Head of Legal

Industry: Finance / Job Expires: 2024-04-19 00:00:00 / Location: Gauteng

Purpose

The primary purpose  of  Head of Legal will be to manage the setting and maintenance of appropriate legal standards, as well as establishing a competent legal advisory resource throughout the company.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Degree.
• Preference will be given to candidates who are admitted attorneys.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a legal role within the Employee Benefits/Pension Fund industry.
• Strong knowledge of pension fund laws and regulations as well as relevant experience in practice with a corporate entity.
• Strong grasp of corporate governance, corporate law, compliance and ethics.

Main Duties

• Provide legal advice and support to the company on a wide range of legal matters.
• Review and negotiate contracts, agreements, and other legal documents.
• Advise on legal disputes and litigation matters.
• Keeping up to date with regulatory developments in the pension fund, employee benefits financial and insurance services industry that may impact the company.
• Work closely with senior management and other stakeholders to address legal and compliance issues.
• Ensure proper implementation of legislative requirements across all funds.
• Monitor the liaison between the funds and stakeholders in terms of compliance.
• Monitor Funds compliance with relevant legislative or statutory requirements.
• Check Section 14 applications are well within the scope as required by the FSCA.
• Report to Boards on Section 13A non-compliance & adherence to legal requirements.
• Draft and submit adopted resolutions, rule amendments & special rules where required in SLA.
• Manage and monitor complaints from members, FSCA, PFA, Ombudsman, Legal representatives of members and ensure appropriate responses.
• Manage relationships with regulator, providers and multi-functional Salt EB teams.
• Understand and oversee fund service level agreements with all internal and external stakeholders.
• Attend management interaction and ensure best fund processes in line with statutory requirements.
• Controlling the outcome of the determinations issued and ensuring adherence and providing monthly reports for the relevant stakeholders.
• Oversight and management of pension funds adjudicator responses and determinations and FSCA complaint.
• Be able to deal with the board of trustees and other stakeholder enquiries.
• Liaison with the fund representatives or service providers to facilitate the resolution of complaints.
• Maintain strong relationships with stakeholders and relevant authorities.

1. Company Secretary

• To provide the directors of the company, CEO and Exco collectively and individually with guidance as to their duties, responsibilities and powers.
• To make all relevant stakeholders (Inclusive of the Board/CEO and Executive Committee) aware of any law relevant to or affecting the company.
• To ensure that minutes of all shareholder meetings, board meetings and the meetings of any committees of the director’s or of the company audit committee are properly recorded in accordance with the Act.
• To carry out the functions of a person designated in terms of Section 33(3) of the Act.
• To facilitate general meetings and assist in the preparation of integrated reports.
• Certifying in the company’s annual financial statements whether the company has filed required returns and notice in terms of the Act, and whether all such returns and notices appear to be true, correct and up to date.

2. Governance and Compliance

• Contribute to the efficient and effective compliance by the company with applicable legislation and assist in and jointly responsible for;
• Ensuring that the company stays informed of the latest legislative developments affecting the business.
• Formulating of and collating of comments on proposed new legislation.
• Coordinating of feedback and arranging of discussions/updates on the impact of possible regulatory changes.
• Ensuring compliance with laws, regulations and industry regulatory requirements with particular emphasis on TCF and market conduct regulatory requirements.
• Prevention of legal and regulatory risks in the business.
• Draft legal documentation for the company.
• To draft a variety of contracts besides group scheme contractual agreements – like outsourcing and binder agreements.
• Provide general legal services.
• Consult and liaise with stakeholders (clients) on general legal requirements (for example, consider ombudsman cases and disputed claims).
• Provide overall legal assistance, guidance and advice to the company.
• Managing litigation by and against the company.
• Provide instructions to external lawyers and liaise with them on technical matters.
• Assist with the provision of legal advice relating to corporate legal matters.

3. People Management

• Attraction and retention
• Attract, develop, retain and deploy quality employees to realize their full potential.
• Develop a high performing team by embedding formal performance development and informal coaching. Implement talent acquisition, engagement and recognition process in line with this.
• Establish and maintain a succession plan for the team. 
• Ensure that poor performance in the team is addressed through the formal program and that continued poor performance is appropriately dealt with.
• To ensure that talent sourcing should be aligned to employment equity targets.

Skills and Competencies

• Skills capability and Build.
• Build of new world in conjunction with being the best pensions administration company in SA.
• Skills gap analysis and skills development for affected to ensure change readiness for operating environment.
• Determine and analyze development needs for the team and ensure that identified training requirements are budgeted for and executed.
• Take accountability for maintaining and monitoring the people risk within the business area.
• Adherence to HR policy and review of existing policies and procedures and managing people in line with this.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage and lead a team. 
• Attention to detail and strong analytical skills. 
• Ability to work independently and handle multiple tasks.

Location: Midrand

N.B: By responding to this advert, you consent to Heitha Staffing Group processing your personal information for recruitment purposes and confirm that any personal information has been submitted voluntarily. Applicants will be requested to fill in and sign a POPI Act Consent Form.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you have not heard from us in 4 weeks, consider your application unsuccessful.

To apply please send your CV to lethabo@heitha.co.za