Senior Associate University Attorney and Privacy Officer

About the University

East Carolina University (ECU) is consistently ranked among the nation's top public universities for its commitment to research, innovation, social mobility, and public service. Classified as an R1 institution by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education, ECU is among the top 5% of research universities in the United States, an elite designation reflecting the highest levels of research activity, funding, and doctoral output.

Founded in 1907, ECU is a public, four-year university located in Greenville, N.C., which is widely regarded as the cultural, educational, economic, and medical hub of eastern North Carolina. Through education, research, healthcare, community engagement, athletics, cultural enrichment, and service, ECU enhances the quality of life for its students, the state and communities around the world. It is a great place to work, teach, and learn.

ECU's commitment to impactful scholarship is further demonstrated through its repeated Carnegie Community Engagement Classification (2010, 2015, 2024), as well as its 2024 designation as a Carnegie Leadership for Public Purpose institution. These distinctions recognize the university's leadership in translating research into meaningful community partnerships and measurable societal benefits. The university supports its workforce through a wide range of professional development opportunities designed to foster career growth and skill advancement. Eligible employees also benefit from a comprehensive benefits package that promotes a healthy work-life balance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The General Counsel and Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs ("General Counsel") is chief legal counsel for East Carolina University. The Office of University Counsel is responsible for addressing the university's comprehensive legal needs, including contracts, policies and procedures, litigation coordination, legal advice regarding compliance with applicable regulatory requests, etc. East Carolina University, with an enrollment of approximately 26,000 students, is the only constituent institution in the University of North Carolina system with a School of Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, and College of Engineering and Technology. The Office of University Counsel provides comprehensive legal advice and counsel regarding legal matters to the Chancellor, the Board of Trustees, the principal administrators of the University and, through them, to faculty, staff, and students of East Carolina University.

Primary Purpose of Position

The Senior Associate General Counsel & Privacy Officer will provide leadership and oversight for the University's compliance with the wide range of privacy laws and regulations. The Senior Associate General Counsel and Privacy Officer has the responsibility of assisting the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsels in providing comprehensive legal advice and assistance to East Carolina University, particularly with respect to transactional, data governance, and privacy matters. This position will report directly to the Deputy General Counsel and Associate Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs or General Counsel and will assist in advising the Chancellor, the Provost and other senior administrators including vice chancellors, deans and department chairs, as well as the Board of Trustees, faculty and staff concerning legal matters related to transactions, data governance, data privacy and security, artificial intelligence, and data incident and breach response.

This position will serve as the University's HIPAA Privacy Officer and will develop, implement, maintain, and monitor privacy-focused policies, procedures, and guidelines to keep the University in compliance with Federal, State, and International regulations. This position requires extensive coordination with senior leaders across the clinical practices, academic medical center, and research enterprises. The Privacy Officer will partner regularly with information technology professionals and must have knowledge of information security and data governance principles in order to assist in improving the institution's approach to managing digital risk across dispersed units, committees, and systems. This position utilizes knowledge of legal and compliance issues relating to HIPAA, federal and state privacy laws, FERPA, data breach response laws, General Data Protection Regulation, Gramm Leach Bliley Act, and the Federal Information Security Modernization Act. The Privacy Officer will build and maintain a comprehensive privacy program that coordinates informational resources, training, complaints, notices, and breach or non-compliance audits or investigations regarding various Privacy obligations arising from applicable laws and regulations.

The Senior Associate General Counsel & Privacy Officer serves as a liaison between East Carolina University and (1) the legal staff of the University of North Carolina Office of the President, (2) the legal staff of the North Carolina Department of Justice/Office of the Attorney General, and (3) other entities outside the University. The Senior Associate General Counsel & Privacy Officer represents the University before a variety of external regulatory and law enforcement agencies. This function requires responding to inquiries, charges, or complaints, registered by or with such organizations, usually through conducting internal investigations; marshaling evidence; and assisting in the development and articulation of responses by University administrators and preparation for related investigations, hearings and/or litigation.

May fill as Associate General Counsel and Privacy Officer (classification and working title) based on qualifications and experience of selected candidate.

Minimum Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school; and either a current member in good standing of the North Carolina Bar or eligible for admission to the North Carolina Bar within one (1) year of hiring
• A minimum of five (5) years of legal practice experience

License or Certification Required by Statute or Regulation: None

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP)
• Experience in data privacy compliance with extensive working knowledge of GDPR, HIPAA, FERPA, GLBA and other privacy laws
• Experience managing data security and incident response matters, and building compliance programs

Pay

$166,500–$185,000. Salary offered may be outside of this range as impacted by budget, UNC salary administration, and/or candidate qualifications.

Schedule and Location

Full Time, 1.0 FTE. Position Location: Greenville, NC. Position Type: Non-Faculty. Job Category: Non-Faculty Professional.