General Counsel

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Salary Range: $250,000 - $275,000 plus bonus and incentive stock options

Reports to : CEO

About The Company:

NineDot's name derives from the classic mathematical puzzle for sparking out-of-the-box solutions. As a leading community-scale, clean energy developer with a growing portfolio of projects across a range of technologies, NineDot Energy is creating innovative energy solutions that support a more resilient electric grid, deliver economic savings and reduce carbon emissions. We plan to develop, build and operate more than 400 MW of clean energy systems by 2026 that will strengthen the local power grid infrastructure and provide clean, reliable and resilient power to tens of thousands of New York households and businesses. This is all in support of New York State’s mission to achieve 100% clean energy by 2040.

With the backing of Manulife Investment Management and The Carlyle Group - two of the world’s leading infrastructure investors - NineDot is continuing to expand its core battery energy storage pipeline, deliver enhanced products and services, explore new regions and consider potential acquisitions all to advance the decarbonization of New York’s grid. This is an exciting opportunity to build a platform from the ground-up with a world-class team of developers and innovators. NineDot is committed to building a company that exemplifies diversity, equity and inclusion values in its team culture, as well as business practices and community engagement.

Job Summary

NineDot Energy is seeking a highly skilled and experienced General Counsel to join our dynamic team. The General Counsel will have a primary focus on project financing agreements and providing support in other areas such as subscriber agreements, construction contracts, real estate agreements, procurement, and people operations. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of a company dedicated to sustainable energy solutions.

Responsibilities

• Manage outside counsel relationships to appropriately balance the legal tasks that are handled in-house vs. externally and ensure that NineDot Energy receives high quality and cost efficient legal services.
• Financing Agreements: Working with the CEO, CFO, Project Finance, and Corporate Finance teams, oversee and manage all legal aspects related to financing agreements including debt and tax equity agreements, such as negotiating, drafting, and reviewing financing terms, loan agreements, security documents, and other relevant financial contracts. Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and provide strategic guidance to senior management on complex transactions.
• Real estate agreements: Provide legal support to the Project Development team in the negotiation and preparation of lease and purchase agreements for land acquisitions. Conduct due diligence and manage legal risks associated with site issues and property transactions.
• Subscriber Agreements: Support the Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer in the preparation, negotiation, and review of subscriber agreements for energy projects, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Commercial contracts: Work with the Director of Procurement to Review, draft, and negotiate a wide range of contracts, including vendor agreements, service agreements, construction contracts and partnership agreements. Identify potential legal risks and propose mitigation strategies while maintaining a balance between protecting the company's interests and fostering positive business relationships.
• Entity Formation: In support of the Project Development and Finance teams oversee the formation and structuring of legal entities for energy projects. Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external counsel to ensure compliance with corporate governance requirements and maintain proper documentation.
• Compliance and Risk Management: Stay up-to-date with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards impacting the renewable energy sector. Develop and implement compliance programs to ensure adherence to legal and regulatory requirements. Advise internal teams on legal risks and recommend appropriate risk management strategies.
• People Operations: Partner with People Operations  providing guidance as needed with regards to HR practices and employee relations matters, to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local labor laws.
• Strategic Leadership: Set strategic direction for the legal function including identifying additional roles that may be required to support NineDot. Create awareness of legal best practices across the organization, specifically in regards to compliance and risk management. 
• Miscellaneous. As requested and time allows, provide guidance and assistance on other legal matters that come up.

Competencies for Success

• Problem Solving - Uses rigorous logic and methods to solve difficult problems with effective solutions; conducts excellent and honest analysis; looks beyond the obvious and doesn’t stop at the first answer.
• Interpersonal Savvy - Able to relate well to all individuals within and beyond the organization; builds appropriate rapport along with constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact.
• Perseverance -  Pursues everything with energy, drive, and a need to finish; seldom gives up before finishing, especially in the face of resistance or setbacks.
• Dealing With Ambiguity - Can effectively cope with change and shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture.
• Creativity - Capable of coming up with new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions.
• Technical Learning - Picks up on technical things quickly, capable of learning new skills and knowledge, good at learning new industry, company, product, or technical knowledge.
• Intellectual Horsepower - Demonstrated ability to deal with concepts and complexity comfortably; described as intellectually sharp, capable, and agile.
• Developing Direct Reports and Others -  Provides challenging and stretching tasks and assignments; holds frequent development discussions; cooperates with the developmental system in the organization; is a people builder.
• Building Effective Teams - Creates strong morale and spirit in his/her/their team; shares wins and successes; fosters open dialogue; lets people finish and be responsible for their work; creates a feeling of belonging in the team.
• Innovation Management -  Is good at bringing the creative ideas of others to market; has good judgment about which creative ideas and suggestions will work; has a sense about managing the creative process of others; can project how potential ideas may play out in the real world.
• Planning - Accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks and projects; sets objectives and goals; breaks down work into the process steps; anticipates and adjusts for problems and roadblocks; measures performance against goals; evaluates results.
• Drive for Results - Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results.
• Strategic Agility - Sees ahead clearly; can anticipate future consequences and trends accurately; has broad knowledge and perspective; is future-oriented; can articulate and paint credible pictures and visions of possibilities and likelihoods; can create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans.
• Managing Through Systems - Can design practices, processes, and procedures that allow managing from a distance; is comfortable letting things manage themselves without intervening; can make things work through others without being there; can impact people and results remotely.
• Managing Vision and Purpose - Communicates a compelling and inspired vision or sense of core purpose; talks beyond today; talks about possibilities; is optimistic; creates mileposts and symbols to rally support behind the vision; makes the vision shareable by everyone; can inspire and motivate entire units or organizations.

Qualifications

• Law degree from an accredited law school; Bar admission with good standing to practice law in New York.
• 15+ years of relevant experience within a growing startup and/or corporate legal department including the support of corporate finance, project finance, project development, project operations, procurement, human resources, and commercial operations teams.
• Experience working for a clean energy project developer.
• Experience working specifically on community-scale energy and/or energy storage projects preferred but not required.
• Strong track record of negotiating, reviewing, revising, drafting and negotiating contracts, consulting agreements, development agreements, purchase agreements, real estate agreements, power purchase agreements, and commercial contracts.
• Hardworking, responsive and adaptable to what the situation dictates, including possessing the diligence to advance matters independently, combined with the strong interpersonal skills to work effectively in a diverse team.
• Experience managing and documenting complex transactions.
• The ability to identify and implement practical solutions to complex business and legal problems.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.  

Affirmative Action/EEO statement

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and committed to leveraging the diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experience of our workforce to create opportunities for our colleagues and our business. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender expression, gender identity, sex, age, ancestry, marital status, protected veteran and military status, disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other status of an individual or that individual’s associates or relatives that is protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Covid 19 Protocols:

NineDot continues to monitor local COVID-19 protocols mandated by state and federal governments. For those who will be joining events in person, you may be required to test before meetings.