Corporate Counsel

The VEIC Legal team is seeking a corporate attorney to join its team. The Legal Team is committed to a supportive and collaborative teamwork environment, keeping in mind business needs and objectives while providing professional and practical advice to its internal clients and in its legal representation of VEIC externally. The Corporate Counsel will be responsible for providing strategic advice to VEIC on a wide range of legal issues, including contracting, compliance, intellectual property, confidentiality, corporate and non-profit legal issues, dispute resolution, and litigation. This position will serve as a core member of the legal department for advising both the other members of the Legal Department and colleagues throughout the organization on various topics and issues within Legal’s purview.

We are committed to building a work community that is inclusive and represents a vibrant diversity of background, experience, perspective, and thought. Climate change impacts all of us; however, we are impacted differently based on our identities and experiences. We all deserve a place at the table to make decisions about our collective future – we hope you’ll consider joining us as we work towards our vision for a healthy planet, thriving people, and energy justice.

Candidates across all markers of identity (age, race, gender, ability, veteran status, communication style, etc.) are highly encouraged to apply.

• Navigates complex legal issues and provides practical, business-oriented advice while preserving the legal interests of the organization.
• Develops rules, guidelines, processes, and procedures applicable to the specific functional areas described below, and provides guidance and training on these processes to the broader organization.

Functional Areas:

Contracting:

• Drafts reviews and negotiates agreements of all kinds with third parties in support of VEIC’s business objectives.
• Aligns legal contract advice with the applicable framework appropriate to the contract, such as federal, state, and local agency contracts, contracts overseen by a regulatory body, or that carry specific government compliance requirements.
• Provides legal advice regarding various compliance issues encountered by VEIC by virtue of its wide range of contract commitments.

Corporate Governance and Compliance:

• Develops and maintains various internal policies that support business transactions or objectives.
• Ensures that VEIC’s general corporate operations are in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and contract requirements.
• Provides legal advice regarding privacy and data security, confidentiality, cybersecurity, or data privacy matters.

Intellectual Property, Confidentiality and Privacy

• Advises VEIC’s business areas on confidentiality and privacy issues.
• Provides guidance on issues related to intellectual property and data ownership.
• Researches relevant IP, confidentiality, and privacy rules and regulations and advises on necessary requirements and procedures.

Litigation and Dispute Resolution: 

• Resolves pre-suit complaints or disputes with customers, contractors, and staff, as needed.
• Supports formal litigation matters including but not limited to coordinating with outside counsel and insurance claims representatives, develops and executes the approved legal strategy, drafts and implements litigation hold and preservation notices, and project manages dispute resolution and litigation matters until conclusion.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Strong personal commitment to the mission, vision, goals and values of VEIC.
• Bachelor’s degree and a License to practice law in at least one US jurisdiction
• Minimum of 5 years experience working within an in-house legal department of an organization, with a preference for experience at a tax-exempt nonprofit or within the regulated utility or renewable energy field
• Preferred Qualification: Specific expertise in at least one of the following areas:

• Federal and/or state government contracting
• Compliance
• Intellectual property and trade secrets
• Confidentiality and data privacy
• The Corporate Counsel is expected to maintain and expand their legal knowledge by participating in continuing legal education seminars and staying informed of new developments in the law.
• Creative problem-solving and an accessible approach to translating legal concepts to non-legal colleagues.
• Strategic thinking, research, and analytical skills with a focus on prioritization of impactful and realistic goals.
• Self-direction - ability to work independently on assigned tasks/projects, take ownership of projects while collaborating with others to achieve goals, foster teamwork, organize and work on multiple tasks and complete assignments within specified deadlines.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing to staff, internal and external customers, leadership, regulators, law firms, and partner organizations.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to be organized, detail-oriented, accurate, and able to handle multiple tasks and competing priorities in a dynamic and fast-paced  environment, while maintaining a customer focus.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to establish credibility, confidence, and trust across all levels of the organization.