General Manager – Legal Affairs Commercial Jobs

Job Description

The General Manager: Legal Affairs (Commercial Functions) provides proactive, commercially aligned, and scalable legal leadership to MTN Group Fintech. This role supports the Chief Legal Officer in defining and executing the Group Fintech legal strategy. It enables the safe and compliant delivery of digital financial products and services across multiple markets.

The role offers legal oversight and advisory support for payments, lending, overdraft, savings, and remittance products. It ensures legal risks are managed effectively without limiting innovation, speed to market, or commercial growth.

The General Manager oversees legal services, develops legal frameworks and policies, manages disputes and litigation, and interprets and implements legislative and regulatory requirements for Group Fintech operations.

Responsibilities

Strategy Development and Implementation

• Provide input into the Group Fintech strategy to embed legal considerations in business planning and execution.
• Work with the Chief Legal Officer to define and execute the Legal Affairs strategy aligned with Group Fintech priorities and growth goals.
• Develop legal frameworks, policies, and standards that support scalable product delivery across operations.
• Review the Legal Affairs strategy and roadmap regularly to align with changing regulatory, commercial, and technology landscapes.

Operational Delivery

Functional Leadership

As the functional leader of Legal Affairs, the role is accountable for:

• Establishing, monitoring, and aligning the direction, strategy, and outcomes of the Legal Affairs function across Group Fintech.
• Driving an integrated legal advisory and problem-solving approach that supports product innovation and commercial execution.
• Monitoring legal performance metrics to assess the function’s impact and value to Group Fintech.
• Driving continuous improvement in legal processes, standards, and service delivery.

Legal Advisory & Commercial Enablement

• Provide legal advice and support to Group Fintech business units on commercial, contractual, and strategic matters.
• Oversee drafting, review, and negotiation of contracts for products, platforms, partnerships, APIs, vendors, and technology providers.
• Define and maintain standard legal templates, clauses, and contracting frameworks for faster execution across markets.
• Provide legal input into new product development, partnerships, and market entry initiatives.

Legal Risk, Disputes & Litigation

• Lead the management of legal risk across Group Fintech operations.
• Define and oversee the litigation and dispute resolution framework, including managing external counsel.
• Support resolution of disputes by balancing legal, financial, reputational, and operational considerations.
• Monitor emerging legal risks and regulatory developments and advise management.

Regulatory & Legislative Monitoring

• Monitor changes in legislation, regulation, and public policy affecting digital financial services.
• Assess the impact of regulatory developments on products, platforms, and partnerships, and guide leadership.
• Support operations and Group stakeholders on legal and regulatory interpretation as needed.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years post-qualification experience in commercial or corporate law.
• At least 4–5 years in a senior legal leadership role.
• Experience in financial services, fintech, banking, or digital platforms preferred.
• Proven experience in multi-country or multinational environments.
• Exposure to complex commercial transactions, partnerships, and regulatory environments.
• Minimum of 4 years defining and executing legal affairs strategies, policies, and frameworks in a scalable/large-scale financial services or consumer finance multi-country environment.
• Considerable exposure to negotiations and drafting of highly complex transaction documents (locally and internationally).
• Deep understanding of the Fintech and digital ecosystem, players, business models, and industry best practices.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, self-driven, and ability to motivate a fast-paced team.
• English speaker. French, Portuguese, Zulu, Swahili, and other African languages are a plus.

Functional Knowledge

• Legislative Management & Monitoring
• Legal Risk Management
• Corporate & Commercial Law
• Litigation – General/ Class action / Investigation
• M&A Legal Advisory
• Legal Due Diligence
• Negotiation & Deal Review
• Legal Analysis
• Dispute Management
• Labor & Employment Law
• IP Law & Legislation

Qualifications

• Minimum 4-year tertiary degree in Law.
• Postgraduate qualification (LLM, MBA, or equivalent) advantageous.
• Admitted Attorney / Advocate with relevant professional registration.

Method of Application

Interested and qualified candidates should apply through the company’s official application portal.