Legal and Compliance Offcer

Purpose of Position

The Legal and Compliance Officer is responsible for managing the organisation's legal, governance, risk, and compliance functions. The role ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, governance standards, and internal policies while providing legal and contractual support to the business. The position plays a key role in mitigating organisational risk, maintaining effective governance frameworks, and promoting a culture of compliance and ethical business practices.

The Legal and Compliance Officer supports both the organisation's internal governance and compliance requirements and the delivery of legal, governance, risk, and compliance advisory services to clients within a professional services environment.

Key Responsibilities

Governance

• Provide governance, legal, and compliance advice to management and leadership
• Develop, implement, and maintain governance frameworks, policies, and procedures
• Ensure compliance with statutory, regulatory, and corporate governance requirements
• Support governance structures, including committees and board-related activities where applicable
• Prepare governance reports and recommendations for management
• Monitor legislative changes and assess their impact on the organisation Legal Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all applicable legislative and regulatory requirements
• Develop and implement compliance programmes, policies, and controls
• Conduct compliance reviews, audits, and assessments
• Investigate compliance breaches and recommend corrective actions
• Provide guidance to management and employees on compliance matters
• Maintain compliance registers and reporting frameworks Risk Management

• Develop and maintain the organisation's risk management framework
• Identify, assess, monitor, and report on organisational risks
• Maintain and update risk registers
• Facilitate risk assessments across business functions
• Implement and monitor risk mitigation measures
• Prepare risk reports and recommendations for management Policy Management

• Develop, review, and maintain organisational policies and procedures
• Ensure policies remain aligned with legislative and operational requirements
• Manage the policy review schedule and governance process
• Communicate policy updates and changes to stakeholders
• Monitor policy compliance throughout the organisation Contract Management

• Draft, review, negotiate, and administer contracts, agreements, and legal documents
• Ensure contracts comply with legal requirements and organisational policies
• Liaise with internal stakeholders and external legal advisors on contractual matters
• Manage contract approval and execution processes
• Track contract obligations, renewals, amendments, and expiry dates
• Identify and mitigate contractual risks
• Support the resolution of contract disputes and breaches
• Maintain accurate contract records and contract management systems
• Generate reports on contract status, compliance, and performance Client Advisory & Project Delivery

• Provide legal, compliance, governance, risk, and regulatory advisory services on client assignments
• Conduct compliance reviews, risk assessments, and gap analyses, and support the implementation of governance and compliance frameworks
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage contracts, policies, procedures, and other governance documentation
• Identify and mitigate legal, regulatory, contractual, and commercial risks, including managing contract variations, claims, and disputes
• Prepare client reports, recommendations, and compliance improvement plans, and facilitate workshops and training sessions
• Build strong client relationships and provide practical advice on legal, contractual, and compliance matters
• Collaborate with project teams to ensure client engagements are delivered in line with contractual, regulatory, and quality requirements
• Support business development through proposals, tenders, and identifying opportunities for additional services Data Protection & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with data protection and privacy legislation, including POPIA
• Develop and monitor privacy and information governance practices
• Conduct compliance assessments relating to data privacy and information security requirements
• Support management of compliance-related investigations and incidents Training & Awareness

• Design and facilitate governance, legal compliance, risk management, and policy training
• Increase employee awareness of legal and compliance obligations
• Provide ongoing advice and support to employees and managers on compliance matters
• Promote a culture of ethical conduct and accountability across the organisation  

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Law (LLB), Corporate Governance, Risk Management, Compliance, or a related field
• Postgraduate qualification in Compliance, Risk Management, Corporate Governance, or Business Administration will be advantageous Certifications (Preferred)        

• Professional membership with CGISA, Compliance Institute Southern Africa (CISA), or a relevant professional body will be advantageous Experience                             

• Minimum 5-7 years' experience in legal, compliance, governance, or risk management roles
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial contracts
• Experience developing governance and compliance frameworks
• Experience conducting compliance audits and risk assessments
• Experience working within a regulated or professional services environment will be advantageous
• Knowledge of South African regulatory and legislative requirements Skills & Attributes

Technical Skills:

• Contract drafting, review, and negotiation
• Regulatory compliance management
• Risk management and risk assessment
• Corporate governance practices
• Policy development and implementation
• Legal research and interpretation
• Compliance auditing and reporting
• Data privacy and information governance
• Investigation and issue resolution
• Report writing and presentation
• Stakeholder management
• Project and process management Behavioral Skills & Attributes:

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Excellent attention to detail
• High level of integrity and professionalism
• Strong decision-making and problem-solving abilities
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information
• Strong organisational and planning skills
• Ability to influence and build stakeholder relationships
• Sound judgement and risk awareness
• Ability to work independently and under pressure
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Results-oriented and proactive approach Knowledge Requirements

• Compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements
• Timely completion of compliance audits and assessments
• Effectiveness of governance and risk management frameworks
• Number and resolution of compliance incidents
• Accuracy and timeliness of legal and compliance reporting
• Contract review and turnaround times
• Management of contract renewals and obligations
• Policy review and implementation compliance
• Risk mitigation effectiveness
• Employee completion of compliance training programmes
• Quality of legal and compliance advice provided to the business
• Successful management of regulatory and audit requirements