Assistant General Counsel

RWE•Austin, TX

66d•$190,000 - $235,000•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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 with significant experience in renewables or energy projects. 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
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. RWE Clean Energy is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time.

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

Benefits

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
Holidays
Eligible employees also participate in short-term incentives, in addition to salary.