Director: Corporate Legal Advisory Services (DOTP 26/2025) at Western Cape Government

Job Purpose    

• To strategically enable, manage and oversee the provision of corporate legal advisory services.

Minimum Requirements    

• A legal qualification at NQF level 7 as recognised by SAQA;
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience at a middle/senior managerial level in a legal practice or legal department in the public or private sector.

Recommendation    

• A LLB degree with admission as an advocate or attorney

Key Performance Areas    

Line Management:

• Provide formal legal opinions and legal advice to the Provincial Executive and provincial departments in the social cluster (Health and Wellness, Education, Police Oversight and Community Safety, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Agriculture, Social Development, Cultural Affairs and Sport).
• Render advice to the Provincial Executive and provincial departments in the social cluster on correspondence of a legal technical nature.
• Ensure legally sound contracts.
• Provide legal inputs on behalf of Members of the Provincial Executive and departments in internal and external forums.
• Verify the legal aspects in submissions to the Provincial Cabinet, Provincial Ministers and Heads of Department.

Strategic Management:

• To define and review on a continual basis the purpose, objectives, priorities and activities of the Directorate.
• Participation in the Chief Directorate, and Directorate’s strategic planning process.
• Active involvement in the development and management of the strategic and business plans for the Directorate.
• To evaluate the performance of the Directorate on a continuing basis against pre-determined key measurable objectives and standards.
• To report to the Chief Director: Legal Governance and Advisory Services on a regular basis on the activities of the Directorate and on matters of substantial importance.
• To monitor and ensure compliance with relevant legislation and prescripts in respect of adequate and appropriate record keeping of the activities of the Directorate, and of the resources employed by it.

Financial Management:

• Manage participation in the budgeting process at Directorate level.
• Ensure the preparation of the annual and adjustment budgets for the Directorate.
• Assume direct accountability for the efficient, economic and effective control and management of the Directorate’s budget and expenditure.

Human Resource Management

• Participate in the recruitment of employees in the numbers and grades appropriate to ensure the achievement of the Directorate’s strategic and business plans.
• Motivate, train and guide employees within the Directorate, to achieve and maintain excellence in service delivery.
• Actively manage the performance, evaluation and rewarding of employees within the Directorate.

Competencies    
Proven knowledge of:

• constitutional, legal and institutional arrangements governing the South African public sector;
• the South African legal system with a specific focus on Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and the Law of Contract;
• policies of the government of the day, with specific reference to the Provincial Strategic Plan;
• global, regional and local political, economic and social affairs impacting on the Western Cape Government;
• inter-governmental and international relations;
• people management and administrative systems and processes; and
• financial management processes.
• The ability to give independent advice on complex legal matters;
• The ability to brief and oversee the work of legal professionals;
• Excellent inter-personal skills;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Excellent negotiating and problem-solving skills;
• Outstanding planning, organising and people management skills;
• Access to and the ability to develop and maintain networks relevant to the task environment;
• Computer literacy skills.