Director: Contract Management (P5) (Office of the General Counsel: Legal Office) at University of Johannesburg

•  The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) supports UJ, its governance and management teams, office-bearers, and employees (“the Clients”) by ensuring UJ’s business is conducted efficiently and in line with legal and policy requirements. The Legal Advisors at the OGC are specialists in these areas. The OGC provides its Clients with practical, timely, and efficient solutions for challenges involving legal issues. Furthermore, the OGC offers guidance on proactive strategies to minimise legal challenges and potential risks.

Responsibilities: 

Core Function/Duties:

The position is at its core a commercial contract drafting function with inter alia the following duties, obligations and requirements:

• Independently consider, attend to the vetting of, provide comments and/or draft a wide variety of contracts across a wide range of disciplines within UJ ranging from commercial contracts (including but not limited to various construction contracts) to academic related contracts (including but not limited to intellectual property contracts) to mitigate legal risks for UJ.
• Draft bespoke, complex and template contracts from the ground up and, as such, must demonstrate exceptional drafting skills by producing high-quality contracts while consistently maintaining a high level of productivity.
• Provide legal advice in respect of contracts, commercial and corporate law matters.
• Engage with external stakeholders and clients regarding the contract development process, UJ policies and procedures and relevant legislation.
• Draft contract risk analysis, negotiation sheets and risk summaries.
• Rapidly determine key issues and any conflicts or disputes and to deliver solutions to a wide range of challenging situations.
• Develop and draft a wide variety of UJ policies, drafting submissions for approval of policies and once adopted, managing the policies by means of implementation, creating training materials and provide training.
• Perusing tender documents and formulating tender conditions.
• Formulating and closing out contractual claims.
• Ensure compliance with contractual commitments and provide clear communication and exceptional delivery.
• Explain complex information related to contract review process to others in straightforward situations.
• Identify and implement appropriate contractual risk and other risk management structures and procedures.
• Perform all functions in relation to contracts and legal advice on a software platform customised for the OGC.
• Draft, maintain and report on a weekly and monthly basis in respect of contract and commercial matters including data analysis within the OGC and to clients.
• Compile training materials and provide training in the contract development process, contract templates, UJ policies and procedures.
• Attend internal committee meetings, when required.
• Manage, mentor and provide guidance to junior employees.
• Attend to ad hoc strategic projects as required by the General Counsel.

Ancillary Functions/Duties:

• The provision of ongoing legal advice to UJ in respect of all areas impacting UJ; including advice regarding any new legislation that could have an impact on UJ and its operations. 
• All relevant assistance in relation to general compliance and corporate governance.
• Assist, where required, with dispute resolution and litigation.
• Apart from UJ’s faculties, departments, divisions, schools and/or UJ entities, the domains that rely heavily on the assistance of the OGC for legal services include the office of the Registrar, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. The OGC does not normally deal with Human Capital Management matters but occasionally provides support to the colleagues in this division.
• Creating awareness and conducting training, where required, of the legal provisions that regulate particular portfolios and providing advice in respect thereof (for example the Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research and Development Act 51 of 2008 (IPR Act); Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA); Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA) and the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA) 3 of 2000 and the Higher Education Act, 101 of 1997).

Minimum requirements

• An Admitted Attorney or Advocate.
• An LLB degree with more than twelve (12) years’ post admission experience in a Legal Practice (or equivalent corporate or higher education experience) (as Attorney or Advocate) at an appropriate level or a Master’s qualification or studying towards a Master’s degree in Law of Contract with more than eight (8) years’ post-admission experience in Legal Practice (or equivalent corporate or higher education experience) (as Attorney or Advocate) at an appropriate level.  
• Extensive experience and proficiency in Contract and Commercial Law.
• Extensive experience in the Law of Contract.
• Extensive negotiation experience to achieve contracts with appropriately mitigated legal risk through to completion.

 Recommendations:

• Experience in relation to Higher Education Institution would be advantageous.
• Knowledge of and experience in construction agreements (FIDIC, NEC, PROCSA and JBCC).
• Knowledge of and experience in Intellectual Property Law.
• Knowledge of Administrative and Public Law.

Competencies and Behavioural Attributes:
The ideal candidate will be a motivated self-starter possessing the following specific characteristics:

• The ability to communicate with people at different levels. The position will entail liaison with a variety of people including academia, directors, executive management, external advisors, the regulatory authorities, etc.
• A high-performing individual.
• An individual who can function in a high-pressure environment both individually and in a team environment.
• The ability to function as a team player within the OGC and the larger UJ with the ability to foster teamwork and build solid working collaborative relationships within the OGC, Clients and external stakeholders.
• The discipline to institute and administer internal systems to monitor and project the development of contracts and legal documents etc. from inception to completion (including implementation and training) and to ensure adherence to UJ’s policies and procedures.
• A self-starter.
• Capable of inspiring confidence and respect generally.
• Exceptional analytical ability.
• The utmost level of attention to detail.
• A strong ability to reason logically.
• The highest level of persuasiveness.
• Sound and fair judgment.
• Outstanding ability to present arguments clearly and coherently.
• Displays a high level of adaptability.
• Displays a high level of resilience.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Strong negotiation abilities.
• Ability to manage various work streams.
• Exceptional emotional intelligence.
• A high level of commercial acumen.
• A high level of managing and driving projects.
• Strong accountability and integrity.
• A high level of technological affinity.
• Ability to thrive in a high-pressure environment.
• The highest aptitude relating to time management and task prioritisation.
• Able to produce quick turnaround times whilst still producing quality work.
• Providing expert contractual advice and mitigating risks.
• Ability to adhere to and advance UJ’s core principles being impact, integrity, inclusivity and innovation.
• Demonstration of practical skills by way of an assessment set by and at the election of the General Counsel for shortlisted candidates.

Deadline:8th May,2026