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Job Description
Legal Counsel (m/f/d)- Biofuel, Renewable Energy & Technology
About VERBIO
VERBIO is a global leader in biofuels and renewable energy that produces biomethane (renewable natural gas) from corn crop residues and corn-based ethanol in its Nevada, IA and South Bend, IN facilities. VERBIO has growth plans in place for a broad North American presence in the renewable fuel sector. VERBIO North America is responsible for all commercial, marketing and logistics activities in support of renewable natural gas, ethanol & fertilizer production.
Job Description
- Draft, review and negotiate general commercial agreements related to the renewable energy and biofuel industry and other internal business clients, including but not limited to product supply, commodity trading and derivatives, physical and financial trading and hedging, product sales, service, pipeline, terminal, transportation, marine, procurement, and other miscellaneous agreements.
- Take a leading legal role in providing advice and counsel to internal clients relating to risk management, compliance, company policies and procedures, corporate governance, operational issues.
- Provide transactional support and legal advice to natural gas, NGL and power trading businesses in the US.
- Review, negotiate and draft bespoke and standardized natural gas NGL and power trading agreements.
- Advise on ISO protocols, FERC and CFTC regulations.
- Work with external counsel to protect the Company’s interests in rate cases and other regulatory matters.
- Prepare, negotiate, and review power hedging agreements and operational support agreements between the Company and its renewable energy affiliates.
- Assist with the legal aspects of major projects within the Company’s business (such as reviewing project contracts and financing documentation) and managing external counsel on such projects.
- Assist with M&A transactions (Due Diligence, APA/SPA)
- Advise on contractual rights in relation to various midstream agreements including pipelines, processing facilities and storage facilities.
- Drafting and negotiating group service agreements
- Provide legal support to other areas of the Company’s and other VERBIO US entities´ business (including LNG, LPG, Bioethanol and Sulfur trading, corn stover purchase, fertilizer trading) as required.
- Ensure that provisions in the Company’s agreements reflect our HSE policies, Corporate Governance and Business Code of Conduct
Context and environment
- Volatile and heavily regulated U.S. renewable energy and biofuel trading markets.
- Legal aspects of the energy trading business are highly sophisticated, complex and technical.
- Fast moving trading environment involving time critical activities and high risk/rewards from trading operations
- Highly competitive business and difficult negotiation environment
- Responsible for gas and power trading and marketing activities in North America, including:
- marketing and sales of natural gas supplies to utilities, power plants and other wholesale customers
- management of LNG liquefaction terminal capacity, storage capacity and transportation capacity to secure and optimize the Company’s LNG trading activities.
- wholesale physical and financial biofuel and energy trading to optimize the Company’s sale and purchase portfolios, including arbitrage, balancing, and hedging transactions.
- marketing and sales of the Company´s biofuels (such as biogas and bioethanol)
- link between Company and the VERBIO Group´s Legal Department
Candidate profile
- Undergraduate degree and J.D. or equivalent law degree
- Licensed to practice law in one or more US jurisdictions.
- 3+ years or more of law firm or in-house corporate law experience.
- Experience within energy, fuel and/or oil industry good to have
- Some familiarity with regulations and rules covering energy trading (including NYMEX, FERC and CFTC rules and regulations)
- Experience with contracts
- Familiarity with the legal issues relating to physical commodity trading including commercial law.
- Experience in negotiating and documenting physical natural gas, physical power and financial transactions.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to communicate clearly, succinctly and solution oriented.
- Onsite workstyle, can be flexible with schedule
VERBIO North America is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions without regard to race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, disability, age, genetic information, or any other status
