Legal Officer

WE ARE HIRING!

Position Title: Legal Officer

Department: Legal and Compliance

Employment Type: Full-time

Help us reimagine the 21st-century University.

We are Fulbright University Vietnam (Fulbright), Vietnam's first independent, not-for-profit, liberal arts university. We are an expanding international team of educational innovators, with deep roots in Vietnam, strong political and financial backing, and connections to educational institutions around the world. Importantly, Fulbright is committed to serving Vietnamese society through rigorous research and responsible civic engagement.

We seek outstanding faculty and professional staff to join our growing team. Fulbright's team thrives on a passion for educating the next generation of Vietnamese leaders equipped with the skills to tackle global challenges. We are creative, adaptive, determined with a good sense of humor.

If you want to see Vietnam's youth meet their greatest potential, join us! Our flagship campus will be located in Saigon Hi-Tech Park, in Ho Chi Minh City (District 9). Until phase 1 of campus construction is completed in Fall 2026, we are located at Crescent Plaza, Tan Phu, in Ho Chi Minh City (District 7).

Job scope

The Legal Officer will be expected to exercise a high degree of independence, excellent judgment, communicate effectively with high-level officials, staff and stakeholders, address programmatic and operational issues, and advance the mission of Fulbright to foster diversity, equity, and inclusivity in access to opportunities throughout the Fulbright community. Given the start-up nature of Fulbright, the position encompasses a wide range of roles from front-line services to behind-the-scenes processing.

The Legal Officer is also required to effectively communicate the risks and legal issues involved in any matters and business of Fulbright.

Reporting Lines

Solid reports to: Legal and Compliance Manager

Dotted-line reports to: N/A

List by title positions which report directly to this position: N/A

Roles and Responsibilities

The roles and responsibilities of the Legal Officer include but not limited to:

1. Corporate and university consulting

• Monitoring and overseeing the compliance with applicable laws, including but not limited to corporate, labor, higher education and trade union laws, not-for-profit university regulations;
• Drafting, reviewing, negotiating contracts and agreements for all areas of Fulbright, including but not limited to professional service agreements, non-disclosure agreements, facility use agreements, independent contractor agreements, MOUs, and gift agreements;
• Delivering legal opinion and advice as requested, researching and anticipating legal issues that could impact the institutions, including FUV and FUVC;
• Providing legal awareness training and legal subject-specific training for employees;
• Reviewing, proposing corporate policies and internal processes;
• Coordinating with external law firms and managing the use of external legal services;
• Other legal works as assigned by Legal and Compliance Manager.

2. Corporate licensing and IP registration

• Registering and maintaining IP rights of Fulbright;
• Obtaining and maintaining corporate licenses including enterprise registration, investment certificate, etc.

3. Special projects and strategic transactions

• Assisting in legal matters of Saigon Hi-Tech Park Campus and other strategic funding/granting transactions as assigned by Legal and Compliance Manager, including providing legal advice, conducting legal due diligence, drafting/reviewing legal documents.

4. Compliance and litigation

• Monitoring regulatory and policy changes at the national and local levels and disseminating updates to the appropriate functional departments;
• Assisting other departments in responding to authorities periodical or irregular reports, requests and/or inspection;
• Contributing to legislation and policies in education sector and other areas relating to Fulbright's operation;
• Contributing to internal policy making, internal complaint resolution;
• Representing Fulbright in disputes, litigation or other legal proceedings.

Other duties:

Contributing to team effort by welcoming new and different work requirements; exploring new opportunities to enhance the services of the department; helping others accomplish related job results as and where needed; and perform other duties as assigned.

What we look for

Education: Bachelor's degree in law (LLB)

Experience:

• At least 7 years in law firms or corporate counsel
• Experience in contract reviewing and drafting; and corporate matters

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong ability to communicate in writing and verbally in Vietnamese and English
• Demonstrate excellent legal judgment, be a good team player and be highly efficient
• Experience in the area of higher education law and related compliance matter will be an advantage
• Good time management and organizational skills, able to prioritize and work effectively under pressure

What we offer

• Opportunity to join a passionate team who shares the belief in the transformative power of education and values the unique opportunity to create a new university.
• Opportunity to participate in public talks, workshops, seminars, as well as other enriching activities at Fulbright.
• A dynamic, innovative, and professional work environment.
• Intensive English-speaking environment.
• Competitive salary and high-end insurance schemes for employees and direct family members.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Flexible work arrangement options.

How to Apply

• To see all job listings, please visit our list of vacancies: https://fulbright.edu.vn/join-us/
• All applications must include evidence that addresses the mandatory requirements.
• Fulbright University Vietnam employs Interfolio to manage the application process.
• Need help Please visit Interfolio Product Help: https://product-help.interfolio.com/m/27438 or contact Talent Acquisition team at: [Confidential Information]

Organizational Accountabilities

FUV is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff members. FUV and its staff members must comply with a range of Vietnamese legal and regulatory requirements, including foreign investment & business, import & export, contracts & commerce, banking, finance & foreign exchange, labor, taxation, land & premises, environment, and immigration. FUV expects all staff members to comply with its Code of Conduct, policies and procedures, which relate to legal and regulatory requirements and our ways of working.

FUV is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to foster a campus community that recognizes the value of all persons regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender expression and identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background. Please visit this page for our statement on Diversity: https://fulbright.edu.vn/statement-of-diversity/