Legal Governance Associate - Johannesburg, South Africa - Experian

Description

Job Purpose

To draft, review and negotiate various types of agreements.

To work collaboratively and consultatively with all our internal and external stakeholders as the legal representative of the legal team.

To implement and maintain the governance framework to ensure that the business adheres to the legal requirements set out in the regulatory framework. This includes giving legal advice and guidance to the business on the legal obligations imposed on the business.

To ensure regulatory compliance and support compliance audits in South Africa, as well as outside markets, where we have presence.

To develop and implement our BEE strategy, attend to the BEE audits and provide regular reporting to ensure that the business maintains a desired BEE level while preventing non-wanton spend.

To provide legal advice on the impact of the NCA, as well as POPIA, on affected areas in the business.

Ensure the business complies with non-core, but high-risk legislation (for example Companies Act, PAIA, RICA, Consumer Protection Act) in order to ensure that the legal obligations are met.

To act as assistant company secretary.

To maintain all corporate governance and good corporate practices, including the Company's Act requirements as they pertain to the above as well as the functions of a company secretary.

To establish and maintain a records repository, ensuring that all governance processes are adhered to, and we meet all our governance requirements.

Principle Responsibility

Legal

• To advise and assist staff and clients with regards to data access credit regulatory queries and give legal advice on related matters ie Reg 19(13), Prescribed Purposes
• To draft, review and negotiate various types of agreements.
• Act as liaison between the legal team and internal clients to advise on regulatory queries and be first point of contact.
• Draft legal letters including termination and breach of contract letters.
• Draft and maintain standard template letters for use by the business.
• Investigating unauthorised data access allegations
• Manage the legal email in-box.
• Assist the Legal Manager in managing litigation matters.

Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure regulatory compliance for the SA market as well as our credit bureaus across Africa.
• Together with Compliance, ensure timely submission of regulatory compliance reports and attend to any queries that may arise, with particular focus to the NCA; BEE; the Company's Act; POPIA; PAIA.
• Act as first line of response to regulators in all markets we operate in
• Support compliance audits in all the markets we operate in
• Provide regulatory training to the business.
• Maintain and update regulatory universe and new regulatory impact across the business.

Governance

• Perform company secretarial functions for subsidiaries including maintaining company books, issuing share certificates etc.
• Support Group company secretary in arranging board and shareholder meetings.
• Act as company secretary for subsidiaries and maintain minutes.
• Maintain the Share Register, Shareholder Detail Register, Resolution Register
• Establish and maintain a repository for all corporate documents relating to the company as well as our subsidiaries.
• Maintain a contracts repository.
• As a dep company secretary, act as a trusted advisor for the board and management in terms of the Company's Act
• Establish and maintain a well-functioning company secretary office.

BEE

• Together with General Counsel Africa, set the BEE strategy and Implementation Plan to execute on the board approved strategy
• Prepare BEE verification audit prep files and verification readiness
• Act as first point of contact with BEE verification analysts
• Work with procurement; marketing; HR; finance; legal; sales and other affected departments in ensuring our BEE Targets are met and maintained
• Create a process to maintain.

General Legal Department Management

• Maintain vendor packs to ensure timely implementation of contracts
• Update, maintain and ensure timeous submission to the risk department in relation to the departmental risk register for Legal, Risk, Compliance and DPO
• Maintain the departmental policies and ensure periodic updates take place as and when the time comes up for renewal or update.

Required qualifications and experience

• Legal bachelor's degree
• Admitted Attorney
• Minimum 2 years' experience in a legal office / position or role and preferably in the financial services industry. Experience with sales departments will be an advantage.
• Experience in drafting, reviewing and negotiation of contracts.
• Experience in company secretarial services.
• Experience in regulatory risk (compliance) and/or operational risk management and monitoring and/or business process auditing activities; and
• At least 2 years' experience in the credit bureau industry
• Experience in assessing BEE requirements and maintaining BEE Scorecard for the company.
• Experience in the privacy data office.

Required Key Skills (functional/technical)

Functional

Execution

Adheres to company rules and procedures; executes plans with commitment and determination; achieves high quality results

Systematic Approach

Uses a methodical and systematic approach; plans ahead, defines clear priorities and allocate resources effectively

Analysis and Judgment

Quickly understands and analyses complex issues and problems; comes up with sound and rational judgments.

Professional Expertise

Demonstrates specialist knowledge and expertise in own area; participates in continuous professional development.

Works independently and is a self-starter

Effective Communication

Communicates in a clear, precise and structured way; speaks with authority and conviction; presents effectively.

Constructive Teamwork

Co-operates well with others; shares knowledge, experience and information; supports others in the pursuit of team goals.

Self-Development

Is aware of own strengths and limitations and pursues learning and career development opportunities.

Technical

MS Word

MS Excel

MS PowerPoint

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