General Counsel and Compliance Officer

PARKER UNIVERSITY•Dallas, TX

4d•Onsite

About The Position

Parker University is seeking a General Counsel and Compliance Officer to join its rapidly expanding team. This role serves as the chief legal and ethical officer of the university, providing strategic advice on legal, regulatory, governance, and compliance matters. The position is responsible for fostering a culture of integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct, and plays a critical role in supporting the university’s mission. The General Counsel ensures that the university’s policies, practices, and operations meet the highest ethical and legal standards, overseeing institutional risk management and the enterprise-wide compliance and ethics program. The role also provides legal counsel and compliance guidance related to employment law, workplace matters, and institutional policy implementation in collaboration with Human Resources leadership. As Chief Compliance Officer, this role designs, implements, monitors, and improves a comprehensive, risk-based compliance framework, including governance structures, enterprise risk assessments, training programs, reporting mechanisms, regulatory oversight, and institutional accountability measures.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school
Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas (or willing to obtain)
Minimum of 10 years of legal experience, with significant experience in higher education or healthcare and extensive knowledge of employment law
Strong understanding of the legal issues facing non-profit, educational, and healthcare institutions
Proven experience designing and implementing enterprise-wide compliance programs (e.g., HIPAA, FERPA, Title IX, Clery Act)
Demonstrated experience in enterprise risk management, compliance investigations, and regulatory response
Excellent negotiation, communication, and presentation skills
Demonstrated ability to lead a team and manage multiple complex legal projects effectively
High degree of professional ethics and integrity
Excellent written and verbal communication skills are necessary for drafting legal documents, communicating legal advice to stakeholders, and delivering presentations.
Clear communication is also vital for effectively liaising with employees, management, and external legal counsel.
A strong understanding of employment law, labor regulations, contract law, and other relevant legal areas is crucial. This includes staying updated on changes in legislation that may affect the organization's HR policies and practices.
Working effectively with cross-functional teams, including legal, HR, finance, operations, and other departments.
Building strong relationships and fostering collaboration to achieve common goals and drive organizational success.
Upholding high ethical standards and ensuring compliance with legal and ethical guidelines. This includes maintaining confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest, and promoting fairness and equity in HR practices.
Visual acuity to use a keyboard, view a computer terminal and view student records in detail; Requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand, and finger dexterity, including the ability to grasp.
Job is predominately sedentary requiring work hours sitting in a chair and may require ordinary ambulatory skills sufficient to visit other locations; or the ability to stand/walk.
Ability to occasionally lift, carry and/or move light to medium weight up to twelve (12) pounds and/or exert up to twelve (12) pounds of force.

Responsibilities

Serve as the university’s chief legal advisor, providing counsel on governance, contracts, student affairs, intellectual property, research activities, and real estate.
Advise senior leadership on legal implications of institutional strategy, operations, and policy decisions.
Oversee contract negotiation, drafting, and review to protect institutional interests.
Design, implement, and oversee a comprehensive, risk-based compliance and ethics program aligned with federal and state regulations, including HIPAA, FERPA, Title IX, and Clery Act.
Establish compliance governance structures, reporting mechanisms, and accountability frameworks across the institution.
Conduct enterprise-wide compliance risk assessments and implement monitoring and mitigation strategies.
Oversee confidential reporting mechanisms (e.g., ethics hotline) and ensure appropriate investigation and resolution protocols.
Lead institutional response to regulatory audits, inquiries, and investigations.
Monitor regulatory developments and proactively advise leadership on emerging compliance risks.
Develop and deliver compliance education and training programs.
Advise Human Resources leadership and institutional management on employment law compliance, labor standards, workplace policies, and employee relations matters.
Provide legal guidance regarding workplace investigations, disciplinary actions, accommodations, and policy interpretation.
Support alignment between institutional employment practices and broader legal and compliance frameworks.
Review and advise on employment-related policies and procedures to ensure regulatory compliance and risk mitigation.
Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and compliance risks across the institution.
Integrate compliance into enterprise risk management processes.
Oversee litigation strategy and management of outside counsel.
Direct internal investigations related to compliance breaches, misconduct, or regulatory violations.
Lead and develop the legal and compliance functions, fostering a culture of integrity, accountability, and ethical conduct.
Develop, review, and enforce institutional policies to ensure legal compliance and alignment across academic, clinical, and operational areas.
Serve as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies, accrediting bodies, and external counsel.