Legal Advisor at Nedbank

Job Purpose

• To provide legal advice and support to Nedbank’s business units, mitigating legal risk and enabling strategic initiatives. The role focuses on digital innovation, personal banking (non-lending products), insights and advisory, and strategic partnerships, ensuring compliance and governance while supporting emerging technologies and new ventures.

Job Responsibilities

Legal Advisory & Risk Management:

• Provide legal advice on day-to-day matters, projects, and strategic initiatives across supported business units.
• Identify and mitigate legal risks in line with Nedbank’s risk appetite and governance frameworks.
• Research and apply relevant legislation and international law where local regulation is absent, especially for emerging technologies.

Contract Management:

• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, including bespoke agreements for new ventures and merchant onboarding.
• Ensure contracts align with business objectives and regulatory requirements.

Marketing & Product Support:

• Review and approve marketing collateral, campaigns, competitions, and promotions for compliance.
• Advise on and draft Terms & Conditions for banking products (non-lending: transactional, savings, investments), including creating new T&Cs for product launches and enhancing existing T&Cs to ensure compliance and alignment with business objectives.

Project Involvement:

• Support innovative projects in Web3, blockchain, tokenization, fintech solutions, and renewable energy initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams on new product development and digital transformation projects.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build strong relationships with executives and stakeholders across multiple business units.
• Provide clear, actionable advice to senior management and project teams.

Operational Excellence:

• Respond to branch queries and urgent matters (e.g., court orders) within required turnaround times.
• Contribute to governance and compliance by embedding a risk-aware culture.

Training & Development:

• Research and provide training to staff on legal and risk-related matters.
• Stay abreast of developments in law, banking, and technology to maintain expertise.

Continuous Improvement:

• Seek opportunities to improve business processes, models, and systems by identifying and recommending effective ways to operate and add value to Nedbank.

Essential Qualifications - NQF Level

• Advanced Diplomas/National 1st Degrees

Preferred Qualification

• LLB with articles completed 

Essential Certifications

• Admitted Attorney

Minimum Experience Level

• Minimum 2 years post-articles experience as an admitted attorney, within the banking or financial services sector.
• Proven ability to draft and negotiate contracts, including bespoke agreements for complex projects and merchant onboarding.
• Experience advising on digital law and emerging technologies.
• Solid understanding of banking products and compliance frameworks, particularly non-lending products (transactional, savings, investments).

Technical / Professional Knowledge

• Business principles
• Business writing
• Governance, Risk and Controls
• Nedbank culture and values
• Nedbank policies and procedures
• Nedbank vision and strategy
• Relevant regulatory knowledge
• Relevant software and systems knowledge
• Stakeholder management
• Management information and reporting principles, tools and mechanisms