Legal, Risk and Compliance Officer

About WeconnectU

Who We Are:

WeconnectU is a rapidly growing South African company specialising in developing fintech solutions for the property management industry. We are committed to developing the most advanced end-to-end property management ecosystem.

What We Value:

We are a customer-centric company with a true purpose of helping to shape the future of the property management industry. We focus on creating an environment of excellence where each colleague is developed to become the best version of themselves. Innovation is at our core, and we believe that taking ownership of your area of responsibility enables creativity and the freedom to do your best work.

Job overview:

As the Legal, Risk and Compliance Officer, you will be responsible for ensuring that WeconnectU operates within and complies with all applicable legal and compliance frameworks, including PASA, NCR, PPRA, CSOS, POPIA, GDPR and FIC requirements. You will develop, implement and monitor robust legal, risk management and compliance frameworks and strategies to ensure that our software solutions and business practices meet all regulatory requirements and mitigate associated risks. This role requires an understanding of the relevant regulations, risk management principles and compliance best practices within the prop-tech sector.

Key Responsibilities

·            Draft and review various commercial agreements (e.g. SaaS agreements, data feed agreements, service level agreements, collaboration agreements, NDA’s, lease agreements etc.).

·            Negotiate contract terms between internal stakeholders and third parties.

·            Effectively collaborate and consult with internal and external stakeholders on various legal matters.

·            Draft legal correspondence and documentation.

·            Ensure compliance with contractual requirements.

·            Provide day-to-day legal advice to business units.

·            Provide legal opinions.

·            Liaise with product teams, clients and regulatory authorities regarding legal queries.

·            Liaise with external legal counsel on complex legal matters, legal opinions, and agreements.

·            Interpret laws, regulations and policies for internal teams.

·            Monitor, conduct research and report on new laws, regulatory changes, industry standards and case law that are relevant to WeconnectU and its business operations.

·            Identify, define, and quantify risks across all business areas.

·            Conduct regular audits and risk assessments of software products and business processes.

·            Proactively develop and implement risk mitigation strategies.

·            Provide recommendations for effective risk management.

·            Maintain relationships with regulatory authorities and stakeholders.

·            Ensure proactive and continued compliance with all regulatory and stakeholder requirements.

·            Continuous compliance monitoring and reporting.

·            Provide ongoing training and guidance to staff to ensure adherence to regulatory and stakeholder requirements.

·            Prepare regulatory submissions for compliance audits and report to the relevant regulatory authorities.

·            Draft, implement and maintain policies.

·            Manage and investigate compliance-related incidents, report to relevant regulatory authorities (where required) and implement corrective action plans.

General:

·       Maintain and periodically update departmental policies, registers and templates.

·       Perform any other tasks as requested by the Legal, Risk and Compliance Manager.

·       Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB). Postgraduate qualification(s) would be advantageous.

·       Professional certification(s) in risk management or compliance would be advantageous.

·       Admitted attorney or advocate in South Africa with a valid practicing certificate.

·       At least 5 (five) years post admission experience in legal, risk management and compliance roles, with detailed knowledge of :

o    the regulatory environment and reporting requirements imposed by applicable South African Regulators (e.g. SARB, PASA, NCR, PPRA, CSOS, IR, FIC), including, but not limited to, the NPS Act, NCA, CPA, POPIA, and FICA.

o    data protection and privacy legislation in the UK, EU, South Africa and other African countries – e.g. POPIA, PAIA and GDPR requirements etc.

o    AI legislation and best practices in the EU, UK, South Arica and other African countries – e.g. the EU AI Act.

·       Familiarity with risk management principles and methodologies.

·       Experience developing, implementing and maintaining compliance frameworks and policies.

·       Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and mitigate risks effectively.

·       Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

·       Highly organised, with extreme attention to detail and the ability to work independently, even under pressure, in a fast-paced environment.