Job Description

Position: Senior Legal Counsel

Reports to: General Counsel

Employment Classification: Exempt, Full Time

Anticipated Start Date: July or August

Office Location: Portland Metro Area, Oregon, USA

Role Posted: May 15, 2025

Application Deadline: Priority consideration will be given to applications received by Monday, June 2nd 12:00 pm PST. We reserve the right to close the application process early or keep the posting open based on candidate volume and progress in the recruitment process.

 Compensation * : Competitive salary range: $138,900 - $176,100 commensurate with skills and experience, Earning potential with sustained high performance is up to $194,700

*Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, and certifications in the pay equity assessment to determine equitable salary placement. Candidates should expect compensation offers within the starting compensation range.

Energy Trust is committed to pay equity. Energy Trust is committed to fair employment practices and non-discrimination, including pay equity for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class (race, sex, veteran status, disability, age, color, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation) in the payment of wages or screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. We determine salary by completing a review of your application materials to evaluate your related education, experience and training.

Interview Process:

• 30 min Virtual Recruiter Interview
• 30 min Virtual Hiring Manager Interview
• 60 min Virtual Panel Interview with Legal Team
• 45 min Virtual Panel Interview with Stakeholders
• Final (Onsite) Interview with Hiring Manager

BACKGROUND

About Energy Trust of Oregon

Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable energy development. We serve Oregon customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista, and SW Washington customers of NW Natural. Year over year Energy Trust is recognized as one of the 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon.

Our Vision

Clean, affordable energy for everyone.

Our Commitment to Diversity

We recognize the lack of diversity in our industry, and we actively seek to address it with our hiring and retention practices as well as our values. We believe every person and their lived experience is integral to building a vibrant culture and delivering effective services to all customers we serve. We are committed to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, and we encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds and experience to apply.

Our Location

Energy Trust provides for a range of work location options, including remote, hybrid and in-office work. We are open to candidates who live throughout Oregon and Washington. The Sr. Legal would be expected to report to the office on a quarterly basis, at minimum for all staff meetings, as well as for other in-person team meetings as determined by the General Counsel.

What We’re Looking For:

We are seeking a highly skilled and versatile Senior Legal Counsel to join our Legal and Contract Services team. Reporting to the General Counsel, our Senior Legal Counsel will provide strategic legal and compliance advice to Energy Trust across the organization’s programs and operations, while supporting our energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. The ideal candidate is an experienced legal generalist with strong legal experience in contracts and commercial transactions as well as legal compliance matters, preferably with experience in the energy or utilities sectors.

This position is expected to report to the Portland office quarterly at a minimum for company wide all staff meetings, as well monthly for in-person team meetings as determined by the General Counsel.

What You’ll Do:

· Understand the mission, role, and operations of Energy Trust to provide a wide range of effective and efficient legal services and advice to the organization.

·Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of contracts - including service and vendor agreements, grant and funding agreements, licensing agreements, nondisclosure agreements, memoranda of understanding, and other program-related investments.

·Advise on legal issues related to energy efficiency and renewable energy development programs.

·Collaborate with the General Counsel and key stakeholders to develop, implement, and oversee legal compliance initiatives - including data privacy - ensuring appropriate corporate governance frameworks, policies and procedures, risk management, and employee training are in place and maintained.

·Proactively identify and mitigate legal risks while delivering pragmatic, solution-oriented legal advice that advances the organization’s strategic and programmatic objectives.

·Monitor and analyze legal, regulatory, and energy sector developments to assess their impact on the organization.

·Provide advice and counsel on a wide range of employment law matters, including employee relations, benefits, wage and hour compliance, workplace accommodations, and internal investigations.

·Serve as legal representative on behalf of Energy Trust as needed, including management of litigation matters and oversight of outside counsel.

·Support general legal needs, including intellectual property, real estate, and insurance matters.

·Support the continuous improvement of legal operations, including procurement processes, third-party due diligence, knowledge management, and contract lifecycle management, to enhance efficiency, consistency, and risk mitigation across the legal/contracts function.

·Build and cultivate strong and collaborative working relationships with team members across the organization.

·Exercise good judgment in all matters even in ambiguous situations.

·Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

·Perform all functions of the job in a safe manner.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

·As the position develops, the Sr. Legal Counsel will have supervisory responsibilities.

Requirements

What You’ll Need:

·Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school and active membership in the Oregon State Bar (or eligibility to waive into the Oregon bar within a reasonable timeframe).

·7+ years of relevant legal experience, with at least 3 years in an in-house counsel role.

·Proven expertise in contract management, including drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and enforcing contracts.

·Demonstrated experience in advising on and managing legal compliance matters, including data privacy.

·Experience in the energy or utilities sectors, or energy project development, a strong plus.

·Experience in the nonprofit sector is a plus.

·Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

·A practical, solution-oriented approach to legal issues and legal risk.

·A “can-do” attitude with a high degree of ownership and willingness to take on tasks big and small to support the team and organization.

· A growth mindset with the ability to adapt to new challenges and learn quickly.

·Strong interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration skills, with a team-oriented approach to problem-solving in multidisciplinary environments.

·Ability to quickly comprehend Energy Trust’s mission and program activities and apply this knowledge as an expert internal resource to teams within the organization.

·Ability and willingness to take on supervisory responsibility.

The above information is designed to outline the major functions and position requirements of this job. It does not identify all tasks that may be expected, nor address the performance standards that must be maintained.

Benefits

What You’ll Get:

· Health/dental/vision insurance

· Employer sponsored and paid life/disability

· 401(k) with a company contribution of 6% of your salary after 90 days of employment

· TriMet pass

· Access to health and dependent FSA/HSA accounts

· Generous paid vacation, holidays and sick days

· Paid volunteer hours

· Employee assistance program

· Career advancement opportunities

· Great colleagues and culture

· Flexibility to work from home and/or an office space at the Portland, OR location

· Work from home laptop provided

· Read more about our benefits here

Note to Applicants:

Applications will only be accepted via our career portal:

 Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that candidates from certain demographics are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification—for example, women and People of Color. At Energy Trust we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace—if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles. 

Energy Trust of Oregon is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, medical condition, genetic information, mental and physical disability, political affiliation, union membership, status as a parent, military or veteran status or other non-merit based factors. We will provide reasonable accommodations throughout the application, interviewing and employment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, contact us. Energy Trust of Oregon is an E-Verify employer. This policy is applicable to all phases of the employment relationship, including hiring, transfers, promotions, training, terminations, working conditions, compensation, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment.

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