Legal Counsel - Public Sector & Compliance

About the role

Applaudo Studios is hiring a full-time, hybrid Legal Counsel focused on public sector engagements and regulatory compliance, based in San Salvador, El Salvador. The role provides practical legal guidance that supports business growth, works across regulatory frameworks and delivers clear recommendations under tight deadlines.

Key responsibilities

• Provide legal support for public sector engagements and bidding processes, helping close deals and grow the business.
• Ensure compliance with multi-jurisdictional regulations and statutory obligations to reduce legal risk and avoid penalties.
• Analyze Terms of Reference, subcontractor documentation and public tender requirements, then recommend and finalize contracts.
• Work with Public Sector Sales, Finance, People Experience and Talent Acquisition teams on regulatory guidance.
• Lead weekly legal reviews of public bidding opportunities and help make go/no-go decisions.
• Run monthly compliance audits, maintain the corporate Compliance Matrix and report on identified risks.
• Set up automated alerts and legal tracking workflows for public tender and compliance deadlines.
• Support reporting on bidding participation, deal win rates and compliance fulfillment, and present findings to the Head of Legal Affairs.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Law (LL.B. or equivalent) and active bar admission.
• 3-5+ years of experience in public procurement law, labor law, regulatory compliance or corporate legal advisory.
• Proven ability to draft, review and negotiate contracts under tight deadlines, around 4-5 business days.
• Strong knowledge of public bidding, contract drafting, Terms of Reference analysis and labor law.
• Professional Spanish and English; advanced English preferred.
• Nice to have: understanding of anti-money laundering (AML) regulations.

Required skills

• Contract drafting, negotiation and legal risk assessment.
• Public bidding processes and Terms of Reference analysis.
• Ability to adapt quickly to new local and regional regulatory frameworks.