Office of the General Counsel
Rosslyn (PTA)
Permanent
Human Resources
We are looking for a legal professional to join the Office of the General Counsel and provide strategic legal support to help the organisation comply with laws, manage legal risks, uphold good governance, protect its legal interests, and support business operations. The successful candidate will advise the business through legal advice, contracts, dispute resolution, regulatory matters, policy guidance, and ethics and compliance oversight. To be successful in this role, the candidate should have strong post-qualification legal experience and the ability to identify legal risks while providing practical, business-focused advice. Ultimately, the candidate will ensure that their area of responsibility meets and exceeds the expectations of our business objectives and contributes to the company's success in the long run.
Duties and Responsibilites
- Ensure the company complies with environmental regulations, safety standards, tax laws, and industry regulations.
- Monitor compliance with local and international automotive regulations.
- Draft, review, and negotiate contracts with suppliers, dealers, logistics providers, and customers.
- Manage procurement and service agreements.
- Advise the board of directors and senior management on governance matters.
- Ensure compliance with company policies and corporate laws.
- Manage legal disputes involving employees, suppliers, customers, or regulators.
- Coordinate with external legal counsel where necessary.
- Protect patents, trademarks, designs, and trade secrets related to vehicles and manufacturing processes.
- Address counterfeit parts and intellectual property infringement.
- Identify legal and regulatory risks and advise management on strategies to reduce legal exposure.
- Handle legal issues arising from vehicle defects, recalls, warranty claims, and consumer complaints.
- Support investigations into safety incidents.
- Develop and enforce codes of conduct.
- Investigate allegations of fraud, corruption, bribery, or unethical conduct.
- Liaise with government departments and regulatory authorities.
- Manage licensing, permits, and regulatory reporting.
- Ensure compliance with data protection laws (such as POPIA in South Africa).
- Advise on legal issues related to connected vehicles and cybersecurity.
- Provide legal advice to departments such as procurement, manufacturing, engineering, sales, finance, and human resources to support day-to-day operations.
Experience and Qualifications
Requirements:
- LLB degree or equivalent legal qualification from a recognised institution.
- Admission as an Attorney or Advocate would be advantageous.
- Minimum 5–8 years' post-qualification legal experience, preferably in a corporate, manufacturing, automotive, or commercial environment.
- Experience in corporate governance, contract drafting and negotiation, legal compliance, litigation management, and regulatory matters.
- Knowledge of relevant South African legislation, including POPIA, labour legislation, company law, consumer protection law, and commercial law.
- Experience working with senior management, external legal counsel, regulators, and business stakeholders.
Skills:
- Strong ability to identify legal risks and provide practical, business-focused legal advice.
Please forward your CV to recruitment.manufacturing@chery.co.za and use reference OGC 01/001.