SMEC’s origins date back to the iconic Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme in 1949. Today SMEC is consistently recognised for technical excellence and design innovation by the world’s leading engineering bodies. Striving to deliver service excellence across a range of industry sectors, SMEC has developed and refined a core service offering covering the lifecycle of a project.

The Legal Manager will provide support to SMEC’s South African business, and will be based in Johannesburg. The role is to identify and mitigate risk through providing specialist legal advice, including the drafting, reviewing, negotiating and execution of various commercial agreements, advice relating to general contractual obligations, vetting of and advising the business on procurement documents and managing litigation against the company.

Responsibilities or duties

• Review terms and conditions related to specific contracts and ensure that any obligations placed on SJ group companies are in accordance with our commercial and legal operating guidelines.
• Provide assistance with or lead contract negotiations where required. These contracts shall include, amongst others, agreements with clients, appointments of sub-consultants or contractors; and agreements with other third parties, such as potential business partners.
• Manage litigation matters. This shall include, amongst others: Consultations and communications with our external legal counsel, Involvement in tender appeal processes.
• Managing debt collection processes. And Involvement in the resolution of contractual disputes.
• Review proposals (and requests for tender) as part of business tendering activities and: provide legal and related commercial advice in respect of the proposed project-based activities and contractual provisions provided in the request for tender; effectively interface with bid managers and other (e.g. tax, insurance) reviewers and/or advisors; ensure that feedback is given in due course to the project team; and ensure that potential risks to the company is identified and mitigated against in the proposal
• Provide guidance to project managers relating to contractual obligations under current contracts.
• Provide general legal advice
• Assist with any ad hoc commercial and legal responsibilities, including the drafting of legal notices, letters, and providing legal and commercial advice aligned to SMEC standard practice.
• MIS update and compliance.

Qualifications or requirements

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or equivalent or better legal qualification. Attorney Certification.
• A valid driver’s licence.
• Experience in PowerPoint and MS Excel skills shall be added advantage

Experience needed

• Maximum 7-9 years post qualification experience.
• Experience in handling high stake construction contracts based on FIDIC and IFI standards
• Good exposure in drafting and negotiating engineering design consultancy and construction contracts.
• Experience of working under FIDIC and IFI funded projects for infrastructure, design, architecture, project management and engineering and consultancy contracts.
• Should have handled commercial Litigations and Arbitrations.
• Manage and oversee the company's litigation, including coordinating with external legal counsels and internal stakeholders

• Review terms and conditions related to specific contracts and ensure that any obligations placed on SJ group companies are in accordance with our commercial and legal operating guidelines.
• Provide assistance with or lead contract negotiations where required. These contracts shall include, amongst others, agreements with clients, appointments of sub-consultants or contractors; and agreements with other third parties, such as potential business partners.
• Manage litigation matters. This shall include, amongst others: Consultations and communications with our external legal counsel, Involvement in tender appeal processes.
• Managing debt collection processes. And Involvement in the resolution of contractual disputes.
• Review proposals (and requests for tender) as part of business tendering activities and: provide legal and related commercial advice in respect of the proposed project-based activities and contractual provisions provided in the request for tender; effectively interface with bid managers and other (e.g. tax, insurance) reviewers and/or advisors; ensure that feedback is given in due course to the project team; and ensure that potential risks to the company is identified and mitigated against in the proposal
• Provide guidance to project managers relating to contractual obligations under current contracts.
• Provide general legal advice
• Assist with any ad hoc commercial and legal responsibilities, including the drafting of legal notices, letters, and providing legal and commercial advice aligned to SMEC standard practice.
• MIS update and compliance.

• Experience in handling high stake construction contracts based on FIDIC and IFI standards
• Good exposure in drafting and negotiating engineering design consultancy and construction contracts.
• Experience of working under FIDIC and IFI funded projects for infrastructure, design, architecture, project management and engineering and consultancy contracts.
• Should have handled commercial Litigations and Arbitrations.
• Manage and oversee the company's litigation, including coordinating with external legal counsels and internal stakeholders
• Experience in PowerPoint and MS Excel skills shall be added advantage

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or equivalent or better legal qualification. Attorney Certification.
• A valid driver’s licence.