Senior Legal Counsel – Energy Markets

Do work that makes a difference

Our client is building an enterprising and dynamic team to accelerate Victoria’s transition to renewables and help achieve Victoria’s renewable energy target of 95% by 2035.

This will help shape a reliable and affordable renewable energy future for all Victorians.

Your role 

As the Senior Legal Counsel, Energy Markets, you will be responsible for managing legal and regulatory risks relating to the organisation’s participation in energy wholesale and retail markets. Your strategic thinking and exceptional communication skills will be the driving force behind its success.

This role can be based in the Melbourne CBD office or its regional office located in Morwell.

What you will do:

• Provide expert and commercially relevant legal advice on legal and regulatory issues in connection with strategic business decisions and business operations.
• Provide legal support to obtain appropriate licenses, registrations, and authorisations.
• Work with internal stakeholders to draft, review and negotiate key agreements in connection with market activities, including ISDAs, broker agreements, Use of System Agreements, metering, and electricity purchase/supply agreements with generators and large energy customers.
• Proactively identify and manage legal risks to enable the organisation to meet its legal and regulatory obligations.
• Liaise between executives and other team members, external professional advisors and external stakeholders.
• Manage external legal services and legal procurement, in-house matter management, knowledge management, and capability building across the internal legal team and the broader business.

Who you are: 

Your capabilities and areas of expertise that matter most for this role are:

• An Australian lawyer holding or eligible to hold an Australian practising certificate under the Legal Profession Uniform Law (Victoria).
• 6+ years’ experience as a practising lawyer in a public, private or in-house role, with demonstrated experience within, or advising to, the energy sector.
• Great relationship building, negotiation and collaboration skills.
• Enjoys working in a team environment, cares about team culture and is deliberate in working to maintain a safe, diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace.
• Communicates with honesty, authenticity, clarity and kindness, and approaches ideas and people with interest, curiosity and an open mind.
• Experience in energy markets and trading highly regarded.
• Excellent commercial drafting skills, with experience in electricity market financial contracts highly regarded.
• Understanding of the energy regulatory landscape highly regarded.
• Values creativity and innovation and prioritises reflection, learning and feedback.

An empowered workforce

You’ll be joining a new and vibrant ‘for purpose’ renewable energy company that:

• Empowers you to influence how the organisation accelerates Victoria’s renewable energy transition and decarbonises Victoria’s economy.
• Inspires you through meaningful, challenging work in an environment that encourages leadership and an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Supports your growth through career advancement and professional development opportunities.
• Provides hybrid work arrangements, with around 3 days working in Melbourne or Morwell, with flexible work options to meet individual circumstances, providing greater choice and autonomy.

About the organisation  

Our client has an exciting and ambitious road ahead with a focus on:

• Investing in renewable energy and storage projects that accelerate the transition and deliver commercial returns.
• Supporting households to go all electric to reduce their emissions and energy bills.
• Building the renewable energy workforce our energy transition requires.

How to Apply

We strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The company is also deeply committed to building an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and people with disability, people from the LGBTIQ community, and people from culturally diverse backgrounds. It strives to create a respectful and collaborative workplace culture that allows all employees to thrive.

To explore this opportunity further please contact exclusively retained consultant Katherine Sampson on 0419 329 992 or email  Katherine.sampson@mahlab.com.au

For a copy of the position description, please contact Ava Sadeghi on email ava.sadeghi@mahlab.com.au

As part of the application process, please provide a copy of your resume and a cover letter addressing how your skills, knowledge and experience will be relevant to this role.

Other things to know 

• Applicants must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or hold a valid work permit or visa to be eligible to apply.
• To receive this information in an accessible format (such as large print or audio) or if you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please reach out to ava.sadeghi@mahlab.com.au.

Mahlab is the pre-eminent executive search firm for legal professionals.  We work with some of the most respected law firms and corporations in Australia and internationally as well as government at all levels, to find the right lawyers, associates, partners, managing partners, general and specialist corporate counsel and company secretaries.

For industry and salary advice, or to register your details for consideration, please visit our website www.mahlab.com.au or contact us in Melbourne (03) 9629 2111 and Sydney (02) 9241 1199.