Head Legal Services - Auckland at The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)

MAIN PURPOSE OF POSITION

Reporting to the GE: Legal, Governance and Regulatory the incumbent is to provide an effective and efficient legal services to the SABC, thereby ensuring inter alia compliance with and implementation of all relevant legislation, proactively and strategically monitor legal risks, leading contract development and management, protect the SABC's valuable intellectual property and promote awareness of compliance and compliance related issues, ensuring implementation of all legal processes relating to contracts and the strategic management of litigation for the SABC. Proactively provide strategic legal advice, opinions and guidance to key internal and external stakeholders.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGY

• Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of the SABC's Legal Division's Strategic Plan, benchmarking against the external environment and creating improvement plans;
• Lead the review, development, implementation and monitoring of the SABC Legal Division's
• Operational/implementation Plan, Business Operating Model and organizational structure in line with broader organizational business objectives;
• Manage the successful down-cascading of the Legal Division's Strategic Plan, Operational
• Implementation Plans and business operating model within the Department and provide direction;
• Ensuring reporting against predetermined objectives of the Division;
• Contribute to the development of the SABC's Strategic Plan and the Corporate Plan.
• Provide strategic legal advice, opinions and guidance for handling complex internal and external matters;
• Present SABC related information at the Department of
• Communications, parliamentary committees, Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and at Board meetings
• Lead EXCO on all SABC related Legal matters

BUSINESS OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY

• Lead the management of legal risks related to commercial contracts, and provide commercial legal advice;
• Lead the development of a legal framework for the execution of all the organization's contractual
• obligations in an environment that protects the interests of the organization;
• Lead the creation, protection and exploitation of the IP value chain;
• Leads the identification, evaluation and implementation of areas of process efficiency improvement;
• Strategically lead legal projects that involve collaboration across divisional boundaries and cross
• functional coordination across the organization;
• Lead the SABC Legal Division's operations, including metrics 'client satisfaction measures, the SABC Legal Division communications and adherence to policies as well as management of legal services processes;
• Provide strategic legal advice to Group Executives and the SABC Board;
• Lead the Strategic Management of the Legal Division's Litigation Department.

GOVERNANCE RISK AND COMPLIANCE

• Develop, implement and review, with business leaders, internal control measures to ensure good
• governance (Policies, SOPs and Legal practices);
• Strategically manage legal risks to protect organizational integrity, create value, prevent financial loss and ensure compliance to address gaps and promote accountability;
• Lead the execution of internal audit risk as per checklist to identify and address gaps and promote
• execution of mitigation strategies;
• Provides clients i.e. Internal SABC Divisions with advice and counsel regarding legal requirements, best practice, and strategies for managing risk in order to avoid negative publicity issues and/or litigation to advance the SABC's mission statement.

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

• Ensure contingent liabilities are accounted for in liaison with Employee Relations, Finance and/or any applicable department/division;
• Manage the collaboration with Employee Relations on matters of joint accountability;
• Maintain and provide an appropriate legal environment for operations that protect the interests of the SABC and its stakeholders, customers and suppliers;
• Lead watertight contractual engagements with all the organization's customers, suppliers and service providers;
• Ensure that all service level agreements meet all legal obligations and conduct monitoring and evaluation and evaluation processes;
• Engage with external legal experts with regard to litigation and advice.

LEADERSHIP AND PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

• Effective management and implementation of Performance Management System;
• Ensure adequate staffing for workload, succession planning and effective leadership;
• Effective briefing and communication with Divisional
• Leadership and Management of the legal team;
• Manage and implement the Personal Development
• Plans (PDP) for the Legal Division employees;
• Provide strategic direction on the retention and attraction of personnel within the Legal Division.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Post-Graduate Legal Qualification, LLB (NQF level 8)
•  LLM (NQF level 9) will be an added advantage

EXPERIENCE:

• 10 years' legal practicing experience  of which five years on a Management level
• Post articles experience, including but not limited to experience in leading and successfully concluding negotiations on complex transactions and agreements, corporate law and litigation experience.
• Preferably proven experience in media law

KNOWLEDGE:

• PFMA and relevant Treasury regulations
• Broadcasting laws
• Corporate Law
• Employment Law
• Legal policies, standards, procedures and regulations
• Contract drafting
• Financial management Business planning
• Strategic management
• Management and information systems
• Identify complex legal issues and provide legal solutions
• Management of Relationships
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills
• Employment Law