Legal Advisor - Johannesburg at FirstRand Group

Job Description

To provide legal solutions to complex legal and business challenges to mitigate against legal risk and partner with the business on the implementation of policies to comply with legal and regulatory requirements and business processes

Provides guidance and management to more junior legal advisors

Hello Future Legal Advisor

Welcome to FNB, the home of the #changeables. We design for the shapeshifters and deliver products and services that make us incredibly proud of people that make it happen.

As part of our team in FNB Integrated Advise you will be surrounded by unique talents, diverse minds, and an adaptable environment that lives up to the promise of staying curious. Now’s the time to imagine your potential in a team where experts come together and ignite effective change.

Are you someone who can:

• Establishment, alignment and management of target and budget goals whilst ensuring effective control of costs the function to increase cost efficiency
• Identification and communication of potential financial risks with a legal implication
• Cultivate and manage objective working relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including external attorneys, FirstRand Group Legal Services, FNB Legal Services, business and external stakeholders and industry bodies to ensure business is in the position to obtain expert opinion on specialist areas of law
• Deliver exceptional service that exceeds customers’ expectations through proactive, innovative and appropriate solutions
• Maintenance of expert knowledge on relevant legislation industry best practices and provision of proactive advice and solutions to relevant stakeholders
• Research and provide legal opinion on a variety of issues and new business projects within the business to proactively identify, assess and manage legal risk
• Provide timeous, professional advice and solutions in respect of legal matters to persons within FNB, on request or initiated, resulting in business sustainability and risk mitigation
• Maintain a constantly updated 'library' of advice that has been requested and given in FNB, including updates relating to legislation

You will be an ideal candidate if you can:

• Draft and review legal agreements, including Service Level Agreements and other legal documentation for example on a variety of different client or channel campaigns where general guidance will be required to adequately manage legal risks
• Have sufficient experience in dealing with the Protection of Personal Information Act specifically dealing with record management, record keeping and data processes.
• Have a good understanding of the framework in which Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act operates in and how the legal risks would impact the
• Monitor, analyse and evaluate the impact and legal implications of developments in the financial services industry and related areas, including the activities of competitors, and pro-actively recommend effective courses of action so that either a stance may be adopted or potential threats may be averted by FNB
• Identify report and mitigate legal risk at a system, product, process and/or channel level within the business unit
• Benchmark current practices against the FRB legal risk management framework and adjust practices as and when necessary. Ensure legally compliant best business practices and policies in order to protect the organisation from legal action
• Implementation, benchmarking and improving of all business processes in the designated area of responsibility
• Actively monitor changes in law, regulations, technology and relevant industry practices and ensure appropriate interventions are defined
• Draft, review / update and re-negotiate legal agreements and other legal documentation to adequately manage legal risks
• Monitor relevance of legal documentation to ensure consistency across business, identify risks and within legal standards
• Deal with litigation matters involving the business to manage legal risk and liaise with Ombudsman when necessary

You will have access to:

• Opportunities to network and collaborate
• A challenging working environment
• Opportunities to innovate

We can be a match if you:

• Proactively resolves disputes to avoid litigation and ombudsman referrals.
• Benchmark current practices against the group legal risk management framework and adjust practices as and when necessary
• Ensures legally compliant best business practices and policies in order to protect the organisation from legal action
• Identify room for improvement or 'loopholes' in the current mandates space and provide general legal advice
• Identify and communicate current and anticipated Legal issues/risks.
• Plan and manage performance, skills development, employment equity, talent and culture of team in order to improve innovation, achieve efficiencies and increase competencies
• Manage personal development to increase own skills and competencies