Senior Legal Counsel - Commercial Contracting, Johannesburg

Who We Are Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we help clients with total transformation-inspiring complex change, enabling organizations to grow, building competitive advantage, and driving bottom-line impact. To succeed, organizations must blend digital and human capabilities. Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives to spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading‑edge management consulting along with technology and design, corporate and digital ventures—and business purpose. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, generating results that allow our clients to thrive.

What You’ll Do As Senior Legal Counsel – Commercial Contracting, you will serve as a strategic legal partner to the business in a global, technology‑enabled environment. You will lead complex commercial negotiations, shape contracting standards, and strengthen scalable legal solutions that enable growth while protecting the firm. You will combine deep commercial contracting expertise with strong discernment, operational awareness, and thoughtful use of AI and digital tools. Your work will directly influence how BCG manages risk, accelerates deal cycles, and modernizes legal delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Lead complex commercial contracting

Draft, review, negotiate and advise on a broad range of commercial agreements, including client services agreements, vendor contracts, technology and SaaS arrangements, licensing, NDAs, subcontractor agreements and strategic partnerships.

Provide clear, pragmatic and commercially aligned advice that balances business objectives with legal integrity.

Identify legal and commercial risk early, articulate implications clearly and recommend practical mitigation strategies.

Champion contracting standards and scalable solutions

Develop, maintain and evolve global contracting playbooks, templates and negotiation guidance.

Drive consistency and efficiency across contracting processes.

Embed appropriate legal guardrails into commercial workflows and standards.

Move beyond one‑off advice to system‑level improvements that reduce repeat risk.

Use AI and technology responsibly to enhance legal delivery

Leverage AI tools to accelerate research, assess risks, contract review, drafting and synthesis.

Structure inputs thoughtfully and critically assess outputs to ensure accuracy, defensibility and tone.

Understand and manage risks associated with AI use, including confidentiality, bias and reliability.

Identify opportunities to scale legal support through automation, knowledge tools and repeatable workflows.

Operate as a strategic cross‑functional partner

Partner closely with Finance, Procurement, Risk, Compliance, Technology and business leadership.

Translate complex legal concepts into practical guidance that enables confident decision‑making.

Anticipate second‑order operational and reputational impacts of commercial decisions.

Contribute to broader governance discussions, including responsible AI use and regulatory developments.

Contribute to team capability and innovation

Support knowledge creation, sharing, training and development within the Legal team.

Help modernize how Legal delivers value through expertise, process improvement and technology adoption.

Foster a culture of sound judgment, responsiveness and continuous improvement.

What Success Looks Like

Commercial contracts negotiated efficiently with clear risk positioning and strong commercial alignment.

Legal advice that is precise, practical and trusted by senior stakeholders.

Reduced cycle times and improved quality through scalable templates and AI‑enabled workflows.

Strong cross‑functional relationships built on credibility and sound judgment.

Demonstrable impact on risk mitigation and operational clarity across the business.

Responsible and effective integration of AI tools into day‑to‑day legal delivery.

What You’ll Bring

Qualified lawyer with typically 7+ years of post‑qualification experience in commercial contracting

Deep experience negotiating complex, cross‑border commercial agreements in a global or multinational environment

Commercially minded, pragmatic and comfortable balancing risk with business objectives

Experience operating in multinational or matrixed environments

Confident user of AI and legal technology tools, with understanding of limitations and risks

Excellent drafting, analytical, and negotiation skills

Clear, structured communicator who can influence senior partners and business leaders

High integrity, discretion, and sound professional judgment

Experience in professional services, technology, or complex corporate environments preferred

Who You’ll Work With You will join BCG’s global Legal function and collaborate closely with colleagues across regions and specialties. You will partner with senior business leaders, client teams, Finance, Procurement, Risk, Compliance, and Technology teams to enable commercial activity while protecting the firm. Our Legal team operates as a trusted advisor to the business. We work collaboratively, share knowledge across borders, and continuously strengthen how we deliver value in a fast‑moving environment.

Boston Consulting Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity / expression, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under national, provincial, or local law, where applicable, and those with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with applicable state and local laws. BCG is an E‑Verify Employer. Click here for more information on E‑Verify.

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