Head of Legal

About the role

Citra is a fast‑growing, vertically integrated housing company operating in South Africa, Switzerland and the United States. The Head of Legal will provide strategic legal counsel, build a scalable in‑house legal function and support the company’s international expansion.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the transition of the legal function from ad‑hoc advisory to a structured in‑house department, enforcing the “Front Door” protocol.
• Develop and implement legal strategies that align with Citra’s business objectives across real estate, construction, technology and international operations.
• Provide expert advice on real estate transactions, construction contracts, corporate governance, intellectual property and regulatory compliance.
• Apply Agile workload management (Weighted Shortest Job First) to prioritize tasks and mitigate legal risks.
• Oversee all legal aspects of real estate acquisitions, development, sales and construction contract negotiations.
• Ensure compliance with South African and applicable international laws, and manage corporate transactions such as M&A and joint ventures.
• Coordinate international legal affairs in Switzerland and Austin, Texas, managing relationships with external counsel.
• Architect contract management processes, automate contract lifecycles using Google Workspace, low‑code/no‑code tools or CLM platforms.
• Drive the strategy to protect Citra’s IP portfolio and manage external specialist counsel.
• Build, scale and lead a high‑performing in‑house legal team, mentor staff and manage the department budget.

Required profile

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from a recognized university and admission as an attorney in South Africa.
• 8‑10 years of legal experience, preferably in real estate, property development, construction or technology.
• Strong knowledge of South African laws and willingness to work with international regulations (USA, Switzerland).
• Proven ability to provide strategic legal counsel to senior management and handle complex transactions.
• Leadership experience establishing or restructuring an in‑house legal department in a high‑growth environment.

Required skills

• Expert proficiency in Google Workspace and cloud‑native collaboration tools.
• Experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms and digital registers.
• Ability to build automated workflows using low‑code/no‑code tools.
• Familiarity with Agile workload prioritisation methods such as WSJF.