Job Summary
As a global premium leader in the fishing industry, the Oceana Group seeks to bring on board exceptional professionals who will help advance our mission to positively impact lives.
Our core business is the catching, processing, marketing and distribution of canned fish, fishmeal, fish oil, lobster, horse mackerel, squid and hake. But that’s just on the surface, deep down we are so much more. We are ranked as one of the top 20 seafood companies in the world by market capitalisation. The Oceana group is home to four major divisions namely: Lucky Star Marketing, Lucky Star Operations, Daybrook Fisheries and Blue Continent Products. Oceana is a black-owned company (level 1 B-BBEE contributor) with a global presence.
Purpose of the role
This role reports to the Legal Manager and is responsible to provide comprehensive legal support to the Oceana Group, its subsidiary companies, and its business and functional units across various legal areas, ensuring compliance, mitigating risks, and supporting business objectives and furthermore to ensure Legal processes are aligned to our Group Governance strategy.
Required Qualifications
- Admitted Attorney in the High Court of South Africa
- At least 3 years post-articles experience
- Experience as an inhouse attorney in a corporate environment would be advantageous.
- Experience working in Southern African regions would be advantageous.
- A legal degree and being an admitted attorney will be advantageous.
- At least 3 years’ experience in a corporate/commercial legal firm or an in-house legal position.
- Good experience with contract drafting and execution is essential.
Key Job Outputs
Legal Support
- Contracts drafted in consultation with relevant role players, to circulate drafts for comment before finalisation, compliance to contracts monitored and reviewed, duration of contracts monitored.
- Contracts Register maintained up to date, contracts are easily accessed and to upload contracts onto in-house contracts register.
- Reviewing and drafting company governance documents such as Memorandum of Incorporation and Shareholders Agreements, in collaboration with the Company Secretary team and the business.
- Prepare legal advice and provide legal support on various commercial law topics including but not limited to contract law, corporate law, employment law, administrative law, maritime law, insurance law, information and privacy law and information technology law to be dispensed to the business.
- Provide legal support and be an enabler to the Oceana Group strategy.
- Maintain good filing system of various legal and regulatory documents, including permits and licenses.
- Legal assistance and advice provided in procurement processes as part of a team.
- Assist with periodic legal projects e.g. fishing rights allocations, audits, contract template reviews.
- Legal processes within the various business units of Oceana Group are managed and reported on an on-going basis.
Business Ventures and stakeholders
- Legal support provided to existing JV partners and stakeholders of our businesses
Insurance
- Assist with Insurance portfolio management (incl. marine, vessel, assets, GPA, motor, COID).
- Assist with timeous Annual insurance declarations preparation, data collections and submission to insurers.
- Assist with the timeous facilitation of the annual renewal of the Product Recall Policy
- Ensure Insurance schedules are maintained up to date and easily accessible.
- Assist with compiling of information for insurance claims, submitting claims to broker and following up on conclusion of claims.
- Liaise with insurers on various aspects of insurance portfolio.
Litigation
- Provide support with litigation matters including civil litigation, administrative law and commercial law.
- Manage external lawyers on brief, review draft papers, obtain business input and report on litigation matters.
Trademarks
- Assist with managing trademark portfolio for the Oceana Group.
- Following up with attorneys regarding timeous renewal of trademarks.
- Assisting with the registration of new trademarks.
- Taking steps /advising attorneys of any breach of trademarks and taking appropriate action.
Compliance & Regulatory
- Timeous application for vessel permits and fishing licenses and monitoring permits and licenses expiry dates in consultation with business units.
- Liaising with maritime safety authority and fisheries regulator where necessary.
Administration / Miscellaneous
- Maintain signed contracts on in-house contract management system.
- Legal report / action list regularly updated and closed off within deadlines.
- Maintain good uploading, record keeping and matter logging system.
- Ad hoc projects administered as and when required and in consultation with relevant role players.
- Attend seminars as and when applicable to work requirements.
- Attend to Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) requests, responses, and related matters.
Knowledge Skills & Attributes
- Admitted Attorney
- Good commercial acumen
- Corporate law
- Contract law
- Administrative law
- Accountability
- Good Work Ethic
- Methodical
- Result focused
- Organised
- Able to work independently as well as part of a team
- Excellent MS Word skills and good MS Excel skills will be advantageous.
Essential Behavioral Competencies
- Analytical & Critical Thinking
- Attention to Detail
- Teamwork
- Resilience and Stress Tolerance
- Action orientated.
- Quality orientation
- Flexibility
- Planning and organizing.
- Good decision Making and Judgement
- Interpersonal Skills
- Verbal and Written Communication Skills
- Assertiveness
In support of the company’s Employment Equity Plan, applicants from designated groups will be given preference for this position.
If you are not contacted within two weeks of closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.