Senior Technical Manager: Legal Support at Auditor-General of South Africa

Requirement Overview

The Technical Audit Support (TAS) Business Unit (BU) provides technical audit support services to the AGSA to enable the organisation's vision and strategy.

This is accomplished through a technical audit support programme that seeks to enable  consistent and sustainable adherence to high quality standards and value add on audits, other assurance and related services engagements performed by the AGSA

The Senior Manager:  Legal Support manages a team of legal specialists that guide, assist and support the AGSA to execute its audit mandate, functions and powers in accordance with the law. The Senior Manager is also responsible to build and maintain relationships with internal and relevant external stakeholders to support the AGSA objectives and benefit the public sector in general.

Roles & Responsibilities

Strategic Functions

• Provide strategic input in the development of AGSA compliance related strategic initiatives.
• Contribute to the Business Unit (BU) compilation of the Performance Scorecard and drive timely delivery of the scorecard initiatives.
• Ensure that the BU strategic objectives are aligned and contribute to the achievement of the strategic objectives of the AGSA.
• Support the Business Unit Leader and Deputy Business Unit leader in managing key strategic projects of the BU.

Product Management

• Continuously scan the developments in public sector legislation, frameworks and guidance relating to compliance with applicable legislation relating to financial matters, financial management and other related matters  and emerging issues to identify audit support needs in the audit of compliance.
• Influence the developments in standard setters/legislative owners with public sector audit insights
• Develop, roll out and maintain guidance related to this AGSA product
• Proactive assessment of technical support needs on this audit product and devising means to address these needs
• Continuously scan for innovative ways of providing support and/or improving the audits we conduct in this space
• Training auditors and leadership on  technically complex matters
• Supervise the work of a team of legal specialists when providing technical views on audit consultations.
• Guide the legal specialists (managers) in the planning of project decisions.
• Monitor project execution and adherence to timelines and quality requirements.
• Conceptually integrate the diverse functions legislation, legal matte of legislation, legal matters accounting, auditing, ethics, into technical guidance.
• Formulate new technical policies, procedures and guidance to be followed by the audit staff and develop improved ways of executing the audit.
• Assess the impact of research outcomes and identify stakeholders affected.
• Consult with internal stakeholders to evaluate proposed practices & procedures for validity & practicality.
• Ensure the compatibility and congruence of auditing guidelines with the Auditor General mandate as per the Constitution, Public Audit Act and Professional Best Practices.
• Present information sessions on new developments in law to audit professionals.
• Manage dissemination of information to stakeholders through written guidelines and through the implementation of multiple means of communication to ensure that technical messages are received by audit staff.
• Perform project management on all projects in the centre to ensure that deadlines are met.
• Litigation instituted by and against the AGSA.
• Legal advisory services to AGSA governance structures.
• Resolution of differences of legal interpretation in respect of audits and the material irregularity process.

Stakeholder Management:

• Liaise and interact with all key stakeholders & management to share information, resolve challenges and make recommendations for improvements.
• Influence  transformation on compliance with legislation in the public sector through interaction with the regulators and professional bodies
• Engage with various audit business units and provide the required support.
• Provide technical support and advice on compliance matters to audit business units through technical opinions/guidance pro-actively and on request during audit cycles to ensure that quality audits are performed.
• Advise audit business unit and EXCO through submissions & memoranda on relevant research projects.
• Provide technical guidance on compliance matters impacting the audits at Technical fora.
• Support BU leadership with technical administrative functions for technical support stakeholders such as relevant and timely responses on consistency matters, emerging issues, stakeholder feedback, and regular feedback on progress on technical support developments.
• Timely and relevant inputs to/from other Technical Audit Support centres in other areas of specialism on integrated support tools.
• Support to stakeholder BU in the preparation for reporting

People Management

• Manage team performance to drive productivity.
• Motivate, coach and mentor staff to ensure maximum productivity and development of the staff to their full potential.
• Appointment of contract in staff/pooling of staff to ensure that risks and resource requirements are properly addressed.
• Implement the activities outlined on the BU People Plan.
• Cascade Vision achievement/ organisation alignment messages and commitments.
• Contribute to transformation/culture plans.
• Participate in initiatives to attract talent.
• Ensure on-going development of specialist skills and transfer of specialized skills in BUs.
• Performance management of centre in line with Balance scorecard and staff as per individual performance contracts
• Support collaboration and resource sharing initiatives for managers and assistant managers in the different centres in technical audit support to improve succession planning and technical audit support business continuity.
• Recruit and appoint staff and manage retention of staff

Financial management:

• Responsible for compiling and managing the centre budget to ensure adherence to the required financial performance standards.
• Ensure compliance with internal processes and procedures.
• Ensuring return on investment in terms of staff cost by managing and monitoring productivity of staff.

Ad-hoc duties:

• Perform and/or manage other projects, tasks and assignments not stipulated on the Job description as and when required.

Skills, Experience & Education

Qualifications

•  Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• Admitted attorney or advocate of the High Court of South Africa

Experience

• Minimum eight (8) years of experience (post qualification) of which at least five (5) should have been as a legal advisor/practitioner at middle management.
• Authoritative knowledge of all public sector legislation, frameworks and guidance relating to compliance with applicable legislation relating to financial matters, financial management and other related matters is an added advantage.
• Experience in research and development of guidance related to compliance with legislation support will be an advantage.
• A good performance record of accomplishment in the specialist area of auditing compliance is an advantage.
• Experience in leading and coordinating the activities of a team of qualified professionals is an added advantage
• Demonstrated leadership skills
• Conflict management
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal
• Effective interpersonal and relationship building skills
• Sound mentorship and coaching ability with desire to develop self and others
• Highly adaptable, managing change and ambiguity with ease.