South African Airways (SAA) is the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, based in Johannesburg. It is a 4-Star Certified Airline and a member of the Star Alliance, known for its extensive network connecting South Africa with various destinations across the continent and beyond.

Job Purpose

• The Legal Advisor is required to deal with all legal matters pertaining to SAA and its subsidiaries.  The role is required to ensure that all duties and obligations are met.  The role will further ensure that Legal requirements and regulations of the company are complied with, the job outputs are linked to plan and coordinate, litigation, provide sound legal advice to the company, and assist the Senior Legal Advisor on any other duties she/he may assign.

Principal Accountabilities

• Provide legal advise and services on a wide range of legal matters relevant to the organisation and its employees
• Oversee all contractual obligations pertaining to the company
• Draft, review, vet, edit, interpret legal documents and advise on contracts and other legal documents
• Advise on a variety of legal issues and legal risks
• Assess legal risks associated with business decisions and provide recommendations to mitigate these risks
• Research and report on unique legal issues impacting the airline
• Provide advise on labour law related issues
• Work collaboratively with ER and Human Resources to ensure compliance
• Communicate and serve as a liaison for external parties including external council, public protector and external auditors etc.
• Maintain professional and timely communication
• Document and maintain legal files and issues
• Conduct legal research on various topics to support decision-making and provide accurate legal advice
• Represent the company in relevant judicial structures, such as CCMA etc.
• Ensure compliance with corporate laws
• Handle litigation and oversee internal litigation and legal paperwork
• Review legal material
• Develop formalities for settlement disputes
• Monitor updates in law and regulations
• Oversee client vendor contracts
• Review and draft contracts to ensure compliance with relevant regulations
• Provide Commissioner of Oaths services

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor of Law degree (LLB) at NQF level 7 or equivalent qualification recognised by SAQA
• Admission as a Legal Practitioner (Advocate/Attorney of the High Court)
• Completed pupillage/articles
• Minimum of 7 years post admission experience as a legal practitioner/advisor of which 3 years must be within a State-Owned Company
• Experience in company secretariat services
• Overall broad legal knowledge and understanding of legal issues affecting State Owned Companies and the airline environment
• Knowledge of public procurement, administrative and corporate laws, as well as international, labour and aviation laws

Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of public sector/state owned companies
• Knowledge of PFMA, Companies Act, King Code on Corporate Governance
• Knowledge of public procurement processes, legislation and regulations
• Knowledge of Government Regulatory Framework
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
• Writing and editing skills
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and Internet)
• Business acumen
• Problem solving
• Conflict resolution
• Relationship management
• Research skills
• Negotiation skills

Attributes

• Customer centric
• Proactive approach to problem solving
• Excellent judgement
• Ability to anticipate legal issues or risks
• Legal language proficiency
• Ethics and integrity
• Confidentiality
• Adaptable