Legal Head

About this role

FirstRand’s FNB HSL team in Randburg is looking for a Legal Head to lead its legal function. The role is a senior, strategic post that supports executive management and senior leaders on commercial and regulatory matters.

You will lead legal support across home loan and secured lending products, including pension-backed loans, home loans, structured loans, single facility and securities-based lending.

What you’ll do

• Set and carry out the legal strategy so it supports business and Group goals.
• Act as the main legal adviser to Executive Committees, governance forums and senior leaders, including advice on the Board papers they need.
• Build and maintain the legal risk framework, monitor material legal risks and escalate where needed.
• Guide legal input on customer outcomes, conduct risk, disclosures and customer journeys.
• Oversee contracts, including outsourcing, supplier and procurement agreements, and manage external legal counsel and litigation.
• Act as a key legal contact for regulators and industry bodies, and lead the legal side of regulatory change and transformation work.
• Lead, coach and develop the legal team, and manage the legal budget and external legal spend.

What you need

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB). This is a minimum requirement.
• Admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. This is a minimum requirement.
• Minimum of 10 to 15 years of post-admission legal experience.
• Significant senior legal leadership experience within financial services.
• Experience advising on financial services regulation and conduct requirements.
• Experience leading legal teams and managing external counsel.
• Experience supporting Executive Committees and governance forums.
• Experience supporting strategic transformation initiatives.
• Advantageous: postgraduate qualification in Property Law, Commercial Law, Financial Services Law, Governance, Risk Management or a related field.
• Advantageous: a leadership or executive development qualification.
• Strong communication, negotiation, stakeholder management and people leadership skills.

Is this job for you?

This role suits an experienced attorney who has led legal work in banking or financial services. You should be comfortable advising senior executives on regulation and risk, and leading a team through change.

Tips before you apply

• Have certified copies of your LLB, admission documents and any postgraduate or leadership qualifications ready.
• Put your financial services leadership experience at the top of your CV, with clear examples of the legal advice you gave to executives.
• Show your years of post-admission experience clearly, with dates, and describe the teams you led and the external counsel you managed.