Deputy Director – Litigation, Legal Advisory & Contracts

About the role

The Deputy Director will join the foundational team of the National Agri-Trade and Food Safety Authority (NAFSA) and lead its litigation portfolio, legal advisory, and contract management functions. Reporting to the Director Legal, the role ensures that all legal actions, regulatory advice, and contractual arrangements are handled efficiently and in line with NAFSA’s strategic objectives.

Key responsibilities

• Manage day‑to‑day litigation activities, including case intake, classification, strategy coordination, and end‑to‑end tracking across courts and tribunals.
• Coordinate with panel counsel and law firms on pleadings, filings, hearing preparations and ensure compliance with court timelines.
• Maintain litigation calendars, cause lists, hearing trackers and status dashboards; flag high‑risk matters to senior management.
• Prepare case briefs, factual chronologies, document bundles and management notes for leadership.
• Provide legal advisory support on regulatory, administrative, enforcement and contractual matters to ensure decisions are legally sound.
• Review, draft and negotiate contracts, MoUs, SLAs, service agreements and procurement documents, mitigating legal and commercial risks.
• Develop, vet and review legal instruments such as rules, SOPs and internal policies for consistency with the NAFSA Act.
• Handle legal notices, show‑cause communications, complaints and regulatory queries, maintaining complete audit trails.
• Maintain secure legal repositories with version control and confidentiality.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments relevant to NAFSA’s mandate and advise management on required updates.

Required profile

Required skills

What we offer

• Opportunity to shape a strategic national authority from its inception.
• Exposure to high‑impact litigation and policy work in the agri‑trade and food‑safety sector.
• Collaborative environment with senior leadership and multidisciplinary teams.