SENIOR LEGAL OFFICER – HEALTHCARE / LEGAL OFFICER – HEALTHCARE (OPEN RANK)

Posting Number SRGV8876

Working Title SENIOR LEGAL OFFICER – HEALTHCARE / LEGAL OFFICER – HEALTHCARE (OPEN RANK)

Number of Vacancies 2

Location McAllen, Texas

Department Legal Affairs

FTE 1

FLSA Exempt

Scope of Job

Senior Legal Officer:

To provide sophisticated and professional legal advice, support, and assistance to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on a full array of regulatory/compliance, risk management, transactional, academic (student/trainee), and litigation-related issues associated with medical, podiatric, or allied-health practices and education.

Legal Officer:

To provide legal advice, support, and assistance to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley administration and its Division of Health Affairs on a full array of regulatory/compliance, transactional, student/trainee, and associated with medical and allied health clinical practices, research, and education.

Description of Duties

Senior Legal Officer:

• Provides accurate, knowledgeable, and timely legal advice based on experience, research and analysis on a broad range of regulatory/compliance, risk management, transactional, academic (student/trainee) and litigation-related issues arising in medical, podiatric, and allied-health education and related clinical practice(s), and on UTRGV’s current or future affiliation(s) with external group practices or hospital(s) (including, without limitation: Stark and Anti-Kickback; HIPAA; reimbursements, including governmental and private payors; accreditation-related issues; false claims; tax; anti-trust; tissue or organ transplantation; collections; risk management; licensure and credentialing; and investigation and management of potentially compensable events and malpractice or negligence claims).
• Ensures all aspects of the University’s medical, podiatric, and allied-health clinical practices meet applicable regulatory requirements.
• Collaborates with general-legal attorneys as well as University administrators and executive leadership to achieve University objectives and advance institutional missions and strategic priorities in compliance with law.
• Manages assigned malpractice claims and lawsuits filed against the University and its employees or learners; conduct pre-litigation investigation, discovery, motions practice, mediation, trial preparation, and appeals; ensure effective coordination between the University, the Office of General Counsel at UT System, and the Attorney General or other outside counsel.
• Drafts and reviews legal documents including without limitation contracts, memoranda of law, policies, procedures, and litigation-related documents.
• Supports and provides legal advice for strategic planning, development and maintenance of clinical operations for the medical, podiatric, and allied-health practices as needed in collaboration with Office of Legal Affairs leadership.
• Establishes and maintains positive, effective working relationships within the Office of Legal Affairs, with UTRGV administrators and executive leadership, The University of Texas System, the Texas Attorney General’s Office (or other outside counsel), affiliated health systems and the local community.
• Ensures that the Office of Legal Affairs leadership and, as necessary, University administrators or executive leadership, The UT System Office of General Counsel or the Texas Attorney General’s Office (or other outside counsel) are made aware of and kept informed of developments in projects and activities.
• Effectively prioritizes and completes duties within designated time frames.
• Maintains awareness of developments in areas of law affecting the University through review of current legal literature, networking, and attending conferences and seminars.
• Assists on a limited basis, and only as needed, with general legal issues affecting the University, including without limitation public information, student and employee issues.
• Participates on various healthcare or institutional committees as necessary or assigned.
• Conducts legal presentations and training to faculty and staff as necessary or assigned.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Legal Officer:

• Provide accurate, knowledgeable, and timely legal advice based on research and analysis on a broad range of regulatory/compliance, transactional, and arising in medical and allied health education and related clinical practices, and on UTRGV’s affiliations with external group practices and hospitals (including without limitation, Stark and Anti-Kickback; HIPAA; physician reimbursement, including governmental and private payors; accreditation-related issues; false claims; tax; antitrust; tissue and organ transplantation; collections).
• Ensure all aspects of UTRGV’s medical and allied health clinical practices meet applicable regulatory requirements.
• Maintain awareness of developments in areas of law affecting UTRGV through review of current legal literature, networking, and attending conferences and seminars.
• Promote and ensure privacy and confidentiality of information and records at all times through the case management system, consistent with institutional, ethical, and legal standards.
• Draft and review legal documents including, without limitation, contracts, memoranda of law, policies, and procedures.
• Assist with general legal issues affecting UTRGV on an as needed basis.
• Conduct legal presentations and training to faculty and staff as necessary or assigned.
• Serves on committees, special projects and workgroups as needed.
• Establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships within the Office of Legal Affairs, UTRGV, The University of Texas System and its institutions, outside counsel, and the local community.
• Ensure that the Chief Legal Officer and, as necessary, the UTRGV administration, The UT System Office of General Counsel or other outside counsel are made aware of and kept informed of developments in projects and activities.
• Effectively prioritize and complete duties within designated time frames.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervision Received

General supervision from assigned supervisor.

Supervision Given

Direct supervision of assigned staff.

Required Education

J.D. from ABA accredited law school.

Preferred Education

N/A

Licenses/Certifications

Senior Legal Officer:

(TX-ATTY) LICENSED ATTORNEY Licensed attorney in the State of Texas Upon Hire

Legal Officer:

Must be licensed to practice in the State of Texas or the ability to get licensed within 12 months of hire.

Required Experience

Senior Legal Officer:

Three (3) years of professional legal experience in a healthcare law practice is required.

Legal Officer:

Experience as an attorney, including experience obtained within general healthcare, compliance, and/or higher education.

Preferred Experience

Senior Legal Officer:

Experience practicing law at an academic medical center or other institution of higher education or representing governmental agencies. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a high degree of professionalism, maturity, discretion, and integrity in dealing with individuals at all levels of the University as well as external group practices or hospitals. Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, ability to manage multiple demands, respond effectively within tight deadlines, and adapt to changing priorities and needs while maintaining a strong commitment to customer service and teamwork.

Legal Officer:

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with a high degree of professionalism, maturity, discretion and integrity in dealing with individuals at all levels of UTRGV as well as with external group practices and hospitals. Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills; ability to manage multiple demands, respond effectively within tight deadlines; and adapt to changing priorities and needs while maintaining a strong commitment to customer service and teamwork.

Equipment

Use of standard office equipment.

Working Conditions

Needs to be able to successfully perform all required duties. Office environment; some travel and weekend work is required. UTRGV is a distributed institution, which may require presence at multiple locations throughout the Rio Grande Valley.

Other

Senior Legal Officer:

• Work requires broad substantive legal knowledge and the ability to analyze a wide range of issues impacting a complex academic medical center.
• Work requires ability to read, write, analyze, issue spot, and coordinate effectively with multiple individuals, teams and offices to accomplish goals.
• Work requires effective written and oral communication skills and the ability to develop legal opinions, memoranda, presentations, policies and other work product that is accurate and high quality.
• Work requires a high degree of professionalism and the ability to function independently as a practicing attorney.
• Work requires telephone and personal contact with all levels of internal and external personnel and organizations

Legal Officer:

• Advanced written and oral communication skills. Will require some evening or weekend work to process the workload in an excellent and timely manner. Requires some travel.

Physical Capabilities

N/A

Employment Category Full-Time

Minimum Salary Commensurate with Experience

Posted Salary Commensurate with Experience

Position Available Date 03/20/2026

Grant Funded Position No

If Yes, Provide Grant Expiration Date

EEO Statement

It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to promote and ensure equal employment opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or protected veteran status. In accordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University is committed to comply with all government requirements and ensures non-discrimination in its education programs and activities, including employment. We encourage women, minorities and differently abled persons to apply for employment positions of interest.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Dear Applicant, Human Resources will not be held responsible for redacting any confidential information from the documents you attach with your application. The confidential information includes the following: *Date of Birth *Social Security Number *Gender *Ethnicity/Race Please make sure that you omit this information prior to submission. We are advising that Human Resources will be forwarding your application to the department as per your submission. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at (956)665-8880 and/or careers@utrgv.edu.

Additional Information

UTRGV is a distributed location institution and working location is subject to change based on need.

All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal background check (CBC). Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Substitutions to the above requirements must have prior approval from the VP of HR & Talent Development .

Quick Link https://careers.utrgv.edu/postings/50578

Read Full Description