Higher Education Legal Advisor

Key Responsibilities

Higher Education Legislation and Regulatory Frameworks

• Monitor, review, and interpret national laws, proclamations, regulations, directives, policies, and guidelines relevant to higher education.
• Support the review and development of legislation, regulations, policies, directives, standards, and institutional guidelines governing higher education.
• Analyze emerging legal and regulatory issues and assess their implications for higher education institutions and sector reforms.
• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, overlaps, and implementation challenges within existing higher education legal and regulatory frameworks.
• Provide technical inputs and recommendations for strengthening the coherence, relevance, and effectiveness of higher education regulatory frameworks.
• Maintain an updated repository and tracking mechanism for relevant legislative and regulatory developments.

Regulatory Compliance and Institutional Oversight

• Support the development and implementation of frameworks, procedures, and tools for monitoring institutional compliance with applicable higher education laws, regulations, policies, standards, and directives.
• Conduct or support institutional compliance reviews, regulatory assessments, inspections, and related oversight activities.
• Prepare compliance assessments, regulatory review reports, risk analyses, and recommendations for management and relevant authorities.

Higher Education Governance and Policy Advisory

• Provide technical legal and policy advice on higher education governance, institutional roles and responsibilities, accountability, and regulatory matters.
• Support universities and relevant Ministry directorates in interpreting and applying higher education laws, regulations, policies, and directives.
• Contribute to strengthening institutional governance frameworks, policies, procedures, and accountability mechanisms.
• Support the development of practical guidance materials to facilitate consistent implementation of higher education policies and regulatory requirements.
• Promote good governance principles, transparency, accountability, institutional responsibility, and compliance across participating higher education institutions.

Capacity Building and Stakeholder Engagement

• Organize and facilitate training, workshops, consultations, and awareness activities on higher education legislation, regulatory requirements, governance, compliance, and emerging legal issues.
• Provide technical assistance, coaching, and guidance to university leaders, legal officers, governance bodies, and relevant technical staff.
• Strengthen institutional capacity to interpret, implement, monitor, and comply with higher education legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate with Ministry directorates, universities, regulatory and accreditation bodies, government agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Represent HDEEP and/or the Ministry in relevant policy, legislative, regulatory, governance, and technical forums.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Knowledge Management

• Develop and maintain systems for tracking legislative developments, regulatory compliance, institutional assessments, and policy implementation.
• Prepare periodic reports, legal and regulatory assessments, policy briefs, and analytical reports for management and relevant stakeholders.
• Document lessons learned, institutional good practices, regulatory challenges, and emerging issues to inform continuous improvement.
• Support the development and dissemination of knowledge products on higher education legislation, governance, regulatory compliance, and policy reform.
• Contribute to monitoring and evaluation activities by providing regulatory and institutional governance insights.
• Perform other duties as assigned by management

Required Qualifications

Education and Experience

• A master’s degree in Law, Public Policy, Public Administration, Higher Education Administration, Governance, or a related discipline.
• A Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) or equivalent legal qualification is highly desirable for candidates providing legal and legislative advisory functions.
• At least 5 years of relevant experience in higher education regulation, legal affairs, policy development, regulatory compliance, governance, quality assurance, or public administration.
• Experience working with higher education institutions, government agencies, regulatory bodies, accreditation or quality assurance institutions, or development partners is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in policy analysis, legislative review, regulatory assessment, institutional compliance, or governance reform.

Technical Competencies

• Strong understanding of higher education legislation, regulatory frameworks, and institutional governance.
• Strong knowledge of public sector governance, administrative law, regulatory compliance, and policy processes.
• Knowledge of higher education quality assurance, accreditation, academic standards, and institutional oversight mechanisms.
• Strong policy analysis, legal interpretation, legislative review, and regulatory assessment skills.
• Understanding of institutional governance, accountability, risk management, and compliance systems.
• Knowledge of intellectual property, data protection, privacy, and emerging regulatory issues affecting digital higher education is desirable.
• Ability to translate complex legal and regulatory requirements into practical institutional guidance and recommendations.
• Strong research, analytical, report writing, documentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and relevant legal, regulatory, or information management systems.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic and results-oriented approach to regulatory oversight and higher education governance.
• Strong ability to provide objective technical advice and influence policy and institutional decision-making.
• Excellent communication, consultation, negotiation, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work effectively with government officials, university leadership, legal professionals, academics, and other stakeholders.
• Strong professional judgment, attention to detail, and ability to manage sensitive and complex regulatory matters.
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, impartiality, accountability, and professional ethics.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple assignments, and deliver high-quality outputs within agreed timelines.
• Ability to adapt to changes in legislation, government policy, and the higher education regulatory environment.

Working Conditions

• Office-based in Addis Ababa with regular travel to participating universities and regions.
• Regular participation in institutional compliance reviews, policy consultations, regulatory assessments, workshops, technical working groups, and stakeholder engagements.
• May require participation in legislative review committees, public consultations, and regulatory forums.
• Occasional work outside regular business hours may be required to meet policy, regulatory, legislative, and program deadlines.