiating of agreements with, amongst others, clients, suppliers, other professional services firms and joint business relationships;
• Reviewing and negotiating a variety of contracts, including non-disclosure; agreements, client services agreements, supplier and sponsorship agreements, software licensing and subscription agreements;
• Identify and advise on key contractual issues, including interpretation of legislation, contracts and regulation, affecting lines of service (and its clients);
• Review and advise on data protection provisions and data processing agreements, including cross-border transfers, compliance with Data Protection legislation (such as POPIA and GDPR) and Intellectual Property (IP) as it relates to professional services;
• Experience in reviewing and negotiating Software as a Service Agreements (SaaS) and understanding of SaaS arrangements - i.e. procuring and selling SaaS, third-party technology, and technology components within broader consulting engagements (including data use, IP ownership and allocation of responsibility);
• Support tender and proposal processes by reviewing RFPs and tender conditions and identifying risks early, advising on tender qualifications, assumptions or reservations;
• Conducting legal research and opinion writing;
• Providing legal support on internal projects;
• Ability to identify items that may pose legal or reputation risk to PwC.

Qualifications

• LLB or equivalent 3 - 5 years' PQE commercial legal experience
• Admitted attorney or advocate (whether practicing or non-practicing) in South Africa

Experience

Experience in a law firm, private legal practice, or as in-house corporate counsel. Experience within the professional services / consulting industry is advantageous

Competencies / Skills

• The ability to think critically and solve problems efficiently and practically;
• Ability to identify and articulate potential legal and/or regulatory concerns that impact the firm;
• Self-motivated and attention to detail;
• Comfortable with complexity;
• Curious and driven to find practical solutions to complex problems;
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to interact with staff at various levels;
• Strong networking qualities;
• Ability to multitask and prioritise;
• Analytical and solution driven;
• Pro-active and committed to delivery;
• Excellent time management skills;
• Able to work independently and as part of a team;
• Proven ability to manage a large variety of matters at the same time;