Location(s):
South Africa
City/Cities:
Johannesburg
Travel Required:
00% - 25%
Relocation Provided:
No
Job Posting End Date:
March 6, 2026
Shift:
Job Description Summary:
The Senior Manager Legal Counsel, Africa provides broad end to end support across commercial, governance, compliance, regulatory, marketing and operational matters to the South African Franchise of the Africa Operating Unit. The role will be partnering with operations leads, their teams, and other internal legal counsels both in Africa and globally, to proactively and creatively provide solution-oriented legal advice and counsel on a wide variety of matters impacting the business. The role may also support a specific function or subject matter. As a key part of a globally networked legal function. The role partners across franchises, functions and geographies to enable strategic growth, protect the Company’s interests and strengthen enterprise-wide legal consistency and capability
What You’ll Do for Us:
- Serving as the legal point of contact for the Franchise Operations leads and their teams to better imbed legal in the business decisions of the South Africa Franchise from inception to implementation.
- Providing direction and legal advice related to building and implementing the routines, governance, and other legal compliance mechanisms consistent with the various franchise bottling partner agreements.
- Advising on laws and regulations governing relationships with franchise bottling partners, marketing, competition, HR, and other legal matters as they arise.
- Advise on the negotiation, drafting, and implementation of commercial agreements and other documents of a contractual nature, including negotiating terms with related parties in conformity with applicable laws and current partnerships.
- Developing and providing education and training to various business groups and stakeholders regarding business risks and opportunities.
- Identifying and addressing potential risks associated with contemplated actions, considering applicable contract terms and laws in addition to practical business risks.
- Developing, conducting, and assisting with education and awareness programs for company and bottling partners.
- Assisting outside counsel with management and strategy regarding litigation and pre-litigation matters to minimize costs and business exposure and serving as the counsel in negotiations and settlement of litigation and pre-litigation matters.
- Collaborating with legal colleagues in intersecting areas of IP, regulatory compliance, litigation/risk management, to protect Intellectual property/brand and other rights of the company.
- Collaborating with the Ethics office to ensure support and enforcement of the Code of Business Conduct.
- Participating in special projects as assigned and demonstrating leadership ability on a wide range of issues.
Qualifications & Requirements:
- Educational Background: LLB degree.
- Experience: 4+ years of experience in a law firm or in-house counsel role
- Skills: Excellent communication, drafting, cross-functional engagement, and influencing skills. Proficient in English.
- Autonomy: Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and make informed decisions with a comprehensive understanding of a diverse legal landscape.
What We Can Do for You:
- Purpose Driven: Empowerment through a purpose-driven approach that emphasizes protecting communities and delivering safe, quality products.
- Agility: Encourage innovation and new solutions to complex problems by removing barriers.
- Global Connections: Opportunities to develop and maintain global networks that facilitate learning and speed in execution.
Skills:
Business (Corporate) Law, Compliance, Contract Negotiations, Intellectual Property Law, Litigation
Our Purpose and Growth Culture:
We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.