Senior Manager - Legal and Regulatory. Group Technology

MTN Group; Roodepoort; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading telecommunications company in Roodepoort is seeking a Senior Legal Advisor to manage legal risks and ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks. The ideal candidate should have at least 10 years of legal experience, strong knowledge of corporate and technology law, and excellent negotiation skills. This role involves drafting and negotiating legal agreements, providing counsel to senior leadership, and overseeing compliance with applicable laws.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years in legal, data protection, or information security roles.
• At least 5 years in a senior leadership position in a telecom, fintech, or regulated tech environment.
• Proven experience with legal frameworks and regulatory engagement.

Responsibilities

• Anticipate, assess, and manage legal risks across commercial, regulatory, IP, and contractual matters.
• Draft, review, and negotiate high-quality legal agreements that support business objectives.
• Offer timely, pragmatic legal counsel to senior leaders.
• Manage relationships with external legal advisors and regulators.
• Conduct data privacy impact assessments.

Skills

Strong knowledge of African corporate, commercial, and technology law

Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills

Ability to think strategically and provide practical legal solutions

High ethical standards and integrity

Proficiency in legal research and contract management tools

Experience in handling cross-border transactions and international legal frameworks

Familiarity with emerging technologies and their legal implications

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) or similar qualification

Admission as an attorney or advocate in South Africa or another African jurisdiction

Master’s degree (MBA or in technology law, commercial law)

Certifications (CIPP / E, CIPP / A, CIPM)

Job description

Responsibilities

• Anticipate, assess, and manage legal risks across commercial, regulatory, IP, and contractual matters to protect the organization’s interests.
• Draft, review, and negotiate high-quality legal agreements that support business objectives while ensuring legal and regulatory compliance.
• Offer timely, pragmatic legal counsel to senior leaders to inform strategic decisions, operational activities, and new initiatives.
• Support the implementation and continuous improvement of policies, frameworks, and processes to meet governance and compliance standards.
• Manage relationships with external legal advisors and regulators to ensure cost-effective, expert representation and alignment with internal legal strategy.
• Provide legal insight into emerging areas such as software licensing, data privacy, IP protection, and technology partnerships.
• Conduct legal training, develop toolkits, and build legal literacy within business units to foster empowered, risk-aware decision-making.
• Prepare, review, and negotiate a wide range of technology-related agreements, including software licensing, SaaS, managed services, build-operate-transfer models, service level agreements, and data processing agreements.
• Conduct data privacy impact assessments and ensure alignment with local and global standards (., POPIA, GDPR).
• Support the adoption of data governance policies and group-wide data privacy programs.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws and protocols governing information security, cybersecurity, data localization, and industry-specific technology regulations.
• Oversee the protection, registration, and enforcement of the company’s IP rights, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
• Proactively identify and mitigate legal risks related to technology and business operations, including litigation exposure, contract disputes, and policy breaches.
• Provide legal oversight for technology-related intercompany agreements, licensing arrangements, transfer pricing recharges, and exchange control matters.
• Drive and provide legal support for procurement processes, including vendor contract negotiations, risk assessments, and compliance with procurement policies.
• Perform company secretarial duties such as maintaining statutory records, coordinating board and committee meetings, and ensuring regulatory filings are completed accurately and on time.
• Liaise with internal business units, external counsel, and regulators to ensure legal alignment, regulatory compliance, and informed decision-making.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements across jurisdictions and maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant laws and regulations.
• Support the development and implementation of legal, data, and compliance policies.
• Drive internal legal awareness and training to improve compliance and reduce risk.
• Implement process improvements, manage external legal spend, and track legal KPIs to ensure timely and cost-effective legal service delivery.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) or similar qualification.
• Admission as an attorney or advocate in South Africa or another African jurisdiction (under a recognized professional body)
• Master’s degree (, MBA, or . in technology law, commercial law or similar) advantageous.
• Certifications (at least one preferred) :
• CIPP / E, CIPP / A, CIPM (IAPP)
• Commercial law or technology law or similar

Experience

• Minimum 10 years in legal, data protection, or information security roles.
• At least 5 years in a senior leadership position in a telecom, fintech, or regulated tech environment.
• Proven experience with legal frameworks and regulatory engagement

Skills

• Strong knowledge of African corporate, commercial, and technology law.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to think strategically and provide practical legal solutions.
• High ethical standards and integrity.
• Proficiency in legal research and contract management tools.
• Experience in handling cross-border transactions and international legal frameworks.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies and their legal implications.