Job Description

Job Title: Senior Manager: Customs and Excise Litigation
Position Reports to: Business Area Lead: Customs & Excise Litigation
Division: Taxpayer Engagement
Location: Head Office - Pretoria (Khanyisa Building)
Advert Closing Date: 12 July 2025
About the Position
A driven and dedicated litigator is required to lead a team of litigation specialist in the customs and excise litigation area. As Senior Manager you will contribute and execute the strategic management of litigation in your team, mainly in the Higher Courts, including the Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court, where applicable. You are further required to provide fundamental contributions to long-term organisational planning and offer technical expertise, mentoring and advice to the team.
Job Purpose
To develop the strategic plan for Customs and Excise Litigation and to identify Organisational requirements to enable achievement of specific objectives and deliverables.
Education and Experience
The position requires that the incumbent must be a recognized advocate or attorney and must:

• At a minimum possess the LLB tertiary qualification
• Be admitted to practice as an Advocate or an Attorney in terms of the Legal Practice Act No. 28 of 2014;

• Have a minimum of 8 - 10 years' experience in a Customs & Excise/International Trade Litigation environment.
• 3- 4 years middle management level experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required
Honours / Postgraduate Diploma (NQF 8) AND 10-12 years' experience in Customs and Excise environment, of which 3-4 years at middle management level
Minimum Functional Requirements
Job Outputs:
Process

• Develop tactical strategy and delivery plans in support of functional objectives in partnership with leadership.
• Direct, control, coordinate and optimise budgeted resources to meet specific objectives and deliver agreed results and productivity requirements.
• Ensure the development and implementation of multiple practices in alignment with operational policy and procedural frameworks.
• Identify and recommend opportunities to continuously improve all functions and systems in line with national, regional and organisational changes.
• Plan for handling work outputs, pull together interdependent activities & specify priorities, standards & procedures to ensure tactical excellence.
• Proactively identify interconnected problems, determine its impact and use to develop best fit alternatives; driving best practice solutions.
• Provide periodic reports on performance against plan & progress on short-term initiatives & use to realign tactical plan and objectives appropriately.
• Use the insights gained through integrated business reports to measure success & realign tactical strategy development objectives appropriately.
• Recommend changes to optimise processes, systems, policies and procedures, and direct the implementation of change and innovation initiated by the organisation.

Governance

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

People

• Plan & develop enhanced organisational efficiency by identifying and addressing development requirements & providing tools for people's resources.
• Translate performance expectations into specific metrics and goals to identify and provide effective services, solve problems and achieve objectives.

Finance

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

Client

• Build strong relationships and develop service level agreements that promote SARS with internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop and ensure the 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.

Behavioural competencies

• Honesty and Integrity
• Trust
• Respect
• Problem solving and analysis
• Developing teams & nurtures interdependencies
• Fairness and transparency
• Accountability
• Conceptual Thinking
• Nurtures Future Talent
• Values and Manages Diversity
• Stewardship and Service Orientation

Technical competencies

• Business Acumen
• Customs Knowledge
• Decisiveness
• Legal Advisory and Interpretation
• Legal Compliance
• Legal Knowledge and Knowledge of Ethics
• Litigation
• Managerial Budgeting
• Tax Knowledge
• Strategic Planning

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.