Overview & Responsibilities

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

This is an expert level role in driving Ebara Elliott Energy’s (EEEHD) legal services and risk mitigation across the global organization and is a role which will support and facilitate the multiple entities strategic business goals.  This position works closely with the EBARA Energy Company Chief Risk Officer (Chief Risk Officer) on many risk management and integration initiatives around the globe.  These functions are collectively referred to as Energy Company functions.

Directs and manages primary aspects of Energy Company and its subsidiaries legal services worldwide

This position is a multidimensional senior level position. A principal reason for this job is to streamline the multitude of business and legal concerns that require the intervention by the Chief Risk Officer. This position will fulfill the absolute need to act as a confident trusted advisor to the Chief Risk Officer. The functions served by this role are critical to optimizing the business/economic upside in transactions, risk mitigation from, both, a corporate legal perspective as well as from a commercial/business perspective and importantly understanding the overall strategic plan of the more than 23 corporate legal entities world-wide. 

Relative to the acquisition of new businesses, operations and/or capital acquisitions, and on-going integration matters, the individual is a key member of the strategic planning and implementation of the overall expansion of the global footprint of the business.

BACKGROUND and EXPERIENCE

Minimal educational requirement: 

• Doctor of Jurisprudence from an accredited law school;

• Maintain professional license and skills by regular participation in continuing legal education and business seminars and by reading professional materials.    

• Minimal Licensures:  Admitted and in good standing to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Supreme Court (no lapse in license);

Minimum Experience Requirements Include:

• At least fifteen (15) years of high-level corporate experience, which must include demonstrated competencies in the following areas of law: (1) contracts; (2) intellectual property; (3) employment; (4) global data privacy implications; (5) international law matters; (6) commercial real estate and leasing; (7) litigation; and (8) mediation (9) global corporate governance. Candidate will have knowledge and experience with global anti-corruption laws and regulations (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, United Kingdom Bribery Act, Japanese Unfair Competition Law, the Dodd-Frank Act [including experience with Conflict Minerals], and Sarbanes Oxley provisions). 

• In-house corporate legal experience is a plus;

• Be business savvy, problem-solve, and have the ability to exercise independent judgment relative to matters that are not only legal in nature, but in matters which are centered on complex, multi-national, multi-jurisdictional transactions is essential. For example, critical commercial matters for the entities, including complex strategic transactions, partnerships, customer launches and technology integrations

• Post-acquisition integration experience is desirable. 

• Management/supervisory skills and experience;

• Experience with reviewing, drafting, negotiating and closing a broad range of contracts is critical. 

• Facilitate the monitoring and implementation of compliance with laws and regulations. 

• Excellent organizational skills as they relate to management of global responsibilities

• Able to independently and effectively determine which matters require elevation to the attention of the Chief Risk Officer.

• Collaborate and manage internal and external experts to ensure that commercial agreements appropriately manage risk and comply with policies, laws, rules and regulations;

• Demonstrated experience leading projects, including collecting, distilling and summarizing issues from relevant stakeholders;

• Excellent communications skills both verbal and written. The individual must be able to speak in a persuasive, confident and effective manner; Verbal and written communication will be done with a wide variety of audiences, including executive management and key external stakeholders and proven ability to engage, influence and align stakeholders is critical for this candidate to possess;

• Be able to work cross-functionally across the Company to analyze legal risks, devise creative solutions and develop strong, trusted advisor relationship with members of Energy Company entities worldwide; and be comfortable with taking the lead on transactions while interacting with internal and external executives on a global basis.

NATURE OF THE JOB

Each day in this position is different – not one matter or situation is alike, and the law is as varied as are the global jurisdictions.  The effective, efficient and confident management and implementation of legal strategies require (in addition to the substantive knowledge and professional work experience) an individual to be readily adaptable and to demonstrate an aggressive approach in resolving many legal issues at once.

Success in this position dictates that an individual be decisive, confident, and well organized in order to appropriately assist the Chief Risk Officer. 

This position is in a dynamic environment, and the candidate must be able to respond quickly to tight deadlines, prioritize a massive volume of work and perform these responsibilities independently and in an efficient manner that concludes in an acceptable result for Energy Company entities worldwide.

The function requires an individual to be able to quickly develop strategies to an ever-changing landscape/environment and be able to direct and control feasible, risk-adverse pathways to support operational needs and the expansion of the entities global footprint;

Greater than 80% of the job requires an individual to respond to new, unfamiliar and original situations as commercial/legal complexities are unique in their presentation and are fact driven;

The ability to quickly understand and analyzing complex legal and commercial scenarios is a perquisite – problem-solving on an expedited basis is essential to delivering solutions to internal and external customers, all the while creatively and proactively eliminating/mitigating risks to the organization;

Cost control is a key function – the expenditures on outside experts, counsel and consultants is significant and the ability to direct/control the outlay is key to the bottom line.

CONTACT WITH OTHERS

Within Energy Company: This position requires contact with all organizational levels globally, including but not limited to officers, directors, Executive Management, as well as multiple levels of operational personnel on a global nature.

External to Energy Company:  This position will manage and direct outside counsel and consultants to ensure the effectiveness of Energy Company representation worldwide.

Travel Requirements:   

Some travel (10% - 20), including international, is required.

SUPERVISION

The position may be viewed as having both, supervisory and contributory components.

Supervisory/Management/Directing is an essential implementation for effective representation by outside counsel globally.  Supervisory skills are essential within the Risk Management Department as this position provides oversight and direction to the other colleagues within the department. The candidate will also be responsible to coordinate with and supervise internal operational and commercial subject matter experts, as needed, to administer matters within the Risk Management Department. Planning is an essential/key element in every aspect of this job function.

SPECIFIC JOB RESPONSIBILITIES/COMPETENCIES

This position reports directly to the  Chief Risk Officer and requires an independent thinker who can be decisive, confident, and well-organized.  Additionally, the candidate needs to be flexible with an ability to prioritize as the demands of each day can greatly vary.  Management of the legal team is critical to the success of this function. The specific job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Fully supports the Chief Risk Officer with budgeting and expense reduction within the Legal and Risk Management Departments.  These activities include, but are not limited to, managing the Legal Department’s administrative operations, including rational use of outside counsel, oversight over limits of authority, settlement considerations, and relevant insurance coverages that may apply to certain legal matters.

• Provide transaction support such as facilitates contractual terms as payment terms for customers, negotiates disputes over payments for Energy Company entities globally.

• Provide legal and strategic business advice to ensure that acquisitions and expansion agreements mitigates risk and optimizes return on investment.

• Assure proper contracting in accordance with Company guidelines, to protect intellectual property assets, and to assure that skilled legal representation is available.

• Act as a trusted advisor and business partner for Energy Company worldwide by providing counsel and guidance for accomplishing its overall business objectives i.e. transparency, pace, compliance.

• Participates in evolving Energy Company’s integration strategy and influence change.

• Improve legal policies and processes to help streamline and simplify Energy Company procedures.

• Work cross-functionally across the Energy Company to analyze legal risks, devise creative solutions and develop strong, trusted advisor relationships.

• Collaborate with Executive management and other  personnel worldwide to address special projects across a spectrum of complex business, legal and strategic issues.

• Jointly develops and implements acquisitions and divestitures, as required, globally.

• Direct and monitor activities of various outside counsel.

• Minimize the adverse impact of litigation and claims against the Company, including, but not limited to, environmental issues, bankruptcy, and other commercial matters.

• Oversee the preparation of confidentiality agreements to protect E Energy Company’s proprietary information worldwide.

• Ensure that Energy Company and its subsidiaries observe their legal obligations and appropriately document their structure and actions by maintaining corporate records globally and participating in annual corporate meetings.  Such support currently responds to the needs of Energy Company entities worldwide.  

• Oversee the management of Energy Company real estate assets to appropriately address regulatory compliance, zoning, tax assessment issues, and commercial leasing transactions worldwide.

• Ensure that appropriate legal support functions are provided in a cost-effective and timely manner.