Legal Advisor at Discovery Limited

Key Purpose

• We are looking for a seasoned legal professional to join our Legal team. The successful candidate will provide precise, practical and high-quality legal advice and formal legal opinions to both internal and external stakeholders. The role demands sound judgement, a strong grasp of insurance and financial services law and the ability to identify, assess and mitigate legal risk across complex matters affecting the business. This role is suited to someone who can think clearly, write persuasively and operate independently in a high-stakes environment.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to

• Represent Discovery in resolving legal disputes, ensuring commercially sound and legally defensible outcomes
• Conduct legal research and analysis across a wide range of matters, offering clear and actionable insights
• Provide proactive legal guidance in line with applicable legislation and regulatory frameworks, with a view to minimising risk and ensuring compliance
• Draft, review and refine legal documentation, including formal opinions, correspondence and internal advisory notes, often under time-sensitive conditions
• Prepare, review and negotiate a broad range of contracts, ensuring alignment with business objectives and legal standards

Personal Attributes and Skills

• Sharp analytical thinking with a structured, solutions-driven approach to complex legal and business problems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey legal concepts clearly to both legal and non-legal audiences
• Strong time management and organisational discipline, with the ability to prioritise effectively in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment
• Exceptional attention to detail, with a commitment to accuracy and quality in all work produced
• Confident interpersonal and client engagement skills, with the ability to build trust and influence stakeholders at all levels
• Resilience under pressure, with a proven ability to deliver high-quality work within tight timeframes and competing demands

Essential Technical Competencies

• At least 5 years of demonstrable legal experience within the financial services sector, with direct exposure to operational and regulatory matters in Life and Non-Life Insurance.
• Sound working knowledge of applicable legislation, including the Long-term and Short-term Insurance Acts, FAIS, PPR, LTIA and related frameworks
• Practical experience advising on both long-term and short-term insurance products, structures and distribution arrangements
• Proficiency in drafting and interpreting a wide range of legal instruments, including contracts, commercial agreements, policy wording and formal legal opinions
• Proven ability to operate effectively in a high-demand environment, managing multiple priorities and engaging with stakeholders across varying levels of complexity

Education and Experience

Qualifications:

• Matric
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree (Required)
• Admitted Attorney / Advocate (Required)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning (Advantageous)

Essential Experience:

• 5 to 7 years post-articles experience in the Financial Services Industry
• Solid grounding in insurance law, financial regulation and commercial legal work, gained through direct industry exposure.