Overview
A growing legal team is seeking a Legal Counsel to focus on contracts related to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programs aimed at reducing waste and promoting a circular economy. Reporting to the General Counsel, this role involves drafting, negotiating, implementing, and managing commercial agreements that support the organization’s mission and expanding programs.
This position offers an opportunity for a motivated attorney to work closely with senior leadership and gain hands-on experience with innovative EPR programs across multiple states. The primary focus is on commercial contracting, supporting program, vendor, and stakeholder agreements.
Responsibilities
Contract Support
- Manage a high-volume contracting environment with an emphasis on efficiency.
- Lead the full contract lifecycle: intake, drafting, negotiation, execution, amendment, and termination for various agreements (e.g., service provider, consulting, program agreements, NDAs).
- Develop and continuously improve contract templates, fallback positions, and negotiation playbooks.
- Identify and mitigate commercial risks including indemnity, liability caps, data rights, termination rights, and regulatory obligations.
- Lead negotiation of risk allocation positions with counterparties.
- Implement and support contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems, including workflows, processes, metadata, and reporting.
- Track and report contract metrics such as cycle time, volume, and risk trends.
- Advise business teams on contract strategy, risk allocation, and negotiation positions.
- Oversee contract compliance processes and governance, including recordkeeping and audit readiness.
Legal & Regulatory Research
- Provide targeted legal analysis on regulatory requirements impacting contract terms and program implementation.
- Draft legal memoranda and summaries to support internal decision-making.
- Assist in ensuring organizational compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and contract commitments.
Requirements
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited U.S. law school.
- Active bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state.
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience primarily focused on commercial contract drafting and negotiation, either in law firm or in-house settings.
- Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills.
- Proven ability to negotiate complex commercial agreements.
- Experience managing multiple deadlines in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
- Experience with contract lifecycle management systems is strongly preferred (Ironclad experience ideal).
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience structuring and negotiating complex commercial transactions.
- Strong commercial judgment and risk assessment capabilities.
- Advanced contract negotiation skills.
- Ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.
- Hands-on experience with CLM tools and contract process optimization.
- Detail-oriented with precision in drafting and issue spotting within complex agreements.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to translate legal concepts for non-legal stakeholders.
- Proactive, collaborative, and eager to support business leaders.
- Comfortable working in a lean, entrepreneurial, mission-driven environment.
- Team-oriented, adaptable, and proactive.
- Passionate about sustainability and mission-driven work.
Compensation & Location
- Location: Remote within the U.S., with a preference for Milwaukee, WI.
- Occasional travel may be required for meetings or stakeholder engagement.
- Future work location may be determined.
- Pay rate will be based on relevant experience, skills, knowledge, and in accordance with applicable law.
- Reports to the General Counsel.
Equal Opportunity
The employer is an equal employment opportunity organization. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and related medical conditions), national origin, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.