Principal Legal Counsel : Market Inquiry

The Competition Commission South Africa; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 1,863,000; Full time

Job summary

A governmental regulatory body in Pretoria is seeking a Principal Legal Counsel to lead legal and analytical components in market inquiries. The ideal candidate will have an extensive background in competition law, litigation, and regulatory frameworks. This role involves managing a multidisciplinary team, providing litigation support, and engaging with stakeholders in a five-year fixed-term contract with a negotiable salary package.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in market investigations and regulatory frameworks.
• Strong background in competition law and litigation.
• Ability to manage teams and provide legal guidance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage legal and analytical work in market inquiries.
• Provide legal support and advice to the Market Inquiry Division.
• Draft legal documents and inquiry reports.

Skills

Investigation skills

Market regulation knowledge

Competition law expertise

Litigation process knowledge

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Law

Advanced legal qualifications

Job description

The Competition Commission seeks to appoint a dynamic, hard-working, and committed individual to fill the role of Principal Legal Counsel in the Market Inquiry Division. This is a unique opportunity for a legal expert with a strong background in investigation, market regulation, competition law, litigation processes, and investigative analysis. The successful incumbent will lead legal and analytical work in market inquiries.

Reporting to the Divisional Manager, the Principal Legal Counsel will strategically lead the legal and analytical components of market inquiries, ensuring investigations are legally sound, strategically focused, and aligned with the objectives of the Competition Act. Responsibilities include resource allocation, participating in Commission Committees, and building capacity for research, report writing, and correspondence. The Principal Legal Counsel will also lead, direct, and manage the market inquiry technical team and supervise analysts.

A starting annual total cost to company package of R 1,862,650.39 (negotiable, commensurate with experience).

Please note that this position is available on a five-year fixed-term contract.

Key Accountabilities

The main responsibilities include:

• Providing legal support to the Market Inquiry Division, including legal research and advice to the Divisional Manager and the Market Inquiry Panel.
• Leading and managing the legal and technical aspects of market inquiry investigations.
• Defining scope, identifying issues, and developing legal-analytical frameworks, including drafting terms of reference and legal documents.
• Developing analytical frameworks for assessing issues, researching international best practices and jurisdictional approaches.
• Guiding senior analysts and junior staff on legal analysis.
• Developing information requests, review instruments, and evidence-gathering protocols.
• Supervising and evaluating a multidisciplinary team of legal and analytical professionals.
• Applying competition legislation to assess market features and public interest considerations.
• Drafting and reviewing inquiry reports and actions.
• Formulating remedies to address competition issues identified.
• Monitoring compliance with recommendations and remedial actions.
• Leading stakeholder engagements, including public hearings and consultations.
• Managing external legal counsel and ensuring effective case strategy.
• Providing litigation support before tribunals and courts.
• Representing the Commission in strategic forums and contributing to capacity building.
• Participating in planning, committees, and knowledge-sharing platforms.