Senior Manager, Legal (Projects)

Akaysha Energy, a portfolio company under Global Infrastructure Partners, a part of BlackRock - is at the forefront of developing, financing, and operating transformative energy storage and renewable projects.

We are a driving force behind the global renewable energy revolution.

We combine cutting-edge energy market modeling and data analytics with project development and financing expertise to rapidly decarbonize energy markets. In joining the team, you'll collaborate with passionate experts in the field and take on a role with real-world impacts; in a dynamic, intellectually stimulating and supportive environment - where your ideas matter.

Accelerate your career with us and enjoy above-market performance bonuses, flexible working arrangements and wellness allowances, alongside the benefits of professional training and development opportunities designed to broaden your experience, knowledge, and skills.

Make a difference, and harness your passion for the climate as you influence critical decisions and shape the future of sustainable energy.

Location:

This position can be based in Akaysha Energy’s Head office in Cremorne VIC, or in our one of our CBD offices in Sydney, or Brisbane AU. 

We're open to a hybrid working style; spend time in the office and at home.  

Reporting to:

General Counsel

The role:

Akaysha Energy is seeking a skilled and experienced senior lawyer to join our dynamic team to lead legal support for Akaysha’s global portfolio of projects. Reporting to the General Counsel, you will lead legal support for project agreements across the complete life cycle of projects from origination to Final Investment Decision/Financial Close, and then onto delivery and operations.

This role comes with both managerial and individual contributor responsibilities. You will lead the creation of templates, tools, procedures, risk frameworks and playbooks, as well as oversee and be directly involved in advising on, drafting, reviewing and negotiating project documents. You will manage one Senior Legal Associate and one Legal Associate, and have responsibility for supervising, delegating to and mentoring our Australian-based team of Senior Legal Associates, Legal Associates and Paralegals. Your supervisory responsibilities will include overseeing transactional matter workflow as each project moves through development to financial close and into operations; ensuring documents are completed consistently with Akaysha’s risk profile and are approved and signed in accordance with Akaysha’s corporate governance policies and procedures.

You will also provide support for projects across international markets as required, including in the US, Japan, Europe and the Middle East.

Day to day you will be responsible for:

• Overseeing and being directly involved in drafting, reviewing and negotiating documentation for the life cycle of the project, in close collaboration with Commercial, Development & Delivery, and other Akaysha Pillars. Project documentation includes term sheets/MOUs, options to acquire/lease, joint venture agreements, equipment supply agreements, EPC/turnkey agreements, connection agreements, and operation and maintenance agreements.
• Working closely with the wider business to support tenders and procurement.
• Delegating to and supervising the work of our Senior Legal Associates, Legal Associates and Paralegals, contributing to their professional development through strong mentorship and coaching.
• Leading the creation of templates, tools, procedures, risk frameworks and playbooks for project agreements, for global consistency, efficiency, regulatory compliance and good governance.
• Managing and working with external counsel to ensure quality deliverables are received in a timely manner, within budget and according to the needs of the business.
• Assisting to implement and build upon the company’s Enterprise Risk and Compliance Management Framework as it relates to our projects, including by working across Pillars with respect to the identification, treatment and reporting of key risks.
• Advising on regulatory matters relating to projects and collaborating with Legal Principal – Risk, Compliance and Insurance.
• Identifying legal risks and potential liabilities associated with Akaysha’s projects in development, construction and operation, and developing mitigation strategies.
• Collaborating with Senior Legal Manager – Finance & Corporate with respect to support for the legal due diligence processes for financings.
• Ensuring GC and Board approvals are obtained for project and other agreements and that contracts are executed in accordance with Akaysha’s governance policies and procedures.
• Developing strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

What you'll bring:

This role will suit a commercially minded, extremely collaborative senior lawyer who is excited by the growth trajectory of Akaysha. You will be a team player who is happy to roll up your sleeves and get involved in all aspects of the business.

• Our ideal candidate will have 8+ years PAE
• Must have solid transactional and commercial contracting background, across a range of commercial contracts, ideally with specialist training in EPC/construction contracts and/or other energy contract documents and ideally experienced in supporting projects that are subject to non-recourse project finance.
• Strong drafting experience, with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent negotiation, communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and influence key internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience in supervision and delegation of legal work, ideally with prior managerial experience.
• Solid presentation skills.
• Highly organised and able to prioritise, manage timing expectations, and project manage a high-volume of work, including transactional processes across different projects and other workstreams, within tight deadlines.
• Ability to collect, analyse and interpret complex commercial and technical information.
• Ability to anticipate legal issues and develop proactive solutions.
• Self-starter, hunger to learn, ability to deal with ambiguity and able to adapt and thrive in a startup culture.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and ethical conduct.
• Real interest in and passion for the energy transition and keen to join a growing firm to make a difference with their legal skills.

Even if you don't feel that you meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. We would like to meet candidates who believe in our mission and can contribute to our team in a variety of ways - not just candidates who check every single box.

Please be aware you must be an Australian citizen, hold permanent residency status or have existing AU working rights to apply for this role.