Senior Corporate Counsel - Procurement

Job Description

Puget Sound Energy is Washington State's largest and most established energy company.  We serve over a million electric customers and over three quarter million natural gas customers.  As PSE works to transform our business to meet increased energy demand and decarbonize our power supply in compliance with Washington State's Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA) while safely delivering reliable and resilient energy to our customers, we are looking for someone that shares the same passion to help us reach our de-carbonization goals.  Specific details regarding the work arrangements for this position will be discussed in further detail during the interview process.

Puget Sound Energy, with our clean energy transition, has more going on than ever before.  We contract with a multitude or organizations to ensure that we are able to deliver on our clean energy future.  This role will advise on contracts ranging from critical partners to building critical infrastructure assets at all levels of our supply chains.

The successful candidate will have a passion for contract review and to improve processes. This role will work cross functionally across the enterprise, applying knowledge and using judgement to determine appropriate risk exposure levels.

Job Responsibilities

• Prepare, negotiate, and manage various procurement type contracts, including standard and non-standard vendor contracts including master service agreements, strategic component sourcing agreements, network hardware and consumer product purchasing agreements, software licensing agreements, consultant agreements, vendor service agreements, NDAs, amendments, and statements of work
• Provide legal advice and guidance on procurement to internal stakeholders, acting as the first point of contact for legal terms review for our procurement team
• Familiarity with contract and vendor management tools and processes
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure that risk assessments for all technology and related contract purchases are performed
• Help develop and improve templates, contracting/risk standards and related protocols for procurement contracts
• Manage a steady portfolio of active agreements in a fast moving environment, ensure timely execution of assigned agreements and keep stakeholders informed of progress regularly
• Identify any legal and business risks inherent to a proposed vendor, service, or other procurement agreements
• Advise on procurement related data privacy and data security issues
• Partner with internal information security teams to help develop and improve technology vendor procurement and evaluation protocols
• Provide training and educational programs to firm staff regarding procurement matters
• Collaborate with firm management and stakeholders to understand their procurement needs, provide guidance, and establish effective communications to ensure coordination and alignment of legal activities
• Leverage procurement legal expertise knowledge and develop continuity of knowledge to deliver coordinated and comprehensive solutions and maintain organized control of versions and retain documents s in accordance with record retention policies
• Monitor legal and related business trends, educates appropriate parties, and advocates adjustments in PSE’s policies and procedures
• Advocate PSE’s interests to internal and external audiences in a variety of legal and business matters
• Handle administrative matters efficiently and appropriately
• Perform special projects and other legal responsibilities as assigned by the legal team to meet PSE’s business needs
• Drive legal agreements to completion while working cross-functionally and soliciting input, feedback and approvals from business stakeholders as appropriate
   

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate degree and 3 years of legal experience in a law firm or corporate legal department.
• Strong initiative plus excellent management, communication, teamwork, delegation, and problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated capacity to build relationships internally and externally; ability to establish rapport with business clients across the organization.
• Highly effective in written and verbal communication.
• Excellent advocacy and organization skills.

Desired Qualifications

• Significant experience reviewing and negotiating contracts, including data processing agreements and data security terms
• Strong experience working with vendors and supply chain processes, especially technology/software vendors, services-based vendors, field/on-site vendors and/or hardware/equipment vendors
• Very strong contract drafting skills
• Excellent understanding of data privacy and data security law is necessary
• A high degree of independence and ability to succeed with little supervision
• Detail orientated, highly organized, and able to handle multiple tasks and projects in a fast-paced environment
• Experience with records management and information security 
• 2+ years of experience working in procurement contracting or procurement management organization
• Experience directly advising clients and ability to provide high level of client service
• Experience with procurement and contracting with federal government and other governmental agencies a plus 
• Understanding of utility or other regulated industry and applicable laws and regulations, including administrative law
• Experience with transmission and energy contracts a plus
• SEC and public company experience a plus 

Additional Information