Junior Legal Advisor at Aspen Pharma Group

Job description

ROLE PURPOSE:

Under supervision of the allocated Legal Counsel or similar, to responsibly, pro-actively and efficiently facilitate the business of Aspen by efficiently servicing the legal, corporate, commercial, intellectual property (IPR), litigation and other legal requirements of Aspen complying with Group legal protocol and Group legal strategy. The position requires the incumbent to think Group-wide, but to act and focus on the work of the SA Commercial legal team.

EXPLANATORY NOTE: the Junior Legal Advisor will undertake the outcomes listed below as allocated by the Legal Counsel or similar, and under the direct supervision of the Legal Counsel or similar.

It is envisaged that in time the incumbent would develop to undertake some or all items independently. Such will be based on criteria such as but not limited:

Skill and experience of incumbent;

• Demonstrated ability to work at a level of independence;
• Demonstrated ability to work in-consultation with relevant team and streams;
• Sound understanding of matrix of the Aspen Group structure and strategy;
• Absolute accuracy in contract drafting, both as to documenting and content;
• Organisational and time management skills to meet deadlines on time;
• Strong oral and written communication skills at an international level;
• Positive 360 degree feedback from peers, external and internal customers.

MAIN DUTIES

• Financial
• Cost conscious strategy and scrutiny of all activities;
• Where possible, legal cost saving to company.
• Customer Service
• Follow-up, resolve and close all queries in the shortest possible timeframe within policy framework;
• Sense of urgency;
• At all times positive, energetic business facilitating attitude;
• Display a professional attitude when responding to customer’s needs;
• Propose, develop and continuously update methods for improving customer services;
• Constantly update Legal Counsel or similar, internal and external customers as to the progress of their queries;
• Customers: Aspen Group companies.
• Commercial Agreements
• Under supervision of Legal Counsel or similar:
• Responsible for drafting and vetting of corporate/commercial agreements;
• Where required, manage Aspen’s active agreements for the purposes of identifying Aspen’s rights and obligations in terms of these agreements;
• Manage execution process of agreements through to filing in the Aspen contracts repository
• Legal Opinions - Legal Solutions
• Under supervision of Legal Counsel or similar:
• Researching legal implications of legislation and case law that could impact Aspen’s SA Commercial business and reporting findings to the Legal Counsel or similar and Group Legal Officer;
• Identify the risk profile of Aspen’s SA Commercial business with regards to exposure in, inter alia commercial agreements and offering solutions;
• Provide solution orientated general commercial and other legal opinions so as to facilitate business;
• Comment on new and amended legislation and regulations;
• Update the Group with legislative amendments and recommend and oversee implementation of any necessary changes;
• Advise on Labour Law requirements and principles.
• Intellectual Property
• Under supervision of Legal Counsel or similar:
• Be aware of and understand the implications of trademarks, copyright and patents.
• Signed Agreement Repository

 Including but not limited to:

• Ensure the safekeeping of all signed Aspen original agreements in a sound, orderly and efficiently retrievable manner;
• Ensure controlled electronic access to electronic copies of the signed Aspen original agreements within SA Commercial;
• Document and ensure adherence to the agreement repository obligations;
• Manage administrative staff in relation to the above.
• Legal Due Diligences
• Under supervision of Legal Counsel or similar such as but not limited to:
• Responsible for supporting during contract audits and legal due diligences in respect of potential mergers, acquisitions and disposals;
• Prepare final reports to Group Legal Officer.
• Legal Reporting
• Under supervision of Legal Counsel or similar such as but not limited to:
• Prepare and submit monthly legal reports indicating activity and manage targets against such;
• Prepare litigation reports and submit same.
• Legislative Compliance and Reporting
• Under supervision of Legal Counsel or similar:
• Prepare compliance manuals and checklists;
• Explanation of legislation and compliance manuals;
• Manage adherence to the compliance framework of the Aspen Group;
• Keep up to date with legislation – examine changes / industry trends and changes, raise awareness, of changes and implementation of legislation in South Africa.

Requirements

• Learning and Growth
• Take personal responsibility for development based on their personal ambitions;
• Gather information about development needs;
• Negotiate training and development with the Legal Counsel or similar and Group Legal Officer;
• Identify, propose and implement learning solutions according to on-going personal development plans;
• Encourage best practice to ensure expertise.

Skills & Attributes:

• Positive facilitating approach;
• Ability to close matters in shortest possible time;
• Taking full personal responsibility for closing allocated matters;
• Time management;
• Problem solving;
• Analytical skills;
• Solutions orientated;
• Service orientated;
• Robust interpersonal Skills;
• Computer literacy;
• Excellent communication skills, written, verbal and non-verbal;
• Planning and negotiation skills;
• Conflict resolution;
• Listening skills;
• Decision making skills;
• Ability to deal with uncertainty and seek detail;
• Initiative;
• Confidentiality;
• Customer focused;
• Interpersonal sensitivity;
• Patience;
• Influence;
• Attention to detail;
• Logical thinking;
• Information seeking;
• Regularly adaptable;
• Tenacity;
• Absolute accuracy;
• Corporate governance ethos;
• Ability to potentially manage staff effectively;
• Willingness and ability to effortlessly take instructions and follow pre-determined processes when called-upon to do so;
• Team player with uncomplicated personality is essential.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Law Degree or postgraduate Degree – LLB;
• Admitted Attorney;
• Preferably membership of professional body (Law Society of SA);
• Membership of Corporate Counsel Association of SA;
• In the region of 3 to 5 years legal experience in a corporate/commercial/ operational legal environment;
• General commercial knowledge and experience;
• Experience in independently drafting and vetting legal agreements is essential;
• General business and specialised pharmaceutical industry experience;
• Pharmaceutical industry including regulatory experience is an advantage;
• Exposure in drafting and negotiating international legal agreements.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of applicable laws;
• Legislation and legal practice management;
• Knowledge of policy and procedure;
• Pharmaceutical industry knowledge or exposure;
• Knowledge of business;
• Good corporate governance knowledge;
• Legislation and policy guidelines.

Aspen Competencies

• BUSINESS
• Performance Driven: Initiative, multi-tasking, results orientation, systems thinking, planning and organizational skills, focused.
• Accountability & Ownership: Focus, vision, cooperation, proactive, responsibility and accountability, resilience
• PEOPLE
• Deals with ambiguity and embraces change: Flexibility and tolerance for ambiguity, transition management, capacity for and resistance to stress, perseverance and
• Communicates effectively: Informal communications skills, active listening skills, writing skills, presentation skills, meeting facilitation, empathy.
• SELF
• Continuously grows and develops: Curiosity/ learning agility, self-awareness, high standards.
• Contributes special expertise: Technical or professional knowledge, industry knowledge.

Role Requirements

Full day office-based position, may need additional hours should an urgent matter arise.

Preference will be given to previously disadvantaged groups. Suitably qualified applicants are invited to submit their CV’s online on or before 27 July 2017. Please note that if you have not heard from the HR department within 30 days of this advert closing, your application has unfortunately been unsuccessful.

Internal Applications must be completed using an Aspen mailing address after applicants have had informed their direct line managers of their application

Work Level