Head of Legal

About Circular Services:

Circular Services is a leading developer and operator of circular economy infrastructure and services in the United States. With over 25 operating locations, Circular Services provides holistic materials management services to municipalities and businesses across the country, keeping valuable materials in circulation and minimizing the cost and environmental impact of landfills. The company services municipal contracts with some of the largest and fastest growing cities in the U.S. with locations in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Arkansas, Texas and Phoenix. www.circularservices.com 

Opportunity

Circular Services is seeking a Head of Legal to be their first in-house legal expert, partnering with senior leadership to manage corporate governance, strategic agreements and transactions, and regulatory compliance. The Head of Legal will also have the opportunity to own the expansion of a legal department from the ground up to support Circular Services’ growth, serving at the key business owner for external legal service providers across a variety of areas including contracts, litigation, employment matters, acquisitions, negotiations and more. The ideal candidate is a hands-on legal professional with extensive experience in the recycling and waste management, or similar, industry. 

The role will be based in the company’s headquarters in New York City or our Austin, Texas hub and require occasional travel to the operating locations mentioned above. 

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day legal matters of the company, including contract terms negotiation, corporate governance, compliance, risk mitigation, intellectual property, labor and employment, and dispute resolution.
• Develop legal templates, policies and procedures to protect the business and drive efficiency.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and maintain record of a variety of contracts with both private companies and government entities, including vendor and customer agreements, terms of service, facilities use agreements, lease agreements, hauling agreements, tolling agreements, shared services arrangements, engagement letters, confidentiality agreements, and M&A related agreements.
• Collaborate with the executive team to support high-level decision-making, offering insights that blend legal expertise with business acumen.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and mitigate legal risks, proposing new solutions and processes that align with the company's overall mission and growth trajectory and drive operational excellence.
• Act as a key contributor to the company’s overall strategic direction, identifying opportunities for innovation and improvement across the organization.
• Support the company’s strategic/M&A transactions, driving timely legal review and document version control across all parties, and related post-closing integration activities.
• Support corporate governance, assisting in preparing materials, maintaining corporate records, and advising on best practices. 
• Support HR in employee matters, such as structuring equity compensation agreements and employment contracts.
• Support IT in cybersecurity matters, such as developing legal policies to reflect the company’s incident response and disaster recovery protocols.
• Represent Circular Services in engagements with state and federal regulatory bodies and related organizations; this includes advocacy initiatives, responses to inquiries, and comment letter submissions.
• Provide review of significant external announcements and marketing materials to mitigate legal risk.
• Conduct legal research and stay apprised of changes to laws and regulations that may impact the company.
• Manage outside counsel in specialized areas as needed, ensuring the company seeks necessary and prudent advice while well-managing its legal expenses.
• Handle any legal disputes or litigation that may arise.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience as corporate counsel, with a preference for a mix of in-house and top-tier law firm experience
• Extensive experience with the legal and business needs of a high-growth operating company
• Experience guiding complex deals and partnerships, including management of contracts & agreements
• Broad legal knowledge and experience developing legal strategies in a services industry, experience working in a start-up, contracting with municipalities and recycling facilities a plus

• A strategic thinker with a passion for driving business growth and improving organizational processes 

• Highly analytical, with sharp attention to detail
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with clients and internal stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Extremely high level of integrity & professionalism, and excellent communication skills
• J.D. from an accredited law school and licensed to practice in the state of [New York][Texas]

EEOC: Circular Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind: Circular Services is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at Circular Services are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Circular Services will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.