[Hiring] Associate General Counsel - Technology and Privacy @Southern New Hampshire University

Role Description

This is a compelling opportunity to serve as the University's lead legal advisor on technology, data privacy, and artificial intelligence at a pivotal moment in higher education. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President & General Counsel (SVP&GC), the Associate General Counsel will hold significant responsibility within the Office of General Counsel and Compliance (OGCC), shaping legal strategy at the intersection of technology, privacy, AI governance, and responsible innovation.

The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in domestic and international privacy law, sophisticated technology transactions, and product counseling, with the ability to translate rapidly evolving legal and regulatory requirements into practical, risk-informed guidance that enables innovation.

As part of a high-performing legal and compliance team, this leader will work closely with senior executives, technology teams, compliance leaders, and other key stakeholders on some of the most consequential legal issues facing higher education today.

What you'll do:

• Lead Privacy & Data Protection Counsel:
  • Serve as the University's lead privacy counsel, providing strategic guidance across FERPA, GLBA, GDPR, TCPA, U.S. and international privacy requirements, data governance, and information security.
  • Partner with the University Privacy Officer, ITS, compliance, and security leadership to shape governance, policy, and institutional risk strategy.
  • Advise on privacy and cybersecurity incidents, regulatory obligations, and other significant privacy and data security matters, representing the University with regulators and external stakeholders as appropriate.
• Shape Technology, Product, & AI Strategy:
  • Serve as a strategic legal partner to teams tasked with developing and bringing new educational technology products and services to market, advising on emerging technologies and new products from concept through launch and scale.
  • Lead legal counsel for AI governance, translating evolving laws, standards, and frameworks, including the EU AI Act, NIST AI Risk Management Framework, and ISO/IEC 42001, into practical guidance for responsible innovation.
  • Advise on AI risk, data use, intellectual property, transparency, bias, human oversight, and technology-enabled products and services.
• Lead Complex Technology Transactions:
  • Structure and negotiate enterprise and high-value technology and commercial agreements across SaaS, cloud, data, AI, licensing, security, and strategic partnerships.
  • Advise on complex issues involving data use, intellectual property, AI governance, indemnification, and risk allocation.
  • Build scalable contracting practices through effective templates, negotiation playbooks, and risk-based review processes.
• Advise the Institution:
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, translating complex legal issues into clear options, practical recommendations, and informed risk decisions.
  • Provide counsel across the OGCC's broader portfolio and lead strategic matters assigned by the SVP&GC.
  • Represent the OGCC in key institutional, risk, and compliance initiatives while monitoring emerging developments in higher education law, particularly across AI, technology, privacy, and cybersecurity.

Qualifications

• JD from an ABA-accredited law school and admission to the New Hampshire Bar, or eligibility for admission within one year of hire.
• 10+ years of legal experience, including significant in-house experience within technology, SaaS, ed-tech, fintech, health-tech, a college or university, or a sophisticated technology-focused law practice.
• Deep expertise in U.S. and international privacy and data security law, including GDPR and state privacy laws, with experience advising on or advancing privacy programs.
• Significant experience structuring, drafting, and negotiating complex technology transactions, including SaaS, cloud, data licensing, and vendor agreements.
• Demonstrated experience as an embedded legal partner to product, engineering, or technology teams, advising from development through launch and balancing innovation, legal risk, and business objectives.
• Working knowledge of AI law and governance, with the ability to interpret rapidly evolving legal and regulatory requirements and translate them into practical guidance.
• Executive-level communication and judgment, with the ability to distill complex legal issues into clear risks, options, and recommendations for senior leaders, non-lawyers, and the Board of Trustees.
• A collaborative, solutions-oriented approach, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, competing priorities, and complex cross-functional environments while exercising sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality.

Benefits

• High-quality, low-deductible medical insurance
• Low to no-cost dental and vision plans
• 5 weeks of paid time off (plus almost a dozen paid holidays)
• Employer-funded retirement
• Free tuition program
• Parental leave
• Mental health and wellbeing resources