Senior Counsel, Legal & Enterprise Risk

About the role

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is a 100% employee‑owned environmental consulting firm with 50 years of experience across 21 offices in California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southeastern United States. ESA plans, designs, permits, mitigates, and restores projects for communities, infrastructure, open spaces, and wildlands. The firm is seeking an experienced Senior Counsel, Legal & Enterprise Risk to lead and continuously strengthen its firm‑wide approach to contractual, operational, employment, and enterprise risk. The ideal candidate will combine legal and contractual expertise, business judgment, emotional intelligence, and the ability to influence leaders across a complex professional‑services organization. This highly visible, collaborative role works directly with the Chief Operating Officer and senior leadership while partnering extensively with Human Resources, Finance, project and regional leadership, and other corporate functions.

Responsibilities

• Lead Enterprise Risk Management – lead the ongoing development and continuous improvement of ESA's firmwide risk‑management program; identify emerging contractual, employment, operational, financial, and organizational risks; develop practical mitigation strategies; support Risk Committee processes; and provide leadership with meaningful reporting and visibility into the firm's risk profile.
• Provide Employment Law and Employee Relations Guidance – partner closely with Human Resources and organizational leadership on employment‑law risk and complex employee matters; provide practical guidance on federal, state, and local employment requirements, with particular depth in California employment law (hiring, compensation, wage and hour, leaves and accommodations, performance management, workplace conduct, investigations, separations, restructuring, and other significant workforce matters); coordinate employment‑related claims and outside counsel as appropriate.
• Lead Contract Review and Negotiation – review, draft, and negotiate client, subconsultant, and other business agreements; evaluate provisions involving indemnification, limitation of liability, insurance, intellectual property, warranties, confidentiality, payment terms, change management, dispute resolution, data/privacy, and managed or subscription services; develop practical negotiating positions that balance risk mitigation with client relationships and ESA's business objectives.
• Support Proposals and Business Development – partner with Client Development, Marketing, pursuit teams, and technical leaders to identify risk early in the business‑development lifecycle; participate in strategic Go/No‑Go evaluations, review RFP and commercial requirements, and help teams determine whether risks can be addressed through negotiation, scope, pricing, insurance, or other business strategies.
• Partner with Project and Operational Leadership – help Project Managers and leaders identify and manage contractual, financial, client, and delivery risk throughout the project lifecycle; develop approaches for tracking higher‑risk projects and contractual obligations, advise on complex negotiations, and provide practical training and resources that strengthen risk‑management capability across the firm.
• Advise Executive and Regional Leadership – serve as a trusted advisor on significant contractual, employment, operational, and enterprise risks; clearly communicate potential exposure, alternatives, and mitigation strategies to executive and regional leadership and, when appropriate, the Board of Directors; exercise sound judgment and discretion when handling highly confidential business and employee matters.
• Manage Outside Counsel and Insurance Partners – determine when specialized outside counsel should be engaged and coordinate external legal resources across contracts, employment, litigation, corporate transactions, and other specialty matters; partner with Finance and executive leadership on insurance coverage, claims,