Legal Counsel – Contracts & Compliance

About the role

Our client, a leading global strategic management consulting and professional services firm, is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel (Contracts & Compliance) to join its Cape Town office. The role will act as an in‑house legal partner, providing commercial legal advice, managing the full contract lifecycle and overseeing compliance across a fast‑paced consulting environment.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the end‑to‑end contract lifecycle (bids, drafting, negotiation, execution, renewals and close‑out).
• Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements including client, framework, consortium, subcontractor and supplier contracts.
• Provide legal advisory and risk management support to senior stakeholders and project teams.
• Support bid and tender processes by identifying contractual risks early.
• Develop and maintain compliance frameworks, internal controls and governance processes, ensuring adherence to POPIA and other data‑protection laws.
• Handle company secretarial duties and corporate governance functions.
• Manage B‑BBEE compliance and reporting.
• Deliver internal legal and compliance training.

Required profile

• LLB degree and admission as a practicing attorney or advocate in the High Court of South Africa.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in corporate, commercial or in‑house legal roles, preferably within strategic management consulting, professional services or project‑based environments.
• Experience with donor‑funded, public‑sector or infrastructure projects (e.g., World Bank, AfDB, USAID).
• Proven track record in contract drafting, negotiation and commercial contract management.
• Strong knowledge of compliance, legal risk management and internal controls.

Required skills

• Contract lifecycle management (CLM)
• Contract drafting and negotiation
• Commercial contract management
• Compliance framework development
• Regulatory compliance (POPIA, data protection)
• Company secretarial functions
• B‑BBEE compliance and reporting

What we offer

• Highly competitive remuneration package.
• Opportunity to work on multi‑jurisdictional projects with senior international stakeholders.
• Professional development in a leading global consulting firm.