Vanderbilt University is seeking an Associate General Counsel to join the Office of the General Counsel and provide legal advice to Vanderbilt University on a full range of transactional legal matters and projects, primarily supporting several key campus functions: (1) the university’s academic research enterprise, including the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation (OVPRI), Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA), and Office of Research Integrity and Compliance; and (2) information security, data governance, and privacy, including Vanderbilt University Information Technology, Research IT, and Office of Data and Strategic Analytics. This position collaborates with and advises leaders across the University to protect the best interests of the university.

The Associate General Counsel may also work within the Office of the General Counsel to provide advice and counsel on a variety of other issues facing academic institutions and large employers, based on the individual’s experience and interests and the needs of the university.

The Office of the General Counsel provides legal advice to university departments with an awareness of the nuances of client business priorities and with understanding of university business practices. The Office of the General Counsel is committed to agile service delivery aligned with the university's mission, priorities, and needs. All litigation proceedings are managed by the Office of the General Counsel on behalf of the university.

The Office of the General Counsel focuses on operational excellence in all we do, which includes:

• Project management and status updates

• Technology implementation, use, and analytics

• Budget containment and outside counsel management

• Identification of the highest and best use of attorney time

Cover letter, resume and writing sample must be included to be considered.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Associate General Counsel will have a responsibility to:

• Support the university’s strategic goals, in particular with respect to research, technology, and privacy-related matters.

• Protect the university’s short- and long-term interests by ensuring that actions taken by or on the behalf of the university comply with university policies and federal, state, and local laws or regulations.

• Work independently and as part of a team to effectively manage multiple highly sensitive and urgent legal matters with competing and overlapping deadlines, and timely communicate matter status and updates to Vice Chancellors and their teams.

• Proactively analyze and recommend corrective action and training to ameliorate risk as needed.

• Utilize creative problem-solving techniques and excellent oral and written communication skills to contribute to the highly collaborative working environment within the Office of the General Counsel and across the university.

• Provides regulatory compliance support and legal counsel to university offices that oversee and manage the conduct of research and technology commercialization;

• Is knowledgeable of and maintains awareness of new legal and regulatory developments at the international, federal, state, and local level to provide counsel on the shifting legal and regulatory landscape;

• Prepares comments on proposed federal, state, and local legislation and regulations that may affect the university;

• Serves as counsel to several university research- and information technology-focused committees, on topics including conflict of interest, research integrity & compliance, technology review committee, information security, IT risk, and data governance;

• Advises principal investigators, research teams, and senior leadership regarding a variety of regulatory matters, such as federal funding agency (NIH, NSF, DoD) policies and compliance;

• Advises on international research, “foreign influence,” and research security;

• Supports the research contracts and grants offices on contracts, research compliance matters, and FOIA responses;

• Provides advice on data privacy, research, and institutional data governance;

• Advises the chief information security officer related to data security and breach response;

• Collaborates with other university offices, including UCS and Risk & Insurance Management, on investigations, instances of noncompliance, and corrective actions;

• Collaborate with university officials, offices, and departments to develop and provide legal education and support to the Vanderbilt community;

• Pursue professional growth and development through seminars, workshops, and professional affiliations to keep abreast of latest developments in college and university law and in other related matters; and

• Perform similar or related duties as assigned or required in an evolving environment.

Qualifications

• A juris doctorate is required, and the Associate General Counsel must be licensed in the State of Tennessee or eligible for licensure within twelve months of hire.

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the practice of law and a demonstrated ability to function independently in relevant subject matters.

• The ability to identify, analyze, and explain legal issues in a clear, timely, and thorough way to senior university administrators;

• Advanced oral and written communications skills and the ability to work with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community;

• Experience with sponsored programs, government contracts, and/or an institution of higher education;

• A willingness to learn new areas of law, or to apply prior legal practice to a higher education environment;

• Experience in regulatory analysis;

• A demonstrated ability to navigate a large, complex organization, including excellent interpersonal and collaboration skills;

• Strong critical thinking skills, sound judgment, and strategic ability; and

• Proficiency with common technology for document creation and management.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.

Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.

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Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.