Job Description

Job Title: Manager: Legal (Centralised Litigation) - Fixed Term Contract
Position Reports to: Business Area Lead: Centralised Litigation
Division: Taxpayer Engagement
Location: Pretoria: Khanyisa Building
Advert Closing Date: 09 October 2025
About the Position
SARS is looking for a competent, experienced, dynamic individual, with a high level of integrity and discretion who is a result driven and risk vigilant lawyer with sound Legal background. He/she should possess good litigation skills, legal research, facilitation of the dispute process, negotiation, drafting and management skills and must thrive in a busy and demanding working environment. The applicant will also be sitting in corporate governance committees and should be able to make objective decisions. He/she must be a team player with good listening skills, respect ideas and aim to improve the product or process at hand. He/she must also be capable of executing his/her duties with enthusiasm and a good comprehension of the law as a capability within SARS to achieve its strategic intent of Voluntary Compliance by making it easy for compliant taxpayers and traders, hard & costly for non-compliant taxpayers & traders. Candidates with an LLB (NQF8) will have an advantage and admission as an attorney or advocate will further enhance the candidate's application
Job Purpose
To provide support and input in the management of Legal delivery within the Centralised Litigation function which has a national footprint with respect to revenue litigation matters.
Education and Experience
Bachelor of Law (NQF7) AND 8-10 years' experience in a litigation environment, including 3-4 years' experience in managing legal staff
Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

• Bachelor of Law (NQF7)
• 8-10 years' experience in a litigation environment
• 3-4 years' experience in managing legal staff

Minimum Functional Requirements

• Prior experience working with tax
• Strong litigation experience
• Management of complex litigation projects

Job Outputs:

• Successfully managing litigation staff
• Successfully prosecuting your own litigation caseload

Process

• Act as the driver for the implementation within the context of business unit excellence and performance improvement.
• Conduct assessments and use information to advise, make recommendations and facilitate improvement.
• Direct, control, coordinate and optimise budgeted resources to meet specific objectives and deliver agreed results and productivity requirements.
• Ensure the development and implementation of a practice in alignment with operational policy and procedural frameworks.
• Implement strategy and delivery plans through the development of operational activities, ensuring the achievement of operational targets.
• Oversee the efficient utilisation of Private counsel for appeals and urgent interdicts, review or declaratory order applications in the High Court.
• Oversee a group of litigators and their litigation case loads.
• Plan for handling work outputs, pull together interdependent activities and specify priorities, standards and procedures to ensure tactical implementation.
• Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine its impact and use to develop best fi t alternatives, implementing best practice solutions.
• Provide periodic reports on performance against plan and progress on short-term initiatives and use to realign tactical plan and objectives appropriately.
• Recommend changes to optimise processes, systems, policies and procedures, and execute the implementation of change and innovation initiated by the organisation.
• Timeously communicate top-down policy and associated single practice area modification, objective achievement progress and critical success factors to impacted stakeholders.
• Use the insights gained through integrated business reports to measure success and realign tactical strategy implementation objectives appropriately.

Governance

• Implement governance, risk and compliance policy in own practice area to identify and manage governance and risk exposure liability.

People

• Encourage and enable teamwork, by enabling collaboration with others and commitment to pursuing set goals.
• Translate performance expectations into specific metrics and goals to identify and provide effective services, solve problems and achieve objectives.
• Develop & implement appropriate people capacity plans in line with delivery & efficiency targets, on budget & in partnership with specialised area.
• Develop and maintain a team that is capable for operating to their full capability and provide appropriate skills, knowledge and experience

Finance

• Implement and monitor financial control, management of costs and corporate governance in area of accountability.
• Draw up a budget aligned to tactical delivery plans, monitor planned vs. actual, minimise expenditure and report on cost efficiency.

Client

• Develop and ensure implementation of practices which builds service delivery excellence and encourages others to provide exceptional client service.
• Manage an integrated service excellence culture, which builds rewarding relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service.
• Build strong relationships and implement service level agreements that promote SARS with internal and external stakeholders.

Behavioural competencies

• Honesty & Integrity
• Functional Policies and Procedures
• Court Processes and Procedures

• Fairness & Transparency
• Accountability
• Business Acumen
• Decisiveness
• Effective Business Communication
• Legal Advisory and Interpretation
• Legal Compliance
• Planning, Management and Measurement
• Problem Analysis and Judgement
• Ability to translate Strategy into Execution
• Values and Manage Diversity

Technical competencies

• Managerial budgeting
• Tax Knowledge
• Legal Advisory and Interpretation
• Legal knowledge and knowledge of ethics
• Legal compliance
• Planning, management and measurement
• Respect & Trust
• Business Acumen
• Court processes and procedures
• Stewardship and service orientation

Compliance Competency

• GOC: Confidential

Employment Equity
The Employment Equity policy of SARS will be considered as part of the recruitment and selection process and Persons with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be required to undertake an oath of secrecy, pre-employment screening, case study, pre-assessment, psychometric assessment and or vetting, and a declaration of private interest. The appointment is also subject to appropriate reference(s) and security clearance where applicable.

Skills Required