Commercial Lawyer and Privacy Officer

Job Description

Add expected salary to your profile for insights At Torrens University Australia, making a difference is in our DNA. As a Certified B Corporation, we belong to a global community of future-focused companies using business as a force for good. We believe in the transformative power of education to change lives, families, communities – and the world. That’s why we’re on a mission to increase access to higher education, so learners from all walks of life can chase their dreams. Just like our students, our employees are a diverse group who want to make an impact. When you join us, we give you the freedom to be bold, creative and courageous – with flexible working arrangements that allow you to bring your best. We’ve built a culture that celebrates community, collaboration and innovation, where people love what they do. What’s the job? The Commercial Lawyer and Privacy Officer is responsible for supporting the General Counsel and Company Secretary with all legal aspects of the operations of the Torrens Global Education (“TGE”) group in Australia, New Zealand, China and Colombia (“Group”). As well as day to day contract management activities, the Commercial Lawyer is to hold the office of Privacy Officer for the Group and is expected to provide advice to the Group and legal assistance in relation to all privacy related issues as they arise. The Privacy Officer ensures that the Group meets its legislated privacy obligations under state and Commonwealth law and relevant international privacy laws, including GDRP. The Privacy Officer has multiple responsibilities, such as handling privacy complaints, identifying areas of non-compliance, giving advice on privacy impact assessments, and guiding on privacy-related issues. Moreover, the Privacy Officer is responsible for managing privacy and right to information requests. This is a Full Time Permanent position and is based at our Surry Hills campus in Sydney. Accountabilities: Reviewing, negotiating, amending and drafting contracts proposed to be entered into by the Group and ensuring that they comply with Group legal policies and procedures and external auditing requirements as a key SOX controller. Providing legal support to various departments including the procurement team. This involves reviewing, drafting and negotiating contracts, directing the onboarding of suppliers where required, and providing advice and assistance with more complex legal issues, as they arise. Provide strategic legal advice on high value commercial transactions with domestic and international partners. Assist with a variety of legal matters requested by the wider Group including letters of termination, deeds of variation, NDAs, teach out agreements, data processing agreements relating to privacy and information sharing, collaboration agreements, bespoke letters and other documents on behalf of the Group in a hands-on, pragmatic and efficient manner. Negotiate property leases for the Group in conjunction with instructions from critical stakeholders and instructing / liaising with external legal counsel. Advise on ICT agreements, data access agreements, equipment purchase agreements and privacy compliance. To act as a focal point within the Group and to members of the public for all matters related to privacy and personal information. This includes coordination of internal and external privacy enquiries and requests for access to, and correction of, personal information. We Are Looking For: Extensive post qualification experience (at least 8 to 10 years’ post admission) as a senior lawyer including demonstrated experience in advising, negotiating and drafting a range of commercial contracts including legal documents in relation to IT services contracts, privacy, data protection and cyber security, commercialisation or academic research and corporate governance; advising on a range of local and global projects. Extensive experience in interpreting and applying the requirements of relevant privacy legislation and regulation as well as extensive knowledge of contemporary issues in privacy and access to information matters. Excellent written and oral community skills in public and private settings with diverse audiences, including the ability to effectively translate complex legal ideas or concepts for lay audiences. Exceptional attention to detail. High level of problem-solving skills with a commercial approach. Strong and demonstrable negotiation skills including a capacity to exercise sound judgement. An ability to work within a small team and adopt a flexible approach to a demanding and time pressured client base. Bold, modern and agile, we’re Australia’s fastest-growing university, going from 164 students in 2014 to 40,000+ alumni across 115+ countries and 2000+ staff today. In 2020, Australian Financial Review named us one of the country’s most innovative companies. As we continue to establish ourselves as a truly global university, we never lose sight of our student-centric approach. Supported by teams of passionate people, you’ll find endless opportunities for professional development and career progression. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and committed to creating an inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, age, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for all positions. What we offer We support your personal passions, development and wellbeing, to make your working life a more rewarding experience. At Torrens University Australia, you’ll benefit from: B Corp certified university – values driven, and purpose led. Thrive in a supportive and collaborative work environment that values diversity and inclusion. Access to internal opportunities - Be supported to learn, grow and move across the organisation. Hiring process We aim to provide you with the necessary information you need at each stage of this process to put your best self forward. Should you have accessibility requirements or needs please contact for confidential support to ensure an equitable, barrier free application process as we have a Reasonable Adjustment Procedure in place to support you through the recruitment process. We are a 2025 Circle Back Initiative Employer and commit to respond to every applicant. To learn more about what makes Torrens University Australia a great place to work, visit We’d love to hear from you. Job Reference: R26456 To ensure a fair and thorough review process, applications for this role will close on Monday 10th March. You can expect to hear from our Talent Acquisition team after this date with any updates about your applications. #J-18808-Ljbffr