Job Description

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 My, 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. Legal counsel for the D9 Campus Project

• Draft, negotiate, and finalize all financing agreements for Phase 1A-1 ($22M), including loan and gift agreements.
• Review, monitor, and advise on construction and supervision contracts with Newtecons, Turner, BK, and other contractors in coordination with the Campus Construction team; manage external law firm (CNC) engagement for the construction contract with Newtecons.
• Prepare semi-annual and ad-hoc reports to SHTP on the Project’s implementation progress.

2. Corporate Consulting & Legal Documents Management

• Review, draft, and finalize all legal documents for Admission, Marketing, Student Life, HR, IT, Campus Operations, Public Affairs — including cooperation agreements, MOUs, service provision contracts and goods & services procurement contracts.
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve the institution-wide contract template repository, ensuring all standard contract types are covered, standardized, and reviewed annually.
• Provide legal advisory support during internal grievance and complaint resolution processes in coordination with the Legal and Compliance Manager.
• Support standardization of legal documents across all departments in coordination with Legal and Compliance Manager.

3. Corporate Regulatory, Licensing, IP & Crisis Dispute

• Obtain, maintain and update corporate all corporate legal documents: Investment Registration Certificate (IRC), Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC), FUVC Charter, FUV General Rules, and FSPPM Branch operating licenses and regulations.
• Provide written legal opinions and recommendations on policy drafts.
• Monitor regulatory developments and proactively flag policy update needs to Legal and Compliance Manager and relevant departments.

4. Other duties:

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

Qualifications

What we look for

Education Bachelor’s degree in law (LLB)

Experience

• 4 - 7 post-qualification legal experience; in-house or education/regulatory law firm background preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong written and spoken Vietnamese and English — bilingual legal drafting required
• Proficient in Vietnamese education law, MOET compliance, contract drafting
• Preferred having knowledge in academic licensing, international MOUs, intellectual property, accreditation support.

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 international work environment.
• Intensive English-speaking environment.
• Competitive salary and high-end insurance schemes for employees and direct family members.
• Professional development opportunities.

Application Instructions

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: jobs@fulbright.edu.vn

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/

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Fulbright University Vietnam is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion. All eligible candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation.