Legal Advisor - Contracting at Aspen Pharma Group

Under supervision of an allocated Legal Counsel or similar, to responsibly, pro-actively and efficiently facilitate the business of Aspen in the commercial contract drafting process and other legal requirements of Aspen, whilst complying with Group legal protocol and Group legal strategy. The position requires the incumbent to think Group-wide, but act and focus on the work of the Legal Counsel or similar to which he/she has been allocated.

EXPLANATORY NOTE: the incumbent will undertake the outcomes listed below as allocated by the Legal Counsel or similar, and under the direct supervision of the Legal Counsel or similar.

SPECIFIC OUTCOMES / ACCOUNTABILITY:

Commercial Agreements

Under supervision of Legal Counsel or similar:

• Responsible for drafting and vetting of corporate/commercial agreements;
• Where required, manage Aspen’s active agreements for the purposes of identifying Aspen’s rights and obligations in terms of these agreements;
• Manage execution process of agreements through to filing in the Aspen contracts repository in accordance with the relevant Group Policy;
• Maintains an understanding of Aspen’s agreement templates, legal risk and liability and company position on various matters;
• Preparation of agreements for internal review and approval ensuring compliance with company policies as well as applicable laws or regulations

Legal Opinions - Legal Solutions

Under supervision of Legal Counsel or similar:

• Identify the risk profile of Aspen’s business with regards to exposure in, inter alia commercial agreements and offering solutions;
• Translates complex commercial/legal scenarios into simple language and action plans;
• Interpretation of agreements and advise business units on contractual responsibilities;
• Provide solution orientated general commercial and other legal opinions so as to facilitate business.

Customer Service

• Follow-up, resolve and close all queries in the shortest possible timeframe within policy framework;
• Sense of urgency;
• At all times positive, energetic business facilitating attitude;
• Display a professional attitude when responding to customer’s needs;
• Propose, develop and continuously update methods for improving customer services;
• Constantly update Legal Counsel or similar, internal and external customers as to the progress of their queries;
• Customers: Aspen Group companies.

Signed Agreement Repository

Including but not limited to:

• Ensure the safekeeping of all signed Aspen original agreements in a sound, orderly and efficiently retrievable manner;
• Ensure controlled electronic access to electronic copies of the signed Aspen original agreements within areas of support;
• Document and ensure adherence to the agreement repository obligations;
• Manage administrative staff in relation to the above.

Legal Due Diligences

Under supervision of Legal Counsel or similar such as but not limited to:

• Responsible for supporting during contract audits and legal due diligences in respect of potential mergers, acquisitions and disposals;
• Prepare final reports to Group Legal Officer.

Legal Reporting

Under supervision of Legal Counsel or similar such as but not limited to:

• Prepare and submit monthly legal reports indicating activity and manage targets against such;
• Where required assist with preparation of litigation/legislative compliance reports and submit same.

Learning and Growth

• Take personal responsibility for development;
• Negotiate training and development with the Legal Counsel or similar and Group Legal Officer;
• Identify, propose and implement learning solutions according to on-going personal development plans;
• Encourage best practice to ensure expertise;
• Where required, train and mentor less experienced support staff and legal professionals.

Financial

• Cost conscious strategy and scrutiny of all activities;
• Where possible, legal cost saving to company.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

• Law Degree or postgraduate Degree – LLB;
• BCom LLB is preferred;
• Admitted Attorney;
• Preferably membership of professional body (Law Society of SA);
• Membership of Corporate Counsel Association of South Africa;
• In the region of 5 to 7 years post-admission legal experience in a corporate/commercial/ operational legal environment;
• General business, commercial knowledge and experience is essential;
• Experience in independently drafting and vetting lengthy, complex legal agreements is essential;
• Pharmaceutical industry including regulatory experience is an advantage;
• Exposure in drafting and negotiating international legal agreements is an advantage.

KNOWLEDGE:

• Knowledge of applicable laws;
• Legislation and legal practice management;
• Knowledge of policy and procedure;
• Pharmaceutical industry knowledge or exposure;
• Knowledge of business;
• Good corporate governance knowledge;
• Legislation and policy guidelines.

SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES:

• Positive, solutions orientated and logical facilitating approach;
• Be fluent in English and demonstrate excellent drafting and negotiation skills in English;
• Manage multiple priorities, work efficiently under pressure and consistently meet tight deadlines;
• Ability to communicate efficiently and work with business representatives at all levels of seniority;
• Able to work independently as well as under supervision of a Legal Counsel or similar;
• Taking full personal responsibility for attending to and closing allocated matters;
• Intermediate to advanced Computer literacy;
• Attention to detail and absolute accuracy;
• Corporate governance ethos with utmost confidentiality;
• Willingness and ability to effortlessly take instructions and follow pre-determined processes when called-upon to do so;
• Team player with uncomplicated personality is essential.

ASPEN COMPETENCIES:

BUSINESS

• Performance Driven: Initiative, multi-tasking, results orientation, systems thinking, planning and organizational skills, focused.
• Accountability & Ownership: Focus, vision, cooperation, proactive, responsibility and accountability, resilience

PEOPLE

• Deals with ambiguity and embraces change: Flexibility and tolerance for ambiguity, transition management, capacity for and resistance to stress, perseverance and
• Communicates effectively: Informal communications skills, active listening skills, writing skills, presentation skills, meeting facilitation, empathy.

SELF

• Continuously grows and develops: Curiosity/ learning agility, self-awareness, high standards.
• Contributes special expertise: Technical or professional knowledge, industry knowledge.