Assistant General Counsel

Salary: $165,500.00 - $242,833.00 Annually
Location : Port of Portland Headquarters - 7200 NE Airport Way, Portland 97218, OR
Job Type: Full-Time Administrative
Job Number: 02207
Division: Shared Prosperity & Legal
Opening Date: 10/09/2026
Closing Date: 10/18/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt

The Position
The Port of Portland is hiring an Assistant General Counsel!

As Assistant General Counsel, you'll be a hands-on legal partner focused on the contracts and procurement work at the heart of the Port's operations. You'll dig into the details of complex agreements, draft and negotiate terms, advise on solicitations and public contracting requirements, and work alongside business partners to find solutions that work. The work spans construction, professional services, goods and services, technology, and other commercial-style agreements, all within the unique legal landscape of a public agency. In addition, you'll continuously look to improve and streamline Port contracting processes, including creating toolkits, playbooks and incorporating technology solutions.

This is a role for a lawyer who likes getting into the details: reading the fine print, asking the right questions, spotting issues, and turning complexity into clear, workable agreements. You'll join a highly collaborative Legal Department and work closely with Port teams and senior leaders to deliver practical legal counsel and continuously improve how we contract.

Essential Job Duties
Contracting & Procurement

• Provide senior-level legal counsel throughout the procurement process, including sourcing, solicitation strategy, RFPs, awards, protests, and contract administration.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex agreements across construction, professional services, goods and services, technology, licensing, and intergovernmental contracting.
• Develop practical legal strategies that balance risk, operational needs, and organizational goals.

Legal Counsel & Strategy

• Advise business leaders and senior executives on complex legal issues, risk assessments, legal interpretations, and organizational recommendations.
• Lead special legal initiatives and cross-functional projects requiring senior-level legal judgment.
• Provide legal guidance on public agency requirements, policies, and other matters affecting Port operations.

Legal Operations & Collaboration

• Support the Deputy General Counsel in improving legal workflows, technology, playbooks, policies, and other tools that strengthen how the Legal Department serves the Port.
• Lead departmental and cross-functional initiatives, fostering collaboration and continuous improvement.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Experience

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible legal experience, with demonstrated expertise across relevant legal practice areas.
• 5+ years of leadership, supervisory, and significant advisory experience.
• Experience with complex contracting and procurement, including construction, professional services, goods and services, technology, or other commercial-style agreements, strongly preferred.
• Expertise in legal operations and innovation, contract lifecycle management and process improvement preferred.

License & Certification

• License to practice law in the State of Oregon.

Demonstrated Skills & Abilities

• Advanced contract drafting and negotiation, legal research, analytical, problem-solving, communication, negotiation, and judgment skills.
• Ability to provide practical, solutions-oriented legal guidance and influence decisions across a complex organization.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage competing priorities, resources, and deadlines in a high-stakes public-sector environment.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with internal departments, external agencies, partners, and stakeholders.
• Experience identifying and executing on opportunities to improve legal or business processes, technology, and ways of working.

Supplemental and Selection Information
Working Conditions
The Port supports a flexible hybrid work schedule, with work performed in both office and remote environments based on business needs. Regular in-office work is required; currently, members of the Legal Department are expected to work onsite Tuesday through Thursday, with flexibility to work remotely on other days.

Selection Process (dates subject to change):

1. A minimum qualification evaluation of education, training, and experience of submitted application packets will take place by Human Resources the week of October 19th.

2. A Subject Matter Expert (SME) Panel will perform an evaluation of experience and training taken from your employment application materials including any responses to the supplemental questionnaire.

3. Our goal is to schedule initial remote screening interviews with candidates that successfully passed the SME evaluation week of October 26th. Successful candidates will then be invited to in-person panel interviews the week of November 2nd.

Do you have questions about this job?

Contact us: careers@portofportland.com
Safety: The Port promotes safety as a Core value and we seek to eliminate harm through a culture of active prevention, curiosity, evaluation, and action. We comply with safety and health policies and procedures and consistently look for improvements that support operational excellence.

At the Port of Portland, we strive to offer a holistic and comprehensive benefits package for employees and their families. We care about your health by offering highly-subsidized healthcare plans that include alternative care. We look out for you and for family by paying for life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage. We participate in the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) retirement program. We provide access to additional coverage and benefits including pre-tax spending accounts, voluntary term life insurance, a deferred compensation plan, and critical illness and accident insurance policies.

We go above and beyond by offering an award-winning wellness program for all employees to engage in. Employees can tend to their physical and mental health, earn rewards, and create community. Our employee assistance program supports the Port's commitment to emotional and mental well-being by providing mental health services, discounts on local gyms, and pet insurance for companions.

Our commitment to work-life balance ensures you have time to spend with loved ones and do the things you enjoy. We offer generous vacation time that accrues with length of service, sick leave that never expires and can be used for dependent care, health maintenance and mental health, and 8 weeks of paid parental leave - all in addition to 10 paid holidays. As an added bonus - because we know employees use their time off differently - once a year we give employees the opportunity to convert sick leave to personal leave, and to convert vacation leave to either cash, a retirement plan contribution, or a contribution to a Health Savings Account.

Please note: Some benefits vary by job type/group, so please be sure to review your comprehensive benefit guide and/or collective bargaining agreement upon hire to confirm what is available to you.
01

Are you currently licensed to practice law in the State of Oregon?

• Yes
• No

02

How would you describe your primary legal practice area?

• Contracts / procurement / commercial transactions
• Corporate / business law
• Real estate / construction law
• Employment / labor law
• Regulatory / compliance / environmental law
• Litigation / disputes
• Intellectual property / technology law
• Other

03

Which best describes your experience drafting and negotiating complex contracts and procurement agreements?

• Extensive - I regularly lead negotiation and drafting of complex agreements across multiple categories
• Moderate - I have substantial experience but have not regularly led complex negotiations
• Limited - I have some contract experience but it has not been a significant part of my practice
• None

04

Which best describes your experience working in a public-sector or highly regulated environment?

• Extensive public-sector experience
• Extensive experience in a highly regulated industry (e.g., transportation, healthcare, financial services, energy, or similar)
• Some experience in either
• No experience

05

If you selected "highly regulated industry," briefly describe the industry and regulatory environment.
Required Question