General Counsel and Sr Director of Risk Management

About ESi

Engineering Systems Inc. (ESi) is an engineering and scientific investigation and failure analysis firm. We primarily work with law firms, insurance companies, and manufacturers on small to large-scale projects to answer any technical questions they have. Our projects can entail investigating major transportation accidents, equipment failures, personal injury claims, and damage to residential or commercial structures. The variety and depth of our project work creates a variety of fulfilling roles at ESi.

What We Can Offer You

• Medical, Dental & Vision
• Life Insurance/Voluntary Life Insurance/Universal Life Insurance
• 401k with employer match
• Eligible for Awards Program, Merit Bonus, and/or Annual Bonus
• Flexible Time Off (FTO) - encouraged to take 20 days of paid time off/year
• Pet Insurance
• Work/Life Balance
• 10 paid holidays (9 standard holidays and 1 floating holiday)
• Access to Wellbeats - on-demand fitness & well-being videos
• Full-size gym & personal trainer at the office multiple times a week
• 30-minute fitness break available in addition to 1-hour lunch break
• Wellness Reimbursement
• Business casual dress code and positive working environment
• Continuing education opportunities

Local candidates preferred - no relocation provided

About This Role

Oversees overall legal and risk management functions for the firm. Provides legal advice and strategies to the firm's executive team. Main duties include managing in-house and outside counsel across the full-range of legal issues affecting the organization, reviewing and drafting various legal contracts, negotiating and managing client and vendor contracts and ensuring legal compliance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage and oversee legal and risk management function withing the firm, including both short term work-flows, assignments, and prioritization of legal team efforts as well as long-term process improvement and firm-level risk management strategy.
• Ensuring that the company operates within legal boundaries and complies with regulations specific to forensic engineering and related industries.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts with clients, subcontractors, and vendors to protect the company's interests and mitigate risks.
• Identifying potential legal risks and developing strategies to mitigate them. This includes overseeing insurance policies and coverage, assessing liability exposures, and advising on risk avoidance or reduction measures.
• Handling legal disputes and litigation matters that may arise, including coordinating with external legal counsel when necessary.
• Monitoring changes in laws and regulations that impact the industry, and advising on compliance strategies.
• Providing strategies to protect company work product and proactively mitigate intellectual property issues
• Advising on corporate governance matters, including board meetings, shareholder relations, and compliance with corporate governance guidelines.
• Providing legal training to employees on relevant legal issues and best practices, particularly in areas such as discovery, expert qualification, and expert testimony.
• Serve as partner to human resources in developing and updating company policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance and mitigate risks.
• Lead legal aspects associated with merger and acquisition activity
• Provide expert and strategic legal advice to management
• Evaluate and weigh multiple inputs and impacts of any decision or course of action
• Identify proactive solutions that will eliminate or mitigate risks
• Drive process improvement across legal and contracting function
• Base all decision making process on ethics and integrity
• Create associations of trust and respect with key stakeholders
• Collaborate with departments within the firm to meet their business objectives
• Engage with external parties as needed (regulators, external counsel, clients)
• Consult with employees and clients on expert qualification and discovery issues
• Oversee commercial insurance lines and associated broker relationships
• Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of direct reports. Responsibilities include planning, assigning, and escalating work; appraising performance; rewarding direct reports and providing constructive feedback, and when necessary, performance coaching; mentoring; addressing issues, and resolving problems.

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements:

• Juris Doctor Degree (JD)
• MA or BSc in Business Administration will be considered an asset

Other Skills/Abilities or Other Qualifications:

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in corporate law with a deep knowledge of how legal issues affects forensic consulting services
• Overall broad legal knowledge (corporate law, litigations, labor law, etc)
• In-depth understanding of how legal issues affect organizations
• Ability to develop legal strategy and objectives
• Well-versed in firm operations and financial acumen
• High degree of professional ethics, integrity and gravitas
• Excellent judgement and critical thinking skills
• Exceptional analytical and negotiation skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to anticipate legal issues and risks

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk and sit on a regular basis.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Work is performed in a typical office environment.

It is the policy of ESi, as an equal opportunity employer, to attract and retain the best-qualified individuals available, without regard to race/ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status. ESi is committed to recruiting, hiring, and promoting people with disabilities, as well as veterans. If you need assistance with completing the electronic application, please email your request to employment@engsys.com

To all recruitment agencies: ESi does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firms or agencies. Any resume submitted to any employee of ESi without a prior written search agreement will be considered unsolicited and the property of ESi. Please, no phone calls or emails.