Senior Manager

Responsibilities Anticipate, assess, and manage legal risks across commercial, regulatory, IP, and contractual matters to protect the organization’s interests. Draft, review, and negotiate high-quality legal agreements that support business objectives while ensuring legal and regulatory compliance. Offer timely, pragmatic legal counsel to senior leaders to inform strategic decisions, operational activities, and new initiatives. Support the implementation and continuous improvement of policies, frameworks, and processes to meet governance and compliance standards. Manage relationships with external legal advisors and regulators to ensure cost‑effective, expert representation and alignment with internal legal strategy. Provide legal insight into emerging areas such as software licensing, data privacy, IP protection, and technology partnerships. Conduct legal training, develop toolkits, and build legal literacy within business units to foster empowered, risk‑aware decision‑making. Prepare, review, and negotiate a wide range of technology‑related agreements, including software licensing, SaaS, managed services, build‑operate‑transfer models, service level agreements, and data processing agreements. Conduct data privacy impact assessments and ensure alignment with local and global standards (., POPIA, GDPR). Support the adoption of data governance policies and group‑wide data privacy programs. Ensure compliance with applicable laws and protocols governing information security, cybersecurity, data localisation, and industry‑specific technology regulations. Oversee the protection, registration, and enforcement of the company’s IP rights, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Proactively identify and mitigate legal risks related to technology and business operations, including litigation exposure, contract disputes, and policy breaches. Provide legal oversight for technology‑related intercompany agreements, licensing arrangements, transfer pricing recharges, and exchange control matters. Drive and provide legal support for procurement processes, including vendor contract negotiations, risk assessments, and compliance with procurement policies. Perform company secretarial duties such as maintaining statutory records, coordinating board and committee meetings, and ensuring regulatory filings are completed accurately and on time. Liaise with internal business units, external counsel, and regulators to ensure legal alignment, regulatory compliance, and informed decision‑making. Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements across jurisdictions and maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of relevant laws and regulations. Support the development and implementation of legal, data, and compliance policies. Drive internal legal awareness and training to improve compliance and reduce risk. Implement process improvements, manage external legal spend, and track legal KPIs to ensure timely and cost‑effective legal service delivery. Education Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) or similar qualification. Admission as an attorney or advocate in South Africa or another African jurisdiction (under a recognised professional body). Master’s degree (MBA, or in technology law, commercial law or similar) advantageous. Certifications (at least one preferred): CIPP/E, CIPP/A, CIPM (IAPP) Commercial law or technology law or similar Experience Minimum 10 years in legal, data protection, or information security roles. At least 5 years in a senior leadership position in a telecom, fintech, or regulated tech environment. Proven experience with legal frameworks and regulatory engagement. Skills Strong knowledge of African corporate, commercial, and technology law. Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills. Ability to think strategically and provide practical legal solutions. High ethical standards and integrity. Proficiency in legal research and contract management tools. Experience in handling cross‑border transactions and international legal frameworks. Familiarity with emerging technologies and their legal implications. #J-18808-Ljbffr