Legal Advisor at Prescient

Purpose of role:

• This role provides hands-on legal and regulatory support to the Prescient Fund Services business, including fund administration, management company, and related platform environments. The role will support the Head of Governance in delivering effective governance, risk, and compliance frameworks, while ensuring that legal requirements are embedded into business processes.
• The successful candidate will work closely with operational teams to support fund structures, client mandates, and regulatory requirements, while contributing to the effective functioning of the governance framework.

Duties and responsibilities:
Legal Advisory (Core Focus)

• Provide day-to-day legal support to the Prescient Fund Services business, including:
• Management company
• Fund administration
• Platform-related services
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial and client-facing agreements, including:
• Investment management and mandate agreements
• Fund and administration agreements
• Service level agreements and third-party contracts
• Provide practical, commercially focused legal advice on operational and client-related matters.
• Support legal aspects of fund structures, including onboarding of new mandates and product structures.
• Assist with contract lifecycle management, including maintaining contract registers and tracking key obligations.
• Liaise with and manage input from external legal advisors, where required.

 Regulatory & Fund Services Advisory

• Provide guidance on financial services legislation applicable to PFS, including:
• CISCA
• FAIS
• Companies Act
• FSR Act
• POPIA / data governance
• Assist in interpreting and applying regulatory requirements within a fund services and management company environment.
• Monitor and communicate regulatory developments relevant to PFS operations.
• Support the review and alignment of internal policies, procedures, and frameworks with regulatory requirements.
• Assist business stakeholders with regulatory queries related to fund operations and client mandates.

 Governance & Risk Support

• Support the Head of Governance in:
• Implementation and maintenance of governance frameworks within PFS entities.
• Management of the policy register and legal compliance documentation.
• Assist with identifying and managing legal and regulatory risks within the PFS environment.
• Contribute to risk mitigation initiatives, including implementation of control measures.
• Support governance-related reporting and escalation of key risks and issues.
• Assist with internal audit and risk-related processes where required.

 Operational & Team Support

• Work closely with business teams to ensure legal considerations are embedded in operational processes.
• Assist in managing the CIS application process with investment managers and the regulator.
• Support the effective use and adoption of legal and governance systems and digital platforms.
• Assist in preparing board packs, governance documentation, and reports.
• Contribute to training and awareness initiatives on legal and regulatory topics within the PFS business.
• Build strong and effective working relationships with internal stakeholders and key service providers.

 General Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality, timely legal support to stakeholders across Prescient Fund Services.
• Manage and prioritise legal queries effectively, ensuring strong follow-through.
• Contribute to projects, product developments, and new initiatives within the PFS business.
• Proactively identify and escalate legal and regulatory risks.
• Provide regular updates to the Head of Governance on key matters and activities.

Required qualification and experience:

• Admitted Attorney (essential);
• 4–7 years’ relevant experience as a Legal Advisor within:
• Fund services / fund administration:
• Asset management or management company environments.
• Proven experience in commercial contract drafting and negotiation.
• Exposure to financial services regulatory frameworks, particularly in a CISCA environment.

Working knowledge of:

• CISCA
• FAIS
• Companies Act
• POPIA
• Exposure to broader regulatory frameworks (advantageous but not essential). 

Key competencies:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Clear, concise written and verbal communication.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines.
• Ability to build effective relationships with business stakeholders.
• Commercially pragmatic approach to legal advisory.
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently.
• High levels of integrity and professionalism.