Assistant General Counsel (Austin, TX, US, 78701) chez RWE

RWE Clean Energy, LLC
To start as soon as possible, full time, permanent

Functional area: Legal / Compliance
Remuneration: Exempt

The Assistant General Counsel will provide legal support to the U.S. renewable energy business team with a focus on certain areas of the United States, as determined by management. 

Work will be dedicated to the provision of legal advice associated with real estate topics in connection with the preparation and negotiation of a wide variety of real estate documents required for the development and construction of renewable energy projects, e.g., lease agreements, easements, purchase options, co-tenancy agreements, shared facilities agreements, and crossing agreements.

Work will include review of title documents, resolution of title issues, negotiation of title insurance policies, and related topics, together with the ability to work with support staff and other business partners, collaboratively, to support the Company’s real estate developers in the acquisition of land & development rights for prospective renewable energy projects.

Work will also include significant support and assistance in the discretionary local and state zoning processes and permitting requirements for renewable development project.

Position requires (a) close alignment and cooperation with the Company’s Legal Department’s teams in Austin, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois (which may include travel 5% of the time), (b) close alignment with the business partners that the Legal Department supports, and (c) demonstrated ability to apply a practical, rather than theoretical, focus to legal issues with a view to finding viable business solutions to those legal issues.

Role Responsibilities:

• Provide real estate and permitting legal support for the North American renewable energy business team (BESS, wind & solar) in connection with the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects in the United States
• Provide legal advice associated with land use, permitting, and real estate topics in connection with the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects. Work will include (a) reviewing, drafting, and negotiating lease agreements, purchase agreements, co-tenancy agreements, shared facilities agreements, and crossing agreements; (b) review of title documents, resolution of title issues, negotiation of title insurance policies; (c) review of ALTA project surveys; (d) working with business teams and other functional teams and local, state and federal agencies on topics related to permitting, land use, and zoning
• Advise legal leadership and other stakeholders during operations, identifying site control obligations and timing elements related to project operations, including advising on the impact of third-party request, ownership changes, requests to release land, etc.
• Provide real estate and permitting support on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other strategic transactions from inception through closing, including the review of transaction documents, purchase agreements, disclosure schedules, and other ancillary contracts Develop and maintain templates and processes to streamline transaction execution and improve efficiency
• Conduct legal due diligence, identify risks and liabilities, and provide practical recommendations to mitigate those risks, including legal advice associated with land use, permitting, and real estate topics in connection with the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects
• Mentor junior attorneys and other legal staff in the real estate and permitting department
• Support tax equity financing efforts by preparing diligence materials, managing datarooms, and contributing to transaction documents and disclosure schedules in coordination with the structured finance team
• Ability to work with legal support staff, collaboratively, utilizing a land management software to support the business teams in the acquisition of land rights for the development, construction, and operation of renewable energy projects
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (finance, tax, HR, compliance, operations, and business leadership) to ensure projects are aligned with strategic objectives
• Manage and oversee outside counsel for overflow work, ensuring cost-effective and timely legal support
• Collaborate with and delegate to paralegals, real estate specialists, and administrative staff to ensure efficient workflow and task distribution
• Paramount is the ability to see the big picture as to how real estate and permitting risks fit into the overall project lifecycle and risk review, thus an understanding of interconnection, energy marketing, environmental, regulatory, and procurement topics are all necessary to be successful in this role

Job Requirements and Experiences:

• J.D. (Juris Doctor) degree from a U.S. university
• Admission to a state bar in the United States
• Minimum 10 years’ experience as a real estate lawyer in the renewable space. Successful candidate are (i) required to have specific legal knowledge and experience in BESS, solar and wind permitting and real estate matters, and (ii) preferably have experience in some or all of the following areas: energy transmission, interconnection agreements, negotiation of tax abatement agreements and special use permits
• Industry experience: energy-related businesses in the U.S., with particular emphasis on legal work associated with the development, construction and operation of renewable energy and/or independent power projects
• The foregoing requirements are subject to change, and interested applicants are encouraged to apply or reapply for available positions. Hiring Manager may consider applicants with greater or lesser experience than that specified in the foregoing described requirements
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-management skills, with the ability to work effectively with internal teams, external counsel, title companies, surveyors, utilities, and counterparties
• Highly organized, with the ability to coordinate multiple projects, manage competing priorities, and ensure timely achievement of critical real estate and permitting milestones
• Adaptable and effective in rapidly changing environments
• Demonstrated desire to learn about the Company
• Goal-oriented, and resourceful, with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to identify practical solutions to complex real estate and permitting challenges
• Proven ability to empathize, build relationships, and effectively communicate with people from a diverse set of backgrounds
• This position is an office-based role with some travel and visits to other RWECE offices and field locations, including New York, California, Chicago, and Austin
• Must be able to sit, walk, or stand for long durations of time

Pay range: The annual base salary range for this position in Illinois is $190,000 - $235,000. The listed salary range represents our good faith estimate for this position and represents the range for new hire salaries across all U.S locations. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. RWE considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s education & work experience, training & certifications, and key skills as well as market and business considerations at the time of the offer.

Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays. Eligible employees also participate in short-term incentives, in addition to salary.

Apply with just a few clicks: ad code 90892.  Any questions? Contact HR:  [email protected]

We look forward to meeting you. Of course, you can find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Xing, too.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

Through its subsidiary RWE Clean Energy, RWE is the third largest renewable energy company in the United States, with a presence in most U.S. states from coast to coast. RWE’s team of about 2,000 employees in the U.S. stands ready to help meet the nation’s growing energy needs. With its homegrown and fastest-to-market product, RWE supports the goal of American Energy dominance and independence. To that end, RWE Clean Energy is committed to increasing its already strong asset base of over 10 gigawatts of operating wind, solar and battery projects, focusing on providing high-quality jobs. RWE invests in local and rural communities while strengthening domestic manufacturing supporting the renaissance of American industry. This is complemented by RWE’s energy trading business. RWE is also a major offtaker of American liquified natural gas (LNG).

As an energy company with a successful history spanning more than 125 years, RWE has an extensive knowledge of the energy markets and an excellent expertise in all major power generation and storage technologies, from nuclear, coal and gas to hydro, batteries, wind and solar.

Every project brings constantly-evolving technical, practical and social challenges – and drives a culture where everybody thrives, has fun and feels excited by each day. As the third largest renewable energy company in the U.S., you’ll also have the freedom to act with conviction and courage as we pivot to new technologies – and continuously improve, together.