Deputy General Counsel

IES Holdings, Inc. • Sugar Land, TX

1d • Onsite

About The Position

IES Holdings is looking for a senior legal leader to run its legal function day to day. The title will be Deputy General Counsel or General Counsel depending on the candidate's experience and fit; in either case, the role carries full operational leadership of the department and reports to the Chief Administrative Officer, who has served as IES's General Counsel for nearly seven years and will continue in the CAO role. This is a close working partnership: the CAO and this role will set legal and compliance strategy together, drive initiatives through the organization, and jointly oversee the function as it scales. The CAO retains Board-facing responsibilities and will serve as a thought partner across the full scope of the department's work. For a candidate joining as Deputy General Counsel, this position is structured as a clear transition to the General Counsel title.
IES is a publicly traded infrastructure services company operating at the center of several powerful market trends: data center construction, power infrastructure, and electrification. The company has grown significantly through an active acquisition program that now includes international operations, and the legal function needs a leader who can grow with it. The team is experienced, trusted across the business, and well positioned to build the next chapter.

Requirements

• J.D. from an accredited law school
• Active Texas bar membership (or willingness to obtain promptly)
• 10 to 15 years of legal experience
• Meaningful time as in-house counsel at a publicly traded company
• Hands-on experience with SEC reporting
• Track record of leading an effective legal team in an operationally focused environment
• Commercial, practical, and solution-oriented approach to legal work, with sound judgment and the ability to balance risk with business objectives and build credibility across functions

Nice To Haves

• Experience with corporate compliance programs and enterprise risk management
• M&A experience, particularly in a serial-acquisition environment
• Big Law background, particularly at a firm with a strong corporate or transactional practice
• Experience in the construction, manufacturing, fabrication, or infrastructure industries
• Interest in IES's core markets (data centers, power infrastructure, and electrification)

Responsibilities

• Leading the legal department, overseeing a team of three attorneys and three paralegals at the holding company level and coordinating with divisional legal professionals.
• Investing in the development and growth of the legal team, strengthening the connective tissue between the corporate legal team and divisional resources, and bringing the operational discipline needed to scale a high-trust, high-output team.
• Championing the modernization of legal operations through AI and technology tools that improve both efficiency and quality of work product.
• Embedding legal strategy and risk awareness into business decisions across the company.
• Owning IES's SEC reporting calendar, including periodic filings, the proxy statement, Section 16 reporting, Reg FD compliance, and disclosure controls.
• Drafting executive compensation disclosure for the proxy in collaboration with the CAO.
• Taking on increasing direct participation in board and committee presentations, preparing materials and building independent relationships with directors and committee chairs.
• Playing a central part in the legal execution of the company's active acquisition strategy, collaborating with the CAO and other members of the legal team on diligence, structuring, and integration.
• Setting standards and providing direction for the company's broader contract function, including vendor MSAs and procurement, and building scalable contract templates, playbooks, and approval processes.
• Building on and further developing IES's corporate compliance program, including code of conduct administration, whistleblower and ethics hotline procedures, and compliance training.
• Partnering with other departments, including Internal Audit, HR and Finance, to maintain a strong compliance framework across the organization.
• Developing IES's approach to data privacy and cybersecurity from a legal perspective, including considerations arising from the company's expanding international footprint.
• Partnering closely with IT leadership to assess risk, establish policies, and stay ahead of a regulatory landscape that continues to evolve.
• Providing strategic direction and escalation support for litigation across IES, in conjunction with the established legal team members.
• Taking ownership of the SEC reporting calendar, day-to-day leadership of the team, and the next stage of the compliance program (for Deputy GC candidates).
• Expanding to include direct committee presentations and broader subsidiary governance as relationships with board members and business segment leaders develop (for Deputy GC candidates).

Benefits

• Competitive Pay
• Company 401K plan with Employer Contribution Match
• Company Paid Time Off
• Company Paid Life Insurance
• Choice of Medical Coverage including Prescription and Short Term Disability Plans
• Choice of Dental and Vision Coverage
• Optional Long-term Disability, Critical Illness, Accident, Legal and Pet Coverage
• Auto and Home Insurance Discount Programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior