Purpose of the Job: 

• To provide to the company, comprehensive highly skilled and professional legal services with an emphasis on drafting, review and research of commercial legal documentation relating to the business and litigation.

Main Responsibilities

• Commercial Contracts
• Lead the major commercial legal team providing expert advice to Executives and final decision makers on both national and international platforms
• Provide appropriate, proactive legal advice and legal interpretation
• Identify, evaluate and advise on potential, current or future legal risks
• Draft and review contracts to ensure that the contracts entered into by Cell C are effectively drafted, reviewed, interpreted, and vetted
• Provide legal opinion on all matters as instructed by Cell C to ensure that Cell C’s interests are protected;
• Liaise with external legal advisors and ensure quality service and best practice;
• Conduct strategic reporting on Cell C’s relevant issues such as litigation management, with the purpose of identifying trends in order to mitigate and prevent future risks;
• Develop, manage and deliver on Service Level Agreements with internal business partners;
• Research and analyze the implications of case law, legislations and regulatory matters that affect Cell C;
• Contribute towards Legislative and Regulatory matters to ensure that communication covers impacted functional areas or organization unit
• Contract Negotiation
• Manage the preparation of documentation required to support commercial negotiations and participate as lead (as required) in negotiation process
• Lead the key negotiation advice to internal customers with an emphasis on delivering risk minimization
• Drive cost reduction programs such as value analysis / engineering and standardization
• Ensure that agreements between company, suppliers and subcontractors are in place and manage same
• Ensure that key risks are addressed in contract terms including but not limited to comprehensive compliance clauses
• Litigation 
• Provide legal support in resolution of disputes and litigation 
• Optimize and balance use of internal and external resources in the management of litigation matters
• Contracts Management 
• Support the primary commercial interface with all suppliers and landlords
• Ensure that all the contractual obligations/deliverables are met by the suppliers and the Company
• Be responsible for ensuring all change control procedures are adhered to by suppliers and Company and that variations are in accordance with agreed contractual terms and pricing
• Manage all suppliers and Company contract non-compliance events in accordance with the contractual terms and following best practice
• Project manage the suppliers and the relevant internal departments to ensure that project timelines and all managed services KPIs are met
• Provide internal departments and committees with contract advice and support
• Assist in the maintenance of a risk register relating to the project and regularly report such risks to stakeholders
• Draft monthly reports as to all contractual activities relating to the contract
• Governance
• Draft and implement legal policies and procedures, contract management systems, contract lifecycle management
• Implement measures to ensure department is efficient and effective including digitization of legal processes
• Cost & Budget Management
• Manage through planning, setting, monitoring and controlling the yearly OPEX and CAPEX budgets
• Determine OPEX and CAPEX budget deployment to the Department
• Manage cost tracking and variation reports
• Review and approve overall cost expenditure as per delegation of authority
• Develop and implement policies to achieve savings
• Make recommendations for budget-affecting change requests
• Practice budget cost saving practices
• Inform superiors timeously of potential over-spend
• Staff Leadership & with direct team and interdepartmental 3rd party leadership
• Lead and motivate staff to effectively deliver objectives, ensuring development opportunities, appraisal and management systems are embedded and relevant HR procedures are adhered to
• Provide an advisory, support and mentorship function to enable staff to grow within their career
• Maintain a low staff turnover rate.
• Initiate appropriate Labour Relations action as required, within the department
• Establish, evaluate and guide the department’s Employee Performance Management programme
• Set Key Performance Indicators targets and goals as per the departments strategy and business objectives
• Recruit employees; assign and direct work, oversee their development, identify training needs and maintain staff competence
• Uphold HR policies and procedures
• Apply and adhere to Cell C Health and Safety procedures and rules
• Perform any other related duties as requested by Management

Minimum Qualifications

• LLB degree (NQF Level 7) and admission as a practicing attorney or advocate.

Experience

• Candidates must have a minimum of 10 years’ experience in a legal role (within the telecommunication market preferred)
• Good & in-depth financial and commercial acumen
• Extensive administration and project management experience
• MS Project, MS Office including Excel, Word, PowerPoint

Competencies

• Emotional Intelligence (EQ) 
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Influencing with integrity & Ethics
• Strategy Execution
• Leading with Agility. 
• Systemic Thinking
• Commercial Awareness
• Innovation and Creative Thinking