Legal Counsel – Public Sector & Compliance

About You

You are an agile and solution-oriented Legal Counsel who enjoys navigating complex legal challenges and providing practical guidance that supports business growth. You thrive in dynamic environments where priorities can shift quickly, bringing strong legal judgment, adaptability, and the ability to deliver high-quality work under demanding timelines.

You are comfortable working across different regulatory frameworks, building trusted relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders, and translating legal complexities into clear, actionable recommendations. You combine analytical thinking with strong interpersonal skills, a customer-service mindset, and a proactive approach to protecting business interests while enabling commercial opportunities.

Note: This is a full-time, hybrid position based in San Salvador, El Salvador.

You Bring to Applaudo the Following Competencies

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LL.B. or equivalent) and active bar admission.
• 3–5+ years of professional experience in Public Procurement Law, Labor Law, Regulatory Compliance, or Corporate Legal Advisory.
• Proven ability to draft, review, and negotiate contracts under tight deadlines, including turnaround times of approximately 4–5 business days.
• Strong knowledge of public bidding processes, contract drafting, Terms of Reference (ToR) analysis, and Labor Law.
• Strong legal reasoning and the ability to quickly understand and adapt to new local and regional regulatory frameworks.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with Sales, Finance, People Experience, and external stakeholders.
• Strong emotional intelligence, adaptability, and a customer-service mindset.
• Ability to manage changing priorities and navigate complex legal processes while protecting business interests.
• Professional proficiency in Spanish and English, with advanced English proficiency desired.

Nice to Have

• Understanding of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations.

You Will Be Accountable for the Following Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive legal support for public sector engagements and bidding processes, contributing to deal closure and business growth.
• Ensure compliance with multi-jurisdictional regulations and statutory obligations to mitigate legal risks and prevent penalties.
• Review and analyze Terms of Reference (ToR), subcontractor documentation, and public tender requirements to provide legal recommendations and finalize contracts.
• Collaborate closely with Public Sector Sales, Finance, People Experience, and Talent Acquisition teams to provide regulatory guidance and legal support.
• Lead weekly legal reviews of public bidding opportunities and contribute to go/no-go decisions.
• Conduct monthly compliance audits and maintain the corporate Compliance Matrix to identify risks and generate actionable reports.
• Implement automated alerts and legal tracking workflows to ensure timely management of public tender and compliance deadlines.
• Support operational reporting and performance tracking, including bidding participation, deal win rates, and compliance fulfillment.
• Present legal findings, compliance risks, and recommendations to the Head of Legal Affairs.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LL.B. or equivalent) and active bar admission.
• 3–5+ years of experience in Corporate Legal Advisory, Public Procurement Law, or Regulatory Compliance.
• Strong contract drafting, negotiation, and legal risk assessment skills.
• Knowledge of public bidding processes, Terms of Reference (ToR), and Labor Law.
• Strong stakeholder management, adaptability, and ability to work under tight deadlines.
• Professional Spanish and English proficiency; advanced English preferred.

About Us

We Are Engineered Different.

At Applaudo, talented people design, build, and scale meaningful, AI-powered solutions that create real business impact. As an AI-native organization, we collaborate across design, development, cloud, data, and artificial intelligence to turn ideas into scalable products that transform how companies operate, make decisions, and grow.

We are building a high-performance culture grounded in five values: Empowering Excellence, Collaborative Teamwork, Unsolicited Respect, Consistent Transparency, and Efficient Communication. These define how we work, how we support one another, and how we hold ourselves accountable.

Applaudo is a place for people who want to learn fast, take ownership, and work alongside strong teams they are proud to belong to. Joining us means being part of an organization that is evolving intentionally, investing in modern ways of working, and leading AI-native transformation at scale.