The South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) leads South Africa’s response to the national HIV, TB & STIs epidemics. SANAC is building a dynamic team that can facilitate its effective leadership of the national response.
Name of Position : Company Secretary and Head of Legal
Reporting to : CEO and Chair of the Board of Trustees (BoT)
Location : SANAC Head Office, Hatfield, Pretoria
Grading : E1
Duration : 3 year (Renewable subject to availability of funds)
Purpose of the job
To ensure adherence to sound corporate governance processes and effective, efficient administration of the governance function that guides and supports the Board of Trustees (BoT) and Executive management as to their duties, responsibilities and powers. To act as a point of communication between the BoT and Executive Management. To provide high level secretarial and administrative support to the Board and Board Committees. To ensure effective and efficient legal support for business contracts, documentation management, providing legal advisory services and ensuring effective management of legal and contractual risks.
Key Responsibilities
Direction:
- Develop and obtain approval for the Board Charter and Provide Terms of Reference for Board Committees
- Clarify governance structures, delegation of authority, roles, responsibilities and plans of the BoT
- Implement the Board Charter timeously and within budgetary constraints
- Act as legal advisor to the CEO
Management:
- Ensure the Company Secretarial function is fully capacitated
- Manage and motivate team to respond objectively and professionally to business objectives
- Oversee policies, making sure they are kept up to date and referred to appropriate committees for approval
- Advise on legal and governance implications of proposed policies
- Monitoring of change in applicable legislative framework and taking relevant action
- Risk management
Administration:
- Provide a professional administrative and meeting coordination support for the BoT and Executive Management
- Develop and maintain an effective document management/filing system (electronic and manual)
- Facilitate on-boarding of Board members
- Manage professional development of Board members and Executive Management
- Effective scheduling, venue bookings, coordination and management of quarterly meetings for the following governance structures:
- Board meetings and Board Subcommittee meetings;
- SANAC Plenary which is a multisector voluntary body Chaired by the Deputy President of the Republic
- Inter-Ministerial Committee on HIV which is a Cabinet subcommittee
- Programme Review Committee which brings together all of the key national stakeholders involved in HIV, STIs and TB programme implementation
- Arrange logistics for Board members
- Prepare and distribute meeting agendas and meeting packs
- Attend, record and transcribe minutes of Board, Committees, Working Groups, Forums and other meetings as required
- Track Board decisions for timely response
- Organise and maintain organisational calendar of important meetings
- Arrange teleconference meetings as and when required
- Collate information and write reports
Relationships (Stakeholder) Management:
- Establish professional relationships with key stakeholders e.g. The Presidency, DoH, National treasury, The Board, Executive Management
- Identify, acknowledge, recognise all stakeholders
- Determine the influence and interest of stakeholders
- Monitor, influence, keep informed, satisfy and closely manage stakeholders
- Engender trust with all stakeholders
- Ensure decisions made are communicated to stakeholders
- Liaise with external regulators and advisors
Legal Support:
- Support SANAC Trust with legal advice, communication, and implementation of the Trust’s legal objectives.
- Assist with leading strategic and tactical legal initiatives and participate in the definition and development of policies, procedures and programs.
- Provide continuing counsel and guidance on legal management matters and legal implications of all matters.
- Appoint attorneys and make regular follow ups regarding progress on the legal issues.
- Serve as a legal advisor on business transactions where required and oversee the work of outside counsel.
- Judge the merits of assigned court cases filed against or on behalf of the Trust, work with the appropriate employees to define a strategic defence and approve settlements of disputes where warranted.
- Work with the Compliance and Risk Manager to ensure business processes flow smoothly with regards to compliance and legal aspects as well as ensuring that the Trust conducts its business in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Review a variety of SANAC Trust contracts with its customers, ensuring that the Contracts Manager has a well-maintained contracts management file.
Minimum Qualifications and Experience
- A Board Secretary Certification.
- Law degree.
- Minimum of 8 years of relevant functional/secretarial experience of which five should have been in a senior management position.
- Experience working in a PBO or development sector will be advantageous
Knowledge and Skills
- Deep knowledge of the applicable legislative and statutory framework and reports on corporate governance
- Legislative compliance
- Public Finance Management Act and National Treasury regulations
- Directives and King Code
- Ability to work independently as well as taking a supportive role within a team
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Strong level of integrity, discretion and confidentiality
- Assertive and confident
- Ability to multitask
- Computer literate (MS Office)
Applications should be emailed to hr@sanac.org.za. Kindly indicate the name of the position on the subject line of the email. Applicants who do not comply with the above-mentioned requirements, as well as applications received late or faxed, will not be considered.
Closing date: 25 May 2021 at 17:00
Note that correspondence will only be conducted with the short-listed candidates. If you have not been contacted within two (2) months of the closing date of the advertisement, please consider your application as unsuccessful.
For this position, the SANAC Trust will give preference to candidates who hold South African citizenship who meet the job requirements and who will fit into the culture and gender diversity of the organisation. Suitable candidates will be subjected to personnel suitability checks which would include citizenship, credit record, security clearance, security vetting, qualification verification and employment verification. Any person who has limited international travel restrictions will be disqualified.
SANAC reserves the right to withdraw or alter this advertisement should the circumstances dictate otherwise.