Senior Counsel

POSITION OVERVIEW

The position will be based in Houston, Texas and report to the Managing Counsel-Commodities and Regulatory.  The Senior Counsel will work as a team member and independently to advise the Trading Group on all marketing/trading matters in connection with the Company’s overall gas procurement and transportation strategy as well as its power operations.  Additionally, the Senior Counsel will negotiate all commercial agreements relating to the Trading Group, as well as other general commercial and corporate matters. The Senior Counsel will also play an integral role in providing regulatory advice to ensure the effective mitigation of regulatory risks from the FERC, CFTC, DOE and other applicable agencies.  The Senior Counsel will be expected to deliver timely and quality legal services, manage outside legal resources effectively and develop strong relationships in a hard-working, fast-moving and ever-changing business environment. 

KNOWLEDGE

The Senior Counsel will have experience working with commodity marketing/trading operations and have a working knowledge of the operational aspects of the natural gas upstream, midstream, downstream, Texas power and LNG business, including transactions involving interstate and intrastate pipelines.  The Senior Counsel will have significant knowledge of the Natural Gas Act, the Natural Gas Policy Act, the Energy Policy Act, the Commodity Exchange Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, and FERC, CFTC and DOE regulations pertaining to the Trading Group.  Further, the Senior Counsel will have experience in drafting and negotiating a variety of customized and industry standard agreements related to the purchase and sale of energy commodities and derivatives, pipeline transportation and storage, and other agreements related to the marketing and trading of natural gas.    

RESPONSIBILITIES AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Provide day-to-day legal support and advice to the Company’s commodity traders, marketers, schedulers, and others located in the Houston office
• Provide regulatory advice on all matters impacting the Company’s marketing and trading operations
• Provide related regulatory advice with respect to the Company’s financial trading activities
• Manage inquiries and data requests received from regulators (e.g., FERC, CFTC, DOE, etc.)
• Negotiate marketing/trading agreements (including NAESBs, ISDAs, EEIs, bespoke long-term agreements, asset management agreements, etc.), including related credit support documents (annexes and master netting agreements) 
• Negotiate and manage interstate/intrastate transportation and storage agreements and related issues (e.g., precedent agreements, OBAs, Interconnect Agreements, capacity releases, etc.)
• Support a variety of commercial transactional functions led from the Company’s Houston, London and Singapore offices
• Have a general awareness of the various regulatory regimes applicable to the activities carried out from the Company’s London and Singapore offices
• Participate in other day-to-day legal and business projects as necessary
• Provide commercial transactional support for the Company’s interstate pipelines
• The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time; or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.

QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS)

Education and Certifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree and JD degree
• Qualified to practice law in Texas or another State in the USA

Experience: 

• Minimum ten (10) years of experience within the commodities marketing/trading practice at either a top law firm or an in-house legal department of a major energy company with sophisticated trading operations

Skills: 

• Working knowledge of the commodity marketing/trading business, with a focus on the regulatory aspects
• Familiarity with intrastate and interstate pipeline regulations from an infrastructure/pipeline perspective a plus
• Awareness of UK/EU legal trading framework (EMIR, MiFID II, FSMA/RAO; REMIT) a plus 
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively interact with various levels within the Company
• Ability to think critically, solve problems independently and exercise excellent judgment and common sense
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills are required
• Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Ability to manage a diverse and demanding workload, work independently and as a member of a team
• Strong business acumen coupled with exceptional analytical skills
• Ability to effectively work with and manage outside counsel
• Impeccable ethics
• Must be willing to travel, as necessary

DIRECT REPORTS

None

FREEDOM TO ACT

Operates independently within approved guidelines, and with minimal supervision

WORK CONDITIONS

• Job is performed in a typical office environment, but is subject to time pressures and constraints, and is often dependent on input from others. 
• Business requirements may frequently necessitate that work be performed from home, after normal work hours or on weekends.
• Business requirements may include periodic travel, including to operating facilities or facilities under construction.
• Subject to drug and alcohol testing, per applicable federal regulations or as required by Cheniere.

ADA JOB REQUIREMENTS

Reasonable accommodations will be made to ensure that the essential functions of the job can be performed and not hinder the employee's performance due to physical, mental or emotional disability

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Cheniere Energy is an equal opportunity workplace. All employment decisions are made without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected categories. This includes providing reasonable accommodation if requested for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices.