Senior Specialist: Legal

At Liberty, we employ more than 6 000 people across 7 businesses in 18 African countries. Every day, our employees grow their knowledge by working with diverse groups of people who specialise in a wide range of skills across insurance, asset management, investment and health products. We continually seek to engage, develop, recognise and reward the people who make our business great.

Purpose
To process financial records (Claims Payments) and analyse information received from and to relevant stakeholders to ensure that all transactions are being processed accurately and timeously

Qualification and Minimum Experience

• Completed LLB; An admitted attorney or advocate;
• Minimum 3-5 years legal experience in Financial Services especially in the pension funds industry;
• Technical and practical knowledge and understanding of the pension funds industry, insurance and financial services sector;
• An understanding of relevant financial services legislation.

Skills

• Demonstrate an understanding of the consulting process as it relates to partnering with Business and other stakeholders to diagnose their needs, developing a realistic response, planning and implementing an intervention and evaluating results in a manner that yields the desired outcome;
• Developing and maintaining ongoing working relationships, networks and partnerships, requiring personal interaction and mutual support to help achieve business goals;
• Effectively meet client needs, understanding and exceeding client expectations and requirements using the relevant technical skills, business acumen and optimal resources;
• Applying effective verbal, non-verbal and written communication methods to achieve desired results;
• Presents ideas effectively to individuals and groups;
• Understands team dynamics and uses flexible interpersonal style to contribute to the effective functioning of teams and facilitate the completion of team goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist Chief Specialist in achieving and executing Legal strategy relating to Corporate Benefits;
• Provide legal advice to the business on various legal and technical matters in line with legal framework and best practice (including divorce and maintenance orders, section 37C distributions, fund rules, complaints, product queries);
• Keeping abreast of new legislation, case law and regulatory changes and advising Business stakeholders of potential impact (including the PFA, LTIA, Two-Pot, TCF, POPI, FAIS Act, ITA, FSR Act; Insurance Act);
• Provide legal and regulatory support to the Liberty Group sponsored funds;
• Support and assist the Complaints Management team with FSCA, Pension Funds Adjudicator, and Ombudsman complaints and queries;
• Provide legal and technical support to the Rules Drafting team and review Rules and amendments when required;
• Review, vetting and approval of policy documents, member communication, forms, reports and marketing material relating to the Business

Additional Responsibilities

• Drafting, vetting and negotiation of contracts, and service level agreements relating to the Business;
• Researching complex legal matters and providing legal opinion into business projects and product development;
• Deliver exceptional legal service that exceeds customers expectations through proactive, innovative and appropriate legal solutions;
• Research and issue quarterly publications on legal and regulatory issues;
• Training of internal staff as and when required on legal matters;
• Cultivate and manage objective working relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including external attorneys and counsel, industry bodies and regulators and act as ambassador of the organisational brand;
• Work collaboratively across Liberty to provide excellent and effective legal advice;
• Contribute to a TCF service excellence culture, which builds positive relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service;
• Complete specific reports, statutory documentation and registers, in order to ensure that administrative procedures associated with litigation functionality are complied with and specific deadlines are adhered to
• Cost management.

Competencies

• Confident and assertive with an understanding of themselves and the impact they have on others;
• Continuously learns and improves through applying an open and proactive approach to work;
• Builds credibility and trust through being honest, ethical and fair; Shows pride and a love for the work that they perform;
• Attention to detail required;
• Analytical thinking;
• Results, solution and execution focused;
• Organized; Initiative and deadline driven;
• Self- management (planning, prioritizing & time management);
• Ability to efficiently deal with high volumes of work and work well under pressure.

The Companys approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.

Liberty Group Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and the group's Transformation Strategy, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards the achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the organisation.