Head of Department: Governance, Compliance, Risk

The Rooms Network is more than just a collection of TV channels on DStv — it's a home for every story and every viewer. We're a proudly South African entertainment network, delivering diverse, family-friendly programming that inspires, educates, and entertains. we create, curate, and broadcast compelling entertainment across a dynamic portfolio of TV channels
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We are seeking an experienced and driven professional to join our leadership team as the
Head of Department: Governance, Compliance, Risk & Legal (GCRL).
This critical role serves as the central operational support to the COO, leading the development and implementation of integrated governance, enterprise risk management, regulatory compliance, and legal services across The Rooms Network.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Corporate Governance:

• Advise the organisation on good corporate governance principles, King IV application, and ethical leadership practices.
• Design, implement, and maintain governance policies, charters, frameworks, and annual governance plans.
• Coordinate statutory registers, delegations of authority, policy reviews, and annual compliance attestations.
• Support Board/Committee secretariat activities (where assigned): packs, minutes, action tracking, and governance calendars.
• Ensure appropriate escalation and reporting of governance issues to the Board in line with the dotted reporting line obligations.

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM):

• Design, implement, and continuously improve the ERM framework, policy, processes, and tools for TRN.
• Establish and maintain the enterprise Risk Register; facilitate risk identification, assessment, treatment, and monitoring across all business units and productions.
• Run risk workshops and scenario analyses (including production, reputational, financial, legal/regulatory, information security, and HSE risks).
• Implement risk escalation protocols and early-warning indicators; drive corrective/preventive action follow-through.
• Prepare risk dashboards and reports for Exco and the Board/Committees.
• Lead risk awareness and training initiatives to embed a risk-intelligent culture.

Regulatory & Compliance Management:

• Build and maintain a Compliance Universe covering TRN's applicable laws, regulations, and licenses, including but not limited to:

• Companies Act, Labour Relations Act, OHS Act

• POPIA, PAIA, ECTA, Consumer Protection Act
• ICASA Broadcasting Service License (Class/Commercial Subscription as applicable)
• ICASA Signal Distribution License (if applicable)
• BCCSA Free-to-Air & Subscription Television Codes of Conduct
• Films and Publications Act & related content classification requirements
• Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and sponsorship regulations
• Intellectual property, contract law, and production-specific permits (location, municipal, environmental)

• Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B‑BBEE) Codes – preferential procurement & supplier development elements.

• Develop the Compliance Policy, Plan, and risk-based Monitoring Programme; conduct monitoring/assurance and report findings.

• Implement complaint handling, breach management, and regulatory engagement protocols.
• Oversee record-keeping and evidence-of-compliance requirements; maintain compliance manuals and SOPs.
• Conduct compliance training and awareness campaigns; coordinate annual declarations and fit-and-proper checks where required.
• Provide regular compliance updates and escalation reports to the Board in line with dotted reporting requirements.

Privacy, Data Protection & Information Governance:

• Serve as the operational lead supporting the Information Officer/Deputy Information Officer(s) under POPIA and PAIA.
• Maintain RoPA, lawful processing assessments, privacy impact assessments (PIAs), cross-border transfer controls, and third-party due diligence (operators/processors).
• Coordinate privacy notices, consent mechanisms, subject rights requests, incident response (including data breach notification) with IT.
• Provide assurance reporting to the Board on data protection compliance status and incidents where escalated.

Legal Services:

• Provide pragmatic legal advice to business units to mitigate legal and contractual risk.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts (e.g., production agreements, commissioning/licensing, distribution, talent, location, NDA, SLA/MSA, supplier, IP assignments/licenses, sponsorships, and co-productions).
• Manage litigation/dispute resolution, instruct and liaise with external counsel, and monitor spend.
• Maintain precedent libraries, clause banks, and contract playbooks; drive contract lifecycle management and version control.
• Escalate material legal disputes or risks to the Board where appropriate.

Broadcast & Content Governance (Sector-Specific:

• Advise on content standards (e.g., BCCSA Code), scheduling and watershed considerations, complaints, and compliance procedures.
• Oversee production compliance packs (permits, releases, music cue sheets, chain of title, E&O insurance documentation).
• Support compliance for advertising, product placement, sponsorship integrations, and on-air/online promotions.
• Coordinate regulatory audits/inspections and responses to ICASA and other authorities.
• Provide assurance to the Board on broadcast-related compliance and risks

Training, Culture & Change Enablement:

• Develop and deliver annual training plans covering governance, risk, compliance, information governance, and legal fundamentals tailored to production and office teams.
• Lead awareness campaigns (risk & compliance weeks, newsletters, intranet content) and measure effectiveness.
• Provide feedback on training and awareness outcomes to both the COO and the Board.

Supply Chain Governance & Third-Party Risk (SME Scope)

• Establish procurement governance policies, COI declarations, and segregation-of-duties aligned to the Delegation of Authority (DoA).
• Lead supplier due diligence (legal, financial, POPIA/operator, B‑BBEE, sanctions/PEP where appropriate) and maintain an approved vendor register.
• Embed anti-bribery/anti-corruption controls (e.g., PRECCA-aligned) and gifts/hospitality registers across the supply chain.
• Define risk-based contract & SLA standards; ensure measurable KPIs, service credits, and termination/exit clauses for critical suppliers.
• Oversee third‑party risk in the Enterprise Risk Register (concentration risk, single points of failure, continuity/DR).
• Separate governance from execution: Finance/Operations handle purchase execution and payments; GCRL provides oversight, monitoring, and escalation.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience Required:

• LLB (required); Postgraduate qualification in Risk/Compliance/Corporate Governance or admitted attorney/advocate advantageous.
• Professional affiliations advantageous: CISA (Compliance Institute SA), IRMSA, ICSA/CGISA.
• Minimum 5 years' post-articles or equivalent experience in a GRC/Legal role, preferably within broadcasting, television, film, or broader MICT sector.
• Proven experience implementing ERM and compliance frameworks and advising on South African law and sector regulations (ICASA/BCCSA/Films & Publications, POPIA/PAIA, etc.).
• Strong contract drafting/negotiation and dispute management experience.
• Familiarity with quality/safety/environment management (ISO 9001/45001/14001) and SHERQ integration (advantageous).
• Strong Microsoft Office 365 skills; exposure to GRC tooling/contract lifecycle systems advantageous.
• Exposure to procurement governance, supplier due diligence, and third‑party risk management (SME context) advantageous.

Competencies and Attributes:

• Sound legal judgement with the ability to translate complex requirements into clear, practical guidance.
• High integrity and professional ethics; maintains confidentiality and independence.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, numerical and commercial acumen.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; strong stakeholder influence and facilitation.
• Planning, organisation, and deadline management; thrives under pressure.
• Attention to detail with a continuous-improvement mindset.
• Collaborative team player who can also operate autonomously.

Submit your CV and application letter to

Closing date: 03 November 2025

In accordance with our Employment Equity goals and plan, preference will be given to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and subsequent amendments thereto. Preference will be given to persons with disabilities.

Applicants who have not been contacted within 4 weeks of submitting their application should assume that they have not been successful.