Associate Counsel III - 992761

We are excited that you are considering joining Nova Southeastern University!

Nova Southeastern University (NSU) was founded in 1964, and is a not-for-profit, independent university with a reputation for academic excellence and innovation. Nova Southeastern University offers competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package including tuition waiver, retirement plan, excellent medical and dental plans and much more. NSU cares about the health and welfare of its students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors and is a tobacco-free university.

We appreciate your support in making NSU the preeminent place to live, work, study and grow. Thank you for your interest in a career with Nova Southeastern University.

Primary Purpose:

Provides comprehensive legal counsel to support the University’s contracting, transactional, and operational needs, ensuring compliance, mitigating risk, and advancing institutional priorities. The role leads the drafting, review, and negotiation of a wide range of agreements—including employment, vendor services, acquisitions, donations, funding, and regulatory compliance—and offers strategic guidance to the individual colleges, schools, programs, and departments. A key focus of the position is advising on real estate transactions, land use, leasing, and property management to ensure adherence to federal, state, and local requirements and to facilitate the successful negotiation and execution of complex real estate agreements across the University’s entities.

Job Category: Exempt

Hiring Range:  Commensurate with experience

Pay Basis:  Annually

Subject to Grant Funding? No  

Essential Job Functions: 

1. Drafts, reviews, negotiates, and approves a broad range of legal agreements and documents in support of University operations, academic programs, and real estate interests, ensuring legal sufficiency as to form and substance.
2. Provides legal counsel and guidance to University leadership, administrators, faculty, and staff on transactional, operational, regulatory, and compliance matters.
3. Conducts legal research and analysis of federal and state statutes, regulations, administrative rulings, and case law; prepares recommendations on matters referred by senior leadership, including issues affecting students, personnel, academic programs, healthcare services, and community activities.
4. Supports colleagues, senior staff, and upper management on legal matters and special initiatives as needed.
5. Coordinates and maintains executed agreements and related legal documentation within centralized filing systems and electronic databases.
6. Delegates appropriate administrative and legal support tasks to paralegals and student employees.
7. Provides legal counsel on real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, easements, licenses, and property development.
8. Advises on land use, zoning, permitting, environmental compliance, and other regulatory matters affecting University properties and development projects.
9. Conducts and oversees real estate due diligence, including title and survey review, risk assessment, and coordination with external counsel and consultants.
10. Represents the University in real estate negotiations with developers, landlords, tenants, governmental entities, and other third parties.
11. Collaborates with Facilities, Finance, Planning & Construction, Risk Management, and senior leadership on property‑related projects, planning, and strategy.
12. Manages a diverse real estate portfolio, balancing multiple concurrent transactions, deadlines, and workflows.
13. Provides legal guidance on property disputes, boundary matters, eminent domain, and related litigation or administrative proceedings.
14. Performs special projects as assigned.
15. Performs other duties as assigned or required.

Job Requirements: 

Required Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: 1. Demonstrated ability to manage time effectively, meet deadlines, and handle a high volume of complex legal work with flexibility across legal subject areas.
2. Strong legal knowledge base and/or demonstrated interest in multiple areas of law relevant to university and transactional matters.
3. Broad transactional experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide range of legal and real estate documents.
4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including contract drafting, negotiation, and clear legal analysis.
5. Ability to conduct thorough, high‑quality legal research and provide accurate, practical recommendations.
6. Proven ability to exercise sound legal judgment with discretion, professionalism, integrity, and strict confidentiality.
7. Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to interpret complex legal documents and regulatory requirements.
8. Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively with internal stakeholders and external partners at all levels.
9. Demonstrated influence and initiative in achieving successful outcomes in transactional and advisory settings.
10. Comprehensive knowledge of real estate law, including acquisitions, dispositions, leasing, easements, licenses, title matters, and property development.
11. Working knowledge of land‑use, zoning, environmental regulations, permitting processes, and applicable federal, state, and local compliance requirements.
12. Familiarity with contract law and real estate‑related transactional documents, including purchase agreements, leases, construction and development agreements, and financing instruments.
13. Understanding of title and survey review, legal descriptions, boundary issues, risk assessments, and negotiation strategies related to real estate transactions and property management.
14. Knowledge of institutional or corporate real estate operations, preferably within higher education, public entities, or similarly complex environments.
15. High attention to detail, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple transactions, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously in a fast‑paced environment.
16. Ability and willingness to travel as required, including daily or overnight travel.

Required Certifications/Licensures: Active license to practice law in the State of Florida

Required Education: Juris Doctorate

Major (if required: 

Required Experience: Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school and five (5) years to eight (8) years experience as an attorney that includes primary experience in areas of contract review, negotiation, and drafting, and progressively responsible experience in real estate law, including transactional work, property development, leasing, land‑use, and zoning matters.

Preferred Qualifications: 

1. General transactional law experience in various areas of law; experience in real estate law preferred.
2. Experience providing legal counsel within a complex institutional environment, such as a university, public agency, hospital system, or similarly structured organization.
3. Demonstrated experience handling real estate transactions involving campus facilities, academic buildings, student housing, research spaces, or institutional land holdings.
4. Experience managing multiple concurrent real estate matters with the ability to operate in a fast paced, multi stakeholder academic environment.

Is this a safety sensitive position? No  

Background Screening Required?  Yes  

Pre-Employment Conditions: 

Sensitivity Disclaimer: Nova Southeastern University is in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and does not discriminate with regard to applicants or employees with disabilities and will make reasonable accommodation when necessary.

NSU considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status or any other legally protected status.