Group Head of Legal

Cape Town, Western Cape
Permanent
Full-time

23 days ago
Apply easily

About UsLongdue Games is a narrative-first, psychologically rich video game studio building ambitious cRPGs that push the boundaries of storytelling, design, and emotional depth. We’re part of the HyperionDev ecosystem, one of the world’s largest and most recognised coding education providers, backed by Meta, the UK government’s Department for Education, and a global community of nearly 2000 investors.Our ecosystem also includes HyperDev, a developer-focused AI tools spin-out creating groundbreaking generative AI applications for software development. Together, we share a mission to combine creativity, technology, and impact, whether that’s through interactive storytelling or cutting-edge AI tools.By joining Longdue, you’ll work alongside a diverse and ambitious team operating at the intersection of games, education, and AI innovation.About the roleWe are a rapidly expanding startup with international growth, managing complex government and university partnerships. Our legal operations involve working with multiple law firms across jurisdictions, ensuring compliance, risk management, and strategic legal guidance to support our expansion.The Group Head of Legal will be responsible for overseeing all legal aspects of our businesses, providing strategic direction, managing external legal counsel, and ensuring compliance with international regulations. This role is critical in safeguarding our company’s interests while facilitating scalable and legally sound growth. As the Group Head of Legal, you will be part of our leadership team, working directly with the CEO and Partnerships team on business expansion. You will represent us in all legal matters, lead our preparedness for legal challenges, and provide strategic counsel to other departments.Please note this is a full time position.ResponsibilitiesYour responsibilities will include:

Develop and implement the company’s legal strategy to support international expansion
Manage and negotiate a wide range of business contracts, including agreements with government, universities, service providers, and strategic partners.
Oversee compliance with global regulatory requirements, including data protection, local legislation and corporate governance.
Liaise with and manage relationships with external law firms across multiple jurisdictions.
Provide legal risk assessments and mitigation strategies to the CEO and management team.
Lead dispute resolution, litigation management, and regulatory investigations when necessary.
Support corporate structuring, investor contracts and any M&A activities as the company scales.
Develop and review legal policies and procedures
Lead and train the internal team in their contract management, compliance, legal administration and litigation tasks.

RequirementsMinimum

Should be an admitted attorney with an LLB degree
Minimum of 10 years of in-house legal experience reviewing policies and procedures.
5+ years experience in a leadership role
Minimum of 1 year experience with English and Welsh law cases
Strong experience in contract negotiation, corporate law, and compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
Exposure to working with or within fast-growing startups and international business environments
Experience managing external law firms and legal budgets.
Excellent leadership and management skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with both legal and non-legal stakeholders.
Proven ability to analyse and solve complex legal issues.
Strong negotiation skills

Preferred

Master's degree in Law or Business Administration
Prior experience in a startup / tech environment
Prior experience or knowledge in government procurement legislation
Experience drafting shareholder agreements, Board resolutions or minutes, sale of share agreements
Experience in matters dealing with Intellectual Property Law or trademark application/enforcement
Strong ethical standards and commitment to integrity and compliance.
Excellent organisational and time management skills.
Strong writing skills and high attention to detail
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Ability to work independently and meet timelines

BenefitsFlexible & remote working: We are a remote-friendly organisation and offer flexible work options.Join the heart of tech in Africa, the US, and Europe: You'll work with the best of the best and rub shoulders with the world leaders in edtech, developer education, and developer assessments. Join one of the most ambitious and highest performing tech companies in the space, with a founding team that draws their former experience from companies such as Google, Amazon, GetSmarter/2U, & Yoco.Life-changing work: Solve real problems that make education and tech careers accessible to those who need it most: you're allowed to brag about it.

Longdue