Vice President Of Legal

About the role

We are designing the grid of the future! EPE is seeking a solutions-oriented, strategic legal executive to serve as Vice President of Legal. This is a senior leadership role with broad corporate scope, responsible for building and leading EPE's legal function as the company scales.

Responsibilities

• Join us in leading the change! Commercial & Transactional Legal Lead the drafting, review, and negotiation of key commercial agreements, including client, partner, subcontractor, software, and vendor contracts

• Build and improve practical contract templates, clause libraries, playbooks, and approval workflows that support speed, consistency, and sound risk management

• Create clear contracting guardrails and escalation paths that protect the business while enabling efficient decision-making and growth

• Intellectual Property & Software Lead EPE’s intellectual property strategy, including protecting and managing proprietary tools, software, data, methodologies, and brand assets

• Draft and negotiate agreements related to software, licensing, data rights, and intellectual property ownership across commercial and workforce arrangements

• Partner with engineering and technology teams to support the development, protection, and commercialization of software, platforms, analytics, and other innovations

• Oversee IP-related contract protections and coordinate trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters with outside counsel as needed

• Corporate Governance & Compliance Develop, implement, and maintain legal policies, procedures, risk assessments, code of conduct standards, and compliance frameworks across the organization

• Advis[e] executive leadership and the Board on corporate governance matters, entity structure, delegated authorities, and fiduciary obligations; support board and committee materials, resolutions, and corporate records as needed

• Oversee and advise on compliance programs in areas such as anti-corruption, conflicts of interest, gifts and entertainment, trade controls, sanctions, and records management

• Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Review, draft, and negotiate Data Protection Agreements, cybersecurity provisions, AI and data-use terms, and privacy-related contract language

• Advise on compliance with applicable data privacy frameworks (e.g., CCPA, GDPR, HIPAA where applicable) and evolving cybersecurity standards, including cross-border data transfer considerations

• Support incident response, breach assessment, notification decision-making, and related remediation in coordination with internal stakeholders and outside experts as needed

• Employment & People Matters Advise HR and People leaders on key employment matters, including hiring, executive agreements, employee relations, investigations, disciplinary actions, and terminations

• Support workforce-related legal issues, including incentive plans, worker classification, and confidentiality or restrictive covenant matters

• Guide global workforce expansion efforts, including international contractor arrangements, mobility matters, and cross-border employment compliance

• Partner on employee policies, handbooks, training, and workplace conduct initiatives to help build a compliant and scalable people infrastructure

• Mergers, Acquisitions & Corporate Development Serve as a key legal resource in M&A transactions, including diligence, deal structuring, negotiation, closing, and post-close integration planning

• Build repeatable diligence, risk issue-spotting, and integration playbooks to support a disciplined, scalable corporate development engine

• Manage disputes, claims, and pre-litigation matters with a practical, business-focused approach that prioritizes early risk assessment and efficient resolution

• Engage and oversee outside counsel and specialized advisors to deliver cost-effective support aligned with company priorities

• Leadership & Internal Training Build and lead a high-performing legal function, using the right mix of internal talent, outside counsel, and legal technology as the team grows

• Establish scalable legal operations, including matter intake, prioritization, knowledge management, budgeting, KPIs, and service

• Partner with Learning and Development to create practical training and guidance that equips business teams to navigate contracting, compliance, ethics, and data-related matters with clarity and confidence

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school; active admission to at least one state bar (Texas preferred or willingness to obtain)

• Minimum of 10 – 15 years of legal practice, with significant in-house experience or a combination of law firm and in-house roles, including substantial responsibility for leading complex commercial and corporate matters

• Experience advising and supporting a global company, including cross-border regulatory requirements, international entity structuring, multi-jurisdictional employment and labor law compliance, and country-specific contracting obligations

• Demonstrated breadth across commercial contracting, corporate law, employment, compliance, data privacy, and dispute management

• Strong experience in professional services, consulting, software, SaaS, technology-enabled services, or engineering industry contracting

• Working knowledge of data privacy and cybersecurity legal frameworks and experience negotiating related contract provisions and supporting incident response

• Proven experience supporting or leading M&A diligence, transaction execution, and post-close integration legal workstreams

• Experience building scalable legal processes, template systems, approval workflows, and legal operations capabilities, including CLM or similar tools

• Strong judgment in balancing legal risk with commercial objectives in a fast-paced, high-growth environment

• Proven executive presence with the ability to influence and advise at the C-suite and Board level