General Counsel (In-House)

About the Role

Under the supervision of the Chief Financial Officer, and in consultation with the Georgia Attorney General's Office or external counsel, the General Counsel assists in the oversight of legal affairs, risk management/sustainability, compliance, contracts, and grants functions for the Georgia Ports Authority (GPA). This person will provide legal advice, counsel, and strategic guidance to executive leadership and the GPA Board. The General Counsel coordinates with other GPA executives on enterprise risk and operational initiatives, ensures regulatory compliance, manages and mitigates organizational risk, and supports the Authority's mission of driving economic growth through safe, efficient, and innovative port operations.

The General Counsel exercises a high degree of initiative and judgment in developing, coordinating, organizing, planning, and executing policies, programs, methods, and procedures relating to legal compliance and administration. Upholds the values of the GPA to promote Safety, Integrity, Respect, Community, Creativity, and Opportunity. Promotes a safe work environment by participating in safety initiatives and reporting unsafe conditions and behaviors.

Responsibilities

• Legal Strategy & Counsel
  • Serve as the legal advisor to the President and CEO, executive leadership team, and GPA Board of Directors.
  • Coordinate with outside counsel on strategic legal guidance for commercial transactions, contracts, governance, regulatory matters, and major initiatives.
  • Develop and maintain legal review protocols for contracts, procurement matters, grants, real estate matters, public-private partnerships, and other significant transactions.
  • Serve as a liaison between GPA, the Georgia Attorney General's Office, and external counsel regarding litigation, claims, and dispute resolution.
  • Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including maritime, environmental, labor, and public authority regulations.
  • Represent GPA in legal matters with regulatory agencies, governmental bodies, and industry stakeholders.
  • Manage relationships with external legal counsel, insurers, brokers, and consultants.
  • Monitor legislative and regulatory developments impacting port operations and advise leadership accordingly.
• Risk Management and Sustainability
  • Develop and lead a comprehensive risk management program aligned with GPA's strategic objectives in coordination with the Georgia Department of Administrative Services.
  • Provide legal and governance support for sustainability initiatives related to carbon reduction, energy efficiency, waste management, and water conservation.
  • Identify, assess, and mitigate operational, financial, legal, environmental, and reputational risks.
  • Oversee insurance programs, including property, casualty, marine, liability, and self-insured risk structures.
  • Lead incident response and crisis management planning in coordination with operational leadership.
• Grants
  • Provide leadership on the design and execution of grant policies to ensure compliance.
  • Ensure all applications strictly conform to funding agency parameters, instructions, and electronic portals.
  • Monitor active award spending against proposed budgets to ensure costs are reasonable, allocable, and allowable.
  • Supervise the timely preparation and submission of technical progress reports and closeouts.
• Compliance & Governance
  • Establish and maintain compliance frameworks, policies, and internal controls.
  • Ensure adherence to public sector governance standards, ethics requirements, and transparency obligations.
  • Advise on procurement, Georgia Open Records Act, record retention, contracting, grants administration, and public-private partnership structures.
  • Support GPA Board governance, including preparation of materials, resolutions, legal opinions, and work with outside counsel as needed.

Requirements

• Experience
  • 7-9 years of progressively responsible legal experience with significant experience in corporate, government, regulatory, contracts, insurance, litigation management, compliance, and public authority matters.
• Education
  • Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school.
• Licenses & Certifications
  • Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).
  • Valid state driver's license.
  • Member of the State Bar of Georgia, or admission within a timeframe acceptable to GPA.

Skills

• High ethical standards and sound judgment in a public governance environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Understanding of regulatory environments affecting port, logistics, and stakeholder operations.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to make decisions tactfully under pressure, balancing legal risk and operational objectives.
• Exceptional communication, leadership, negotiation, and strategic thinking skills.
• Proven ability to manage complex legal matters and high-stakes risk scenarios.
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively, respectfully, and professionally with GPA staff at all levels of administration.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Willingness and ability to travel, be on call, work nights and weekends as needed.