Legal Counsel

Attention all legal eagles! Mukuru is in search of a Legal Counsel to become part of our dynamic team in Cape Town. In this role, you'll be the go-to expert for legal advice across all facets of our business, ensuring we operate smoothly while mitigating risks. Reporting to the Lead Legal Counsel, you'll play a crucial role in safeguarding our operations and maximizing efficiency. The ideal candidate is someone who is a self-motivated and collaborative lawyer who is comfortable working in a fluid environment, takes ownership of matters, gives practical advice and can take risk-based decisions. You will play a crucial role in drafting and reviewing legal documents, and will also need to stay abreast of legal developments, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations and protecting the Mukuru Group's interests. For this role we also require someone who will need to have excellent commercial drafting skills and business acumen to deal with cross-functional teams in multiple jurisdictions as part of a rapidly scaling business and will be required to work independently as well as part of various teams and take on projects in addition to their “day job”. Internal liaison will be with all business units within the Mukuru Group. External liaison will be with external stakeholders such as business partners, service providers and external legal counsel. Duties and Responsibilities (Include but are not limited to):

• Work closely with the Lead Legal Counsel to understand the legal and business strategy and identify and mitigate potential risks
• Provide accurate and timely legal advice and counsel (including opinions) to management and other departments on a wide range of legal issues
• Respond and resolve ad hoc legal queries timeously and effectively
• Conduct legal research, analyze laws, regulations, and legal precedents, and provide recommendations to ensure compliance and mitigate legal (and, where applicable, regulatory) risks
• Assist with rolling out policies, procedures and controls and report on non- adherence at the appropriate level where necessary
• Instruct external legal counsel where necessary and co-ordinate all legal matters which require external legal assistance
• Oversee the contract management process, including reviewing, negotiating, and drafting a variety of commercial contracts and documents relevant to all business units. Attention to detail and in-depth legal knowledge will be essential in ensuring accuracy and adherence to legal principles
• Provide guidance on contract interpretation, terms, and conditions, and ensure compliance with legal requirements
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external parties to negotiate favourable contract terms and resolve disputes.
• Ensure the safe storage of all hard and soft copies of sensitive and high-value legal agreements and documentation within area of responsibility.
• Assess and ensure compliance with laws and regulatory requirements applicable to the businesses and in the territories in which the Mukuru Group operates.

• Where compliance and licencing is part of the Legal Counsel’s portfolio:
  • Support the licensing and structuring of existing and new territories for existing and new product offerings.
  • Attend to legal and regulatory issues associated with the introduction of new features and functionality in all territories in which the Mukuru Group operates.
  • Maintain compliance with all regulations and licencing requirements applicable to the Mukuru Group’s operations, provide guidance to and proactively update internal stakeholders to promote a culture of compliance.
  • Control the arrangement and submission of regulatory applications where required.
  • Work with upper-level management to ensure that the Mukuru Group's strategic initiatives comply with laws at national and international levels

• Identify and assess legal risks associated with business activities, propose strategies to mitigate them, assist with the implementation of plans to address areas of concern and carry out corrective action and follow up to ensure risk has been mitigated
• Collaborate and liaise with internal stakeholders including business units and other departments, to provide legal support and guidance
• Build effective relationships with external stakeholders, such as government agencies, regulatory bodies, external counsel, and other relevant parties
• Manage expectations and relations with internal and external stakeholders and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders when required
• Assist with providing required information and documentation to auditors during annual audits
• Handle disputes, legal claims, and litigation matters involving the Mukuru Group ensuring effective representation of the Group's interests

• provide guidance on alternative dispute resolution methods and negotiate settlements when appropriate
• manage and oversee litigious matters which includes managing external legal counsel when necessary, providing guidance on settlement negotiations or court proceedings
• Conduct legal research and analysis on various issues to support decision-making processes
• Stay informed about legal (and regulatory developments, where appropriate), precedents, and industry trends to provide proactive legal advice and identify potential legal risks
• Working with senior legal team members, co-develop legal template agreements, guidance playbooks, and assist with drafting of policies and procedures to ensure compliance with latest laws, business requirements and industry best practice
• Attend regular 1-to-1s and bi-annual performance review with line manager.
• Attend all required training courses

• Grade 12 or equivalent (Essential)
• LLB or other recognised law degree with strong academic credentials (Essentiall)
• Admitted Attorney or equivalent in another jurisdiction (Essential)
• A tertiary business/commercial qualification (Desirable)
• Minimum 3 - 5 years’ post qualification experience in a corporate and commercial environment (Essential)
• Solid experience in drafting of contracts and strong drafting (contractual and opinion writing) (Essential)
• Experience dealing with different jurisdictions in Africa, the United Kingdom and Europe (Desirable)
• Solid knowledge of commercial and business law
• Knowledge of legal compliance
• Knowledge of commercial agreements
• Knowledge of legal systems of all countries in which the Mukuru Group operates
• Knowledge of the remittance industry and the specific legal requirements relevant to the industry

• Computer literate (Office Suite)
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills
• Ability to build and maintain strong business relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Able to handle multiple simultaneous tasks and meet tight deadlines
• Results and service driven individual who is highly adaptable
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Attention to detail - meticulousness and a focus on accuracy when reviewing legal documents and ensuring compliance with legal principles are essential
• High level of professionalism, integrity, and ethical conduct
• Extensive research skills