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NATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SCHEME (NSFAS)
 
The following vacancy exists at NSFAS in Cape Town.
Position Lead: Legal Services 
Type & Grade: Permanent (Grade 13)
Vacancy No: 43 of 2020/21 
Department & Unit: Governance, Risk & Compliance
 
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The purpose of this role is to provide legal opinions, advice and legal support services to NSFAS across a range of disciplines including (but not limited to) compliance, human resources and labour relations, contract management, contract enforcements and dealing with disputes, responding to matters from Parliament, the media, the Office of the Public Protector, etc, matters relating to the NSFAS Act, PFMA and other relevant legislation, etc, assist in the drafting of regulations, if and when required, etc. The successful incumbent will report to the Governance, Risk and Compliance Executive.
 
 
Legal Oversight and Strategy
• Develop and maintain the legal strategy and work plan
• Collaborate with the risk and compliance to define and maintain the compliance universe, compliance management processes and drive implementation
• Manage the legal service budget
• Work across the GRC unit to strengthen the unit overall and contribute to its overall success (not just that of legal services)
 
Legal Services Operations
• Develop, implement and maintain a policies and processes for all legal services
• Provide legal services to all of NSFAS in the following areas, at a minimum:
  • Oversee litigation matters and ensure compliance
  • Contract drafting and management
  • Labour law advice and compliance
  • Compliance management
  • PFMA, NCA, POPI and NSFAS Act compliance
  • Contract enforcement
  • Dispute management
  • Drafting of regulations
  • Handling responses to the media, Parliament or other oversight type bodies
  • Litigation
  • Providing legal opinions and advice
  • Providing legal support to the forensic team
  • Providing legal support to the entity generally
  • Overseeing and managing the ethics hotline
• From time to time, NSFAS may require specialist advise from external legal firms. This role will be required to write the terms of reference for those instances, manage the relationship with the legal firms as well as ensure performance.
 
Legal Services Talent Management
• Ensure that all staff members in the unit, including self, have agreed and signed individual performance scorecards and development plans
• Ensure that all staff members in the unit remain abreast with technical professional development matters
• Ensure that the staff members in the unit remain abreast with organizational changes
 
Legal Services Impact and Reporting
• Report on all legal services activity at agreed intervals
• Report on legal outcomes
• Collaborate with other units in order to bring about recommended changes to the legal compliance landscape, such that line one and two are strengthened
• Provide input and advice as follows (this is not exhaustive and is to be used as a guide):
  • Business improvements opportunities
  • Risk and compliance matters
  • Regulatory matters
  • Forensic matters
  • Governance matters
• General legal compliance improvements
 
Managing Stakeholders
• From time to time, NSFAS may require specialist advise from external legal firms.
• Follow through with supply chain processes and ensure compliance
• Manage the performance of external parties and ensure that they deliver on time and on budget to the desired quality levels
 
 
DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Minimum requirements:
• LLB
• Admitted Attorney/ Advocate
• At least 12 years’ experience in the legal profession, of which at least 5 years has to be at a management level
• Must demonstrate a multi-disciplinary legal experience across some or all of the following:
  • Contract drafting and management
  • Sound understanding of government supply chain regulations and requirements
  • Labour law advice and compliance
  • Compliance management
  • PFMA compliance
  • Contract enforcement
  • Dispute management
  • Drafting of regulations
  • Handling responses to the media, Parliament or other oversight type bodies
  • Litigation
• Track record of having provided legal opinions
 
Beneficial skills and experience:
• Knowledge of NSFAS Act, PFMA, POPI and National Credit Act.
• Experience in both the financial service and government sectors
• Exposure to the higher education sector
 
Core Competencies:
• Analytical thinking and ability to probe down to level of detail
• Maintaining objectivity and professional scepticism
• Operate with a high degree of integrity and can be trusted
• High ability to collaborate with others
• Highly competent in both written and verbal communication skills
• Able to manage the unit and all resources
• Ability to maintain a sense of resilience when faced with challenge
• Ability to work at a fast pace and remain abreast in times of high change
• Ability to manage teams in order to achieve and maintain high performance
• Remaining technically abreast with professional development matters
• Ability to manage external resources and oversee any additional co-sourced contracts
 
Computer skills required:
• MS Word – Intermediate (must know how to format a Word document)
• MS Excel – Intermediate
• MS Power Point – Intermediate
• MS Outlook – Intermediate
 
REMUNERATION & BENEFITS
Remuneration Package: R 1 033 205 to R 1 217 082 per annum
Total Cost to Company per annum inclusive of all benefits and company contributions.
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PLEASE NOTE
 
Closing date: 24 February 2021
 
Interested applicants should send detailed Curriculum Vitae, copies of academic qualifications and names of three contactable referees to Ms. Fayroes Sherry via email jobs@nsfas.org.za.  
 
NSFAS do not consider late applications. Staff on Leave must ensure that they check the NSFAS portals for advertised vacancies and familiarize themselves with the respective closing dates. NSFAS only corresponds with Shortlisted Candidates.
If you do not hear from NSFAS within 2 months of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.
** NSFAS committed to employment equity. Preference will be given to candidates who improve employment equity considerations **
 
“NSFAS is committed to providing equal opportunities and practicing affirmative action employment. It is our intention to promote representivity (race, gender, disability) in the organisation through filling of this position and candidates whose appointment will promote representivity will receive preference. “