OBJECTIVE: To responsibly, pro-actively and efficiently service the legal requirements of business units within Aspen SA Commercial. To manage and minimize Aspen Pharmacare’s legal and compliance risk. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Commercial Agreements:

• Provide well- considered, practical, high quality & timeous legal advice to enable Aspen’s commercial goals whilst mitigating risk where possible, design and implement solutions to achieve legal cost saving and efficiency to the company
• Ensure accuracy in vetting, drafting and negotiating commercial agreements by:

1. Identifying Aspen’s rights and obligations in terms of these agreements to ensure best outcome for Aspen
2. Liaising with business partners and third parties to negotiate and resolve agreements
3. Timeously collating and addressing comments from all business partners
4. Manage execution process of agreements through to confirmation of filing in the Aspen’s contracts repository, subject to SOPs and ways of working agreed within the team
5. Continually assess and improve  templates

Social Media Marketing & Digital: (including CPA, MCA, ECTA & POPIA)

• Provide well- considered, practical, high quality & timeous legal advice to enable Aspen’s sales & marketing whilst mitigating risk where possible, design and implement solutions to achieve legal cost saving and efficiency to the company
• Mitigate risk to the business whilst optimizing efficiencies and ensuring business objectives are achieved

Legal Opinions/Legal Solutions:

• Research legal implications of relevant legislation and case law as required
• Provide opinions and recommendations on legislation/agreements/projects to business on request
• Comment on new and amended legislation and regulations
• Update relevant business areas with legislative amendments and recommend and oversee implementation of any necessary changes to policies/templates/training to empower and enable business partners on legal topics where possible

Projects/Improving Efficiencies:

• Assist in implementing projects eg POPIA that will assist in ensuring business compliance with legislation, enhance business efficiencies, better enable business
• Improving, updating of policies / templates / processes
• Keep business informed of projects by updating at meetings, having training sessions, providing templates to gather info, processing info received, providing feedback to stakeholders
• Identifying gaps in policies, templates and/or processes
• Updating, drafting and implementing templates, processes to improve business efficiencies and ways of working to optimise output in terms of quality & cost saving

Anti-trust / IP / Litigation Support:

• Be aware of and understand the implications of these areas of the law
• Raise potential litigation/IP/anti-trust matters to the Legal Counsel, with analysis of the merits of the matter and suggested solutions
• Liaise and keep stakeholders informed were required
• Take initiative to stay informed of developments in these areas of the law

Legal Reporting & Meetings:

• Take accountability to manage and track legal matters from end to end, including submission of reports to the Legal Counsel
• Submit weekly status reports to the Legal Counsel on current matters
• Log matters on iManage and keep      iManage Tracker updated with matters

Learning & Development: Develop knowledge of the pharma industry

• Continually develop knowledge of the pharma industry through on the job learning and attending of workshops or other formal learning opportunities

Requirements

Skills and Competencies

• Taking full personal responsibility for management from end to end and closure of allocated matters in the shortest possible time
• Organizational, time management and planning skills in light of fluid workload and portfolios
• Problem solving, logical, analytical thinker who is solutions and service oriented
• An ability to translate business problems into legal solutions
• Robust interpersonal skills including negotiation skills, listening skills and influence
• Excellent communication skills, written, verbal and non-verbal
• Conflict resolution
• Decision making skills and demonstrated ability to work at a level of independence and exercise of discretion in managing legal matters
• Ability to deal with uncertainty, seek detail, take initiative and be regularly adaptable
• Attention to detail
• Ability to manage support staff effectively
• Demonstrated ability to work in-consultation with relevant team and streams
• Positive 360 degree feedback from peers, external and internal business areas
• Team player with uncomplicated personality is essential

Technical Competencies / Skills:

• Advanced PC literacy on all MS Word applications (including Windows, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel)
• Verbal and written proficiency in the English language
• High legal drafting skills
• Administrative and organizational skills
• Electronic database management skills

Knowledge:

• Legislation and legal practice management
• Knowledge of policy and procedure
• General and specialist Pharmaceutical industry knowledge or exposure
• Knowledge of business including a sound understanding of the Aspen Group structure and strategy
• Good corporate governance knowledge
• Transaction/deal life cycle steps and management

QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Matric / Grade 12
• Undergraduate Degree & Law Degree (LLB)
• Admitted Attorney
• 10 years working as an Attorney in a Law Firm and/or a Corporate environment
• Additional Legal qualifications / courses are a bonus
• General commercial knowledge and experience
• Experience in independently drafting and vetting legal agreements is essential
• General business experience, and specialized Pharmaceutical industry experience is a plus
• Exposure in drafting and negotiating local and international legal agreements