Senior Manager - Office of the General Counsel

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

Job summary

A leading professional services firm in Johannesburg is seeking a Senior Manager for the Office of the General Counsel. This role involves providing legal support during client contracting, managing legal risks, and advising on commercial and contract law. The ideal candidate should have strong experience in contract negotiation, be qualified to practice law in South Africa, and possess excellent communication skills. This position offers a chance to work within a dynamic in-house legal team.

Qualifications

• 5 – 10 years’ PQE commercial legal experience.
• Experience in law firm or as in-house corporate counsel.
• Experience within the professional services / consulting industry is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate agreements with clients and suppliers.
• Review and negotiate various contracts.
• Provide practical legal advice relating to legislation and regulation.

Skills

Commercial law understanding

Contract negotiation

Legal advice provision

Data Protection knowledge

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

LLB or equivalent

Admitted attorney in South Africa

Job description

Main Purpose

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

The role reports to the Associate Director responsible for Contracting, a key pillar within the PwC in‑house legal team.

The role supports PwC’s client‑facing business and internal teams during contracting with clients and third parties and is expected to identify, help manage and mitigate contracting and legal risks to the firm by applying sound commercial principles, relevant laws and internal policies.

Primary Responsibilities

• 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 (Assurance, Tax, Deals and Consulting & Risk Services).
• The drafting and negotiating of agreements governing contractual relationships 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, licensing and technology‑related agreements.
• The ability to provide practical legal advice to PwC and its lines of service, including key interpretation of legislation, contracts and regulation, affecting lines of service (and its clients).
• Knowledge of Data Protection legislation and Intellectual Property 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.
• Conducting legal research and opinion writing.
• Providing legal support on internal local or global projects.
• Ability to identify items that may pose legal or reputation risk to PwC.

Qualifications

LLB or equivalent.

5 – 10 years’ PQE commercial legal experience.

Admitted attorney or advocate (whether practicing or non‑practicing) in South Africa.

Experience

Experience of working 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.
• Curious and driven to find practical solutions to complex problems.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to interact with staff at various levels both locally and internationally.
• 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.
• Professional services experience advantageous.
• Proven ability to manage a large variety of matters at the same time and provide oversight and support to more junior team members.