Legal Counsel

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Location(s): 

Boston, MA, US

RWE Offshore Wind Services, LLC
To start as soon as possible, full time, permanent

We are looking for an experienced, motivated, and confident Legal Counsel/Assistant General Counsel to support RWE’s fast-growing U.S. Offshore Wind business. As a Legal Counsel/Assistant General Counsel within the global Regulatory Law team, you will be the second U.S.-based lawyer with a Regulatory Law focus. You will work alongside a small team of ~5-7 other lawyers/paralegals supporting regulatory, corporate, transactional, and procurement matters and closely cooperate with other departments to deliver holistic and streamlined legal support to the U.S. RWE Offshore Wind business.

About the Role:

• Providing legal support associated with RWE’s participation in federally administered offshore wind lease auctions and state administered offtake solicitations, including drafting and reviewing solicitation bid materials and responses to requests for information following bid submission.
• Advising on the legal implications and feasibility of different offtake structures (e.g., PPA, OREC) and coordinating with the Government Relations teams on communications to state agencies and policymakers on the advantages and disadvantages of different structures and different offtake solicitation requirements.
• Assisting with preparation and review of formal filings and other public comments in transmission planning efforts, such as those led by state public utility commissions or RTOs/ISOs.
• Participating in the formation of permitting strategies and advising the development team on federal and state permitting processes, such as those under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, Marine Mammals Protection Act, New York Article VII, and California Environmental Quality Act.
• Serving as a first point of contact of assigned projects within the legal team, working closely with the Development, Finance, Partnering, External Relations, Credit Risk, Tax, and Permitting teams (among others), for legal advice and coordinating specialized in-house and external legal advice in a cost and work efficient manner.
• Overseeing all legal matters relating to assigned projects (including legal matters covered by other specialized lawyers) and advising senior management about all related legal risks, including claims and disputes. Providing legal support (including liaising with external counsel) in relation to any administrative appeals. This role will require close alignment and cooperation with other members of RWE’s Offshore Wind Legal team, including both colleagues supporting the US market and also the larger global portfolio, based in locations across Europe and the APAC region, as well as close alignment with the  wider Offshore Wind business, including key stakeholders from other internal departments such as Transmission, Development, Permitting Finance, Government Relations, Tax/Accounting, Insurance, Credit Risk, Communications, and External Affairs.
• Driving standardization and process improvement initiatives within the US Offshore Wind team and also the larger global Legal team.
• Developing non-standard, customized solutions when needed to address complex project challenges.

Job Requirements:

• Qualified as a lawyer in the US; preferred jurisdictions include New York, Massachusetts, and California, but other states are also potentially acceptable.
• At least 5 years of work experience as a lawyer in a well-recognized law firm or in-house counsel for company working within either in the energy sector or with a focus of working on complex international infrastructure projects.
• Significant expertise working on complex regulatory matters, such as before FERC, state public utility commissions, BOEM, NOAA, EPA, or state environmental permitting agencies, particularly with respect to large, complex infrastructure projects.
• A comprehensive, experience-based working knowledge of federal and state regulatory programs related to transmission planning and interconnection and with development permitting, especially in the context of large-scale, high-value infrastructure projects (renewables and in particular offshore wind experience, including with respect to offshore wind offtake solicitations, is desirable but is not a pre-requisite).
• Experience interacting with regulatory officials and demonstrated success of doing so collaboratively to achieve desired outcomes.
• A comprehensive understanding of administrative law principles and core federal laws relevant to RWE’s US Offshore Wind business, such as the FPA, OCSLA, NEPA, MMPA; expertise in relevant state laws in regions where RWE is developing projects (e.g., NY, CA) would be beneficial, but is not a pre-requisite.
• Motivated worker and problem solver with the ability to handle multiple tasks, take on new responsibilities and organize tasks effectively in a dynamic and efficient environment. The ideal candidate will have exemplary organizational, analytical and communication skills and a solution-oriented and positive mindset. They will also demonstrate a high level of engagement, a strong team contributor, and ability to work both individually and as part of a wider cross-functional team. The ideal candidate enjoys working in an international team and open to some work-related travel, both domestic and international.
• Either a physical presence in proximity to one of RWE’s primary Offshore Wind offices in the US (Boston, MA or others) or a willingness to travel to Boston at least one week per month. Periodically, additional travel, including to Germany and other locations in Europe, will also be necessary.

Advantagous but not essential:

• Renewables experience (and offshore wind experience in particular) would be beneficial but is not a pre-requisite, however the qualified candidate will be able to demonstrate a desire to become an expert in this field.
• Some project management or project leadership experience would be beneficial.

Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays. Eligible employees also participate in short-term incentives, in addition to salary.

RWE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

For 125 years RWE has been the source of energy for millions of people across the globe. Now we’re making all that energy green. This decade alone we’re investing €50bn into renewables and will be carbon neutral by 2040 – ten years earlier than most other global targets. This is a chance to play a key role on our journey.

Join our renewables specialists, working across the clean energy spectrum to grow our operations to 50 GW by 2030 – with some of the world’s largest on and offshore wind farms and industry-leading hydrogen initiatives. We’re also considered innovators in solar development including floating photovoltaics and agri-photovoltaics. Or add your expertise to our supply and trading operations, brokering renewable electricity, green gas, commodities, and CO2 emission allowances from one of our advanced energy trading floors.

Any questions? Your Contact in Recruiting: elena.sanchez@rwe.com #LI-ES1

Want to learn more about working for RWE Offshore? Join Our Journey Offshore  by watching the miniseries including 6 episodes, 5 ambassadors and one exciting trip Offshore.

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