Legal Specialist (South Africa)- CPT at Optimal Growth Technologies

About the Role

• We are looking for a commercially minded and detail-oriented Legal Consultant to support the business across a broad range of legal, contractual, and compliance matters.
• The successful candidate will play a key role in providing practical legal guidance, managing commercial agreements, mitigating legal risk, and supporting business operations through effective contract lifecycle management.
• This role requires a proactive professional who can balance legal risk with commercial objectives while working closely with internal stakeholders, clients, suppliers, and leadership teams.

Key Responsibilities

General Legal Advisory

• Provide day-to-day legal guidance and support to business units and management.
• Advise on commercial, operational, and regulatory matters impacting the business.
• Review and interpret legislation, regulations, and legal developments relevant to the company's operations.
• Assist with legal risk identification, mitigation strategies, and governance initiatives.
• Support dispute resolution processes and liaise with external legal counsel where required.
• Provide guidance on corporate governance, compliance, and internal policy matters.
• Ensure legal and commercial alignment across business initiatives and engagements.
• Support employment-related legal matters in collaboration with HR and management teams.

Contract Management

Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a wide range of commercial agreements, including:

• Master Service Agreements (MSAs)
• Statements of Work (SOWs)
• Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
• Supplier and Vendor Agreements
• Independent Contractor Agreements
• Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
• Client Services Agreements
• Partnership and Consulting Agreements
• Manage the full contract lifecycle from drafting through execution, renewals, amendments, and termination.
• Ensure contracts align with company risk, legal, financial, and operational requirements.
• Maintain contract repositories and ensure accurate record keeping and version control.
• Track contractual obligations, renewal dates, deliverables, and compliance requirements.
• Support negotiations with clients, vendors, and strategic partners.
• Identify contractual risks and recommend commercially practical solutions.
• Drive continuous improvement of contract management processes, templates, and governance standards.

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Law (LLB) or equivalent legal qualification.
• Admitted Attorney advantageous but not essential depending on experience.

Experience

• Minimum 5+ years' experience in legal advisory and contract management roles.
• Experience within corporate, technology, consulting, telecommunications, or professional services environments advantageous.
• Strong experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Exposure to compliance, governance, and risk management frameworks.
• Experience supporting cross-functional business teams and senior stakeholders.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong commercial and legal acumen.
• Excellent contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Ability to provide practical, business-focused legal advice.
• Strong attention to detail and analytical capability.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple matters and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Strong organisational and documentation management skills.

Key Performance Areas

• Timely turnaround of legal reviews and advisory requests.
• Contract accuracy, compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Effective management of contract lifecycle and renewals.
• Reduction of legal and commercial exposure.
• Stakeholder satisfaction and support effectiveness.
• Continuous improvement of legal and contract governance processes.

Preferred Attributes

• Commercially pragmatic and solutions-driven mindset.
• Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management capability.
• Comfortable working across multiple business functions and leadership levels.
• Adaptable and proactive approach to legal and operational challenges.