Job Description Position SummaryViridien is looking for a Legal Counsel to join our North America legal team in Houston. This is a generalist, hands-on role for an early-career attorney (1-4 years of experience) who wants broad exposure across commercial, corporate, and compliance work at an international company operating at the intersection of geoscience, high-performance computing (HPC), and the energy transition.
Reporting to the Head of Legal Affairs, NAM, the Legal Counsel will support a broad range of commercial, corporate, and regulatory legal matters across Viridien's North American operations. The role offers regular interaction with business stakeholders and regular cross-border collaboration with legal colleagues worldwide.
This role requires strong commercial instincts, sound legal judgment, and the ability to keep pace with the business while building trusted relationships across the organization. The successful candidate will be able to translate legal concepts into practical business solutions, help manage risk, and provide clear, business-oriented guidance.
Key Responsibilities1. Commercial Contracting (Primary Focus)- Draft, review, and negotiate a range of commercial agreements, including customer contracts, vendor and service agreements, and data-related agreements (e.g., data processing, data licensing).
- Identify legal and business risk in contract terms and negotiate practical, risk-balanced positions directly with counterparties and internal stakeholders.
- Support agreements related to the company's growing technology and High-Performance Computing (HPC) initiatives, including infrastructure, software, and services contracts.
- Help maintain and improve templates, playbooks, and internal processes that increase the legal team's efficiency and consistency.
2. Legal Business Partnering- Serve as a day-to-day legal point of contact for internal business teams, translating legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for non-lawyers, focusing on operational impact rather than pure risk identification.
- Work autonomously to triage and resolve routine legal requests, escalating novel or higher-risk issues appropriately with clear options and recommendations.
- Use AI-assisted tools and other legal technology, as appropriate, to support contract review, drafting, legal research, and faster turnaround times for the business.
3. Compliance & Governance- Assist with corporate secretarial matters for U.S. and Canadian legal entities, including board and entity administration support and maintenance of corporate records.
- Provide support on compliance initiatives, policy rollout, and internal legal training on topics such as contracting best practices, confidentiality, and antitrust basics.
- Support the legal team in identifying and communicating legal and regulatory developments that may impact the business
4. Dispute & Risk Support- Support the legal team in managing pre-litigation matters, disputes, and litigation in coordination with external counsel.
- Assist with legal holds, document preservation, discovery coordination, and internal investigations as needed.
- Help develop strategies to minimize exposure and resolve disputes efficiently.
5. Legal Training & Knowledge Sharing- Help design and deliver legal training to the business on key legal, compliance, contracting, and risk management topics.
- Translate legal requirements and emerging regulatory developments into practical guidance for business teams.
- Promote awareness of company policies, legal standards, and best practices across NAM operations.
Candidate ProfileExperience & Qualifications- 1-4 years of legal experience as a practicing attorney, gained in a law firm, in-house legal department, or a combination of both.
- Working knowledge of commercial and corporate law, with experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements.
- Exposure to any of the following is a plus: commercial contracting, corporate governance, technology or data agreements, HPC or cloud services, energy industry matters, or support for international or multi-jurisdictional businesses.
Core Competencies- Self-starter with ownership mindset - takes ownership of matters, manages priorities independently, and follows through with appropriate supervision and escalation.
- Generalist agility - comfortable working across several legal disciplines and pivoting quickly between subject areas.
- Business acumen and communication - able to apply legal concepts to real business situations and communicate clearly with non-lawyers, avoiding unnecessary legal jargon.
- Technology-forward mindset - comfortable using AI-assisted tools and other legal technology to improve productivity, consistency, and quality of work product; enthusiastic about adopting the technology tools Viridien provides.
- Client service orientation - responsive, proactive, and committed to timely turnaround for internal clients' needs.
- Sound judgment and integrity - comfortable identifying trade-offs, flagging escalation points, and providing risk-balanced recommendations.
