Head of Legal South Africa
About the job
Senior Legal Counsel (South Africa) Based in Johannesburg
We are seeking a highly qualified and experienced lawyer to join our dynamic team. The ideal candidate will have approximately 10 years of legal experience, primarily gained in-house or with international law firms. This individual will bring strong expertise in commercial, corporate, retail, and labour law, with additional experience in the direct selling industry being a plus.
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The role requires a proven track record of operating in both B2B and B2C environments, as well as experience within a multichannel business. Prior experience in a global beauty company or the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is highly desirable. If you’re a proactive legal professional with strong business acumen, this is an excellent opportunity to make a significant impact within a global organisation.
Head of Legal South Africa
Job Description / Key Accountabilities
- Lead and manage changes in the law impacting the territory across all multi-channel business (retail, direct selling, franchise, and e-commerce B2C and B2B) at a local level.
- Serve as a core member of the South African Leadership Team, contributing to key business decisions and strategies.
- Support all material commercial contractual legal matters – creating strong local precedents consistent with local standards in direct selling, ecommerce, and retail. Leading negotiations – giving both legal insight to the internal owner of the relationship as well as suggesting structures and commercial terms appropriate to such arrangements.
- Support all local supplier contracts. Leading on negotiations, drafting and relationship management, where needed within the territory.
- Conduct necessary corporate transactions for the company (i.e., holding general assembly meetings, board of directors’ resolutions etc.)
- Accountable for the maintenance and ensure all local corporate governance processes are in place – including litigation provisions, company secretarial matters, legislation tracker, material contracts tracking.
- Review and be accountable for all marketing, advertising, and promotional materials within the territory.
- Work in partnership with the Group Intellectual Property teams to support the company in relation to intellectual property claims or trademark protection infringement.
- Lead and manage lease property portfolio in retail, branch, and office across the Natura & Co brands within the territory, as necessary.
- Take accountability and provide support on day-to-day legal-related matters in HR and pensions (high-level labour-related matters).
- Actively monitor and be accountable for all material risks in the territory across the brands
- Provide and deliver an effective comprehensive legal training program across the territory for employees and associates.
- Be accountable for the local implementation of the Global compliance programs in Data privacy and Antitrust.
- Advise on day-to-day data privacy, antitrust, and commercial matters within the territory across multichannel businesses and brands.
- Attend and actively participate in leadership country forums across all brands as needed, including being the main point of contact for the South African GM and Avon’s relevant stakeholders. This may include external forums – local trade associations and forums to promote the interests of the company and the industry.
- Support and help steer commercial strategy within the territory to ensure decision-making is legal, ethical, moral, and with purpose at heart.
- Actively manage and maintain legal budget within the territory. This may include an extensive review of ways of working – insource versus outsourced legal work. Continuous review to ensure the legal team remains fit for purpose in a dynamic, multichannel business. Manage external counsel, oversee workstreams, and manage costs within budget.
- Be the legal lead on all critical and crisis matters across the territory. Actively participating in crisis management preparedness and management.
- Provide legal support on all transformation, outsourcing and insource service projects and all strategic projects.
- This will include negotiations, drafting, and the creation and support of final form agreements.
- Accountable and provide updates on legal matters impacting risk matrix, provisions, and legal group updates.
- Create effective management within the legal department and build an effective way of working between the legal department and other functions in the company.
- Manage litigation files and take accountability for local settlement negotiations, and strategy.
- Work in partnership with the Regulatory team, ensuring compliance with the regulatory requirements of government agencies.
Head of Legal South Africa
Required Qualifications and Attributes
- A qualified lawyer in South Africa with approximately 10 years of experience, primarily in-house or with international law firms.
- Strong experience in commercial, corporate, retail, and labour law. Desired but not mandatory experience in direct selling.
- Experience working in both B2B and B2C environments. Proven experience in a multichannel
- business. Experience in a global beauty company or within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.
- Proven experience in leading and managing a team. Operated at a senior management level, including local board level, while supporting key decision-making.
- Strong communicator who has experience in influencing.
- Demonstrable experience in negotiating commercial agreements, and litigation settlements.
- A provider of clear, authoritative, and commercially aware advice.
- Demonstrates experience in developing and delivering legal training as well as producing tools to support compliance and risk management.
- Proven experience in project management and leadership.
- Strong organisational and time management skills.
- A positive can-do attitude and a supportive team player.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- A probing and enquiring mind, prepared to challenge information received and assess its impact.
- Demonstrates an awareness of the balance between internal and external advisors.
- Demonstrates an entrepreneurial spirit.
Closing Date For Applications: 23 October 2024.
By submitting your CV to Avon Justine (Pty) Ltd (Avon Justine), you agree and voluntarily consent to Avon Justine’s processing of the personal information for the purposes set out above relating to your Job Application, including (i) to confirm and verify any information provided by you and carry out any relevant background checks; and (ii) process your personal information for psychometric assessment purposes and you give Avon Justine permission to do so. Furthermore, you also agree that your personal information may be disclosed by Avon Justine to third parties, including Avon Justine’s affiliates, service providers and associates, including those that are based outside of South Africa.
Appointments will be made in accordance with Avon Justine’s employment equity objectives.
Please consider your application as unsuccessful should you not hear back from us within 2 weeks.
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