Senior Legal Counsel

GreenWaste Recovery•San Jose, CA

About The Position

GreenWaste is seeking an experienced, business-oriented Senior Legal Counsel to join its in-house legal team. The role provides practical, strategic legal advice across corporate and operational matters, with a primary focus on commercial transactions, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and strategic initiatives. The Senior Legal Counsel partners with executive and operational leadership to support business objectives while managing legal risk, working independently and exercising sound judgment in a fast-paced, evolving environment. The position includes drafting and negotiating commercial agreements; supporting mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions; advising senior leaders and operational teams; monitoring legal and regulatory requirements, particularly in California; managing outside counsel and legal matters; and improving legal processes, systems, templates, and policies. The role also involves training internal stakeholders, supporting the General Counsel on strategic priorities, and contributing to cross-functional initiatives.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school.
Active membership in a U.S. state bar.
California Bar admission or eligibility for in-house counsel registration within 6 months.
At least 8 years of relevant legal experience.
Strong expertise in commercial transactions and contract negotiation.
Ability to provide clear, concise, and practical legal guidance to non-legal stakeholders.
Strong business acumen and ability to align legal advice with operational goals.
Ability to work independently with sound judgment and prioritization skills.
Effective communication skills, including strong writing, editing, and presentation abilities.
Ability to manage complex, high-volume workloads in a fast-paced environment.
Experience managing outside counsel and legal spend.
Strong organizational and project management skills.
High level of integrity, discretion, and professionalism.
English proficiency.
Technical skills with contract lifecycle management systems, matter management and e-billing tools, and Microsoft 365, including SharePoint.

Nice To Haves

Prior in-house legal experience.
A combination of law firm and in-house experience.
Spanish proficiency.

Responsibilities

Draft, review, and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including customer and municipal contracts; vendor, procurement, and service agreements; real estate, access, purchase, and lease agreements; construction, engineering, and design-build agreements; and NDAs, MOUs, LOIs, and related documentation.
Provide practical, risk-balanced contract guidance aligned with business objectives.
Support mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions.
Assist with regulatory filings, such as HSR and CFIUS filings, as applicable.
Advise on corporate governance and entity management.
Serve as a trusted legal advisor to the CEO, CFO, COO, functional VPs, and other senior leaders.
Provide legal guidance on business development and growth initiatives, regulatory and compliance matters, employment and labor considerations in coordination with HR or legal specialists, real estate, licensing, marketing, and intellectual property.
Translate legal concepts into practical business guidance.
Monitor and advise on applicable laws and regulatory requirements, with emphasis on California.
Identify, assess, and proactively manage legal and operational risks.
Support environmental, permitting, and regulatory matters as needed.
Manage outside counsel on litigation and advisory matters.
Oversee matter tracking, budgeting, and invoice review using tools such as Legal Tracker.
Support internal investigations and responses to regulatory inquiries.
Maintain and optimize contract lifecycle management systems such as Ironclad.
Develop and update templates, playbooks, and internal policies.
Improve legal processes to enhance efficiency, scalability, and service delivery.
Use technology and AI tools responsibly to improve productivity.
Train internal stakeholders on legal processes and compliance.
Contribute to cross-functional initiatives and continuous improvement efforts.
Support the General Counsel on strategic priorities and special projects.
Track performance metrics and contribute to legal department planning.