Assistant General Counsel

Zachry Group•San Antonio, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Zachry Group is seeking a highly experienced construction attorney to join its corporate legal team as Assistant General Counsel, supporting engineering, procurement, supply chain, and EPC-related contracting. The role provides strategic, practical, business-focused legal support for supply chain, subcontracting, and EPC contracting activities. The attorney will advise procurement, supply chain, project, commercial, engineering, risk, compliance, and executive stakeholders and will have primary responsibility for drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and supporting administration of complex construction-related agreements across Zachry’s business lines. The successful candidate will bring substantial experience negotiating engineering, construction, procurement, subcontract, equipment, material, services, logistics, and related agreements, preferably for an EPC contractor or a legal team supporting major capital projects. The attorney will balance legal risk, commercial objectives, operational realities, and schedule pressures while helping the company meet commitments, collaborate effectively, communicate transparently, and support positive outcomes for projects, customers, suppliers, and internal teams. The position may be based in San Antonio or Houston, Texas, and requires regular collaboration across Zachry’s enterprise and project locations. Work is primarily in a professional office environment and involves responsive support in a fast-paced, high-accountability business setting.

Requirements

Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and strong undergraduate academic credentials.
Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of Texas, or eligibility and willingness to become licensed in Texas promptly.
At least 10 years of significant legal experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating construction, engineering, EPC, subcontract, equipment, material, services, or major commercial agreements.
Demonstrated experience supporting complex construction, industrial, energy, chemical, refining, power, nuclear, infrastructure, manufacturing, or major capital project matters.
Strong understanding of commercial risk allocation, project execution, construction contract strategy, supplier management, prime contract flow-downs, change management, project controls, pricing concepts, schedule impacts, and claims avoidance.
Excellent drafting, negotiation, analytical, communication, and judgment skills, including the ability to translate legal concepts into practical business guidance.
Familiarity with Construction Lifecycle Management platforms, including Ironclad or an equivalent platform.
Demonstrated highest-order ethical standards, sound professional judgment, and commitment to doing the right thing in difficult or time-sensitive circumstances.
Ability to work collaboratively with project, commercial, engineering, finance, risk, compliance, and executive stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple priorities, respond quickly to business needs, and perform sophisticated legal work in a challenging, rapidly changing environment.
Ability to work primarily in a professional office environment and collaborate across functions and locations.
Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, by video conference, and in writing; use a computer and standard office equipment; review, draft, and analyze documents for extended periods; and perform work requiring concentration, judgment, and attention to detail.
Ability to occasionally lift, carry, or move objects safely.

Nice To Haves

Prior in-house legal experience with an EPC contractor, construction company, engineering company, industrial services provider, or owner organization involved in major capital projects.
Experience negotiating from the EPC contractor’s perspective, including subcontractor, supplier, equipment, services, logistics, fabrication, and professional services agreements.
Experience supporting commercial negotiations and supplier performance issues.
Experience with LSTK, target cost, cost-plus, reimbursable, unit rate, EPC, EPCM, construction management, and hybrid project delivery models.
Experience with change order strategy, claims preservation, back charges, schedule delay issues, liquidated damages, warranty obligations, indemnity, insurance, limitation of liability, payment protections, and dispute resolution provisions.
Familiarity with nuclear, power, energy, chemicals, refining, LNG, manufacturing, or industrial construction sectors.
Board Certification in Construction Law, active participation in the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, or involvement in comparable construction, procurement, or industry organizations.
Experience with contractor licensing, export controls, nuclear-related procurement, government-facing compliance issues, or regulated-project contracting.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary legal partner to engineering, procurement, and construction groups on the formation, negotiation, interpretation, and administration of related contracts.
Draft, review, negotiate, and support execution of contracts aligned with project requirements, prime contract obligations, company risk standards, commercial objectives, and operational needs.
Support EPC projects, maintenance services, turnaround work, engineering services, and corporate procurement activities across business groups.
Advise procurement, supply chain, project management, engineering, finance, risk management, compliance, and executive stakeholders on contract structure, risk allocation, flow-down obligations, supplier performance, change management, claims avoidance, and dispute resolution.
Develop, maintain, and improve contract templates, playbooks, fallback positions, preferred terms, and negotiation guidance for procurement and supply chain agreements.
Provide timely, practical, business-oriented legal advice for proposal activity, project execution, supplier negotiations, and urgent operational needs.
Support contract management and change-management processes, including review of notices, amendments, change orders, back charges, claims, supplier disputes, and project correspondence.
Advise on procurement and supply chain compliance matters, including export controls, nuclear-related contracting requirements, Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission considerations, conflicts of interest, and other applicable legal and policy requirements.
Build trusted relationships with internal clients through clear communication, listening, transparency, and practical problem-solving consistent with Zachry’s values and long-term business interests.
Participate in continuous improvement initiatives to increase consistency, efficiency, accountability, and commercial discipline in contracting processes.
Coordinate legal research and analysis on matters affecting EPC, construction, and commercial activities.
Complete special projects and perform other related duties as assigned.