Legal Liabilities Team Manager

What will you do?

The Legal Liabilities Team Leader is responsible for the direct supervision, coaching, and operational performance of a team of Legal Advisors. The Team Leader ensures that liability assessments and recovery processes are executed accurately, within legal frameworks, and according to company service level agreements (SLAs). The Team Leader provides technical guidance on complex Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) cases and ensures the team meets its recovery and liability targets while driving the team to customer service excellence in interactions and claim execution.

What will make you successful in this role?

 Minimum Qualification Required  

• Grade 12 / Standard 10 / NQF 4.  
• Related Legal Tertiary Qualification (LLB, BProc, or Diploma in Law).  

Minimum Experience  

• Minimum 3 years of experience within a Legal Liabilities role.  
• Proven technical expertise in Liabilities, specifically focused on Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA).  
• (Advantageous) 1–2 years of experience in a supervisory, "step-up" role with a focus on mentoring others 

Key Responsibilities

• The Team Leader provides expert technical guidance to the team by applying the Apportionment of Damages Act and relevant case law to ensure all liability determinations are legally sound.  
• The Team Leader actively manages the daily distribution of work and monitors workflow to ensure that the team maintains optimal productivity and adheres to established service level agreements.  
• The role requires the regular performance of quality assurance audits on claim files to verify  compliance with internal business rules, legal accuracy, and high standards of technical excellence.  
• The Team Leader is responsible for monitoring and driving the team’s recovery and liability ratios to ensure the department meets its financial objectives and minimizes claims spend.  
• The incumbent assists the Manager in the performance management cycle by measuring performance to set KPIs, conducting regular one-on-one reviews, and identifying specific training needs to bridge skill gaps.  
• The Team Leader serves as the primary escalation point for complex technical queries or disputes raised by clients, brokers, and third-party legal representatives.  
• The role involves identifying operational bottlenecks within the recovery and liability lifecycle and proposing innovative, efficiency-driven solutions to the Manager.  
• The incumbent compiles and presents detailed weekly and monthly reports that track team performance, recovery successes, and the status of pending litigation.  
• The Team Leader fosters a culture of service excellence by mentoring their team on negotiation techniques and legal drafting and sets a high-quality standard of third-party interactions.

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellence in Service Delivery: The incumbent consistently delivers high-quality service by ensuring that all client and broker interactions are handled with professionalism, transparency, and technical accuracy.  
• Effective Client & Stakeholder Interaction: The candidate possesses the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders, brokers, and third-party insurers through proactive communication and refined negotiation skills.  
• Leading & Supervising: The Team Leader motivates their team by setting clear expectations and driving a culture of accountability and operational excellence.  
• Technical Coaching & Mentoring: The incumbent displays a strong commitment to developing the technical skills of subordinates through continuous feedback and skills transfer.  
• Conflict Resolution & Negotiation: The role requires the ability to navigate complex disputes with third-party legal representatives while maintaining the company’s reputation and financial interests.  
• Results Orientation: The candidate demonstrates a high level of urgency and focus in meeting monthly recovery targets and ensuring the timely closure of liability files.  
• Advanced Communication: The incumbent must be able to draft high-quality legal correspondence and compile professional reports for management review.  

Competencies Required

• Legal Acumen and Sound Judgement  
• Analytical and Critical Thinking  
• Risk Mitigation and Management  
• Operational Excellence  
• Stakeholder Influence and Engagement  
• Integrity and Professionalism  
• Resilience and Agility  

Knowledge and Skills

Personal Attributes

Build a successful career with us

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping  our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Core Competencies

Turnaround time

The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers. 

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