At Recurrent Energy, our mission is to power the world with solar energy and create a better and cleaner Earth for future generations. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar Inc., we are a leading global developer, owner, operator, and asset manager of utility-scale solar and energy storage projects.
Through Recurrent Energy Power Services, we provide operations, maintenance, monitoring, engineering, and asset management services that support renewable energy facilities across North America.
With a proven track record spanning six continents, Recurrent Energy brings together experts across every stage of the renewable energy lifecycle, from project origination, development, financing, and construction to operations, maintenance, and long-term asset management. Our work is helping shape a cleaner, more resilient energy future worldwide.
Backed by the innovation, strength, and global reach of Canadian Solar, we are helping accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy future while creating meaningful opportunities for our employees to grow, innovate, and make a lasting impact. Guided by our values of Trust, Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, and Inclusiveness, we are building a cleaner world for generations to come.
If you're passionate about renewable energy and driven to make a difference, join Recurrent Energy to power the world with clean energy and create a better, cleaner future for generations to come.
Position Title:Associate General Counsel
Department: Legal
Location: Austin, TX (Hybrid) or Remote U.S.
Position Summary
Reporting to the General Counsel, the Associate General Counsel will serve as a senior leader within Recurrent Energy's North America Legal Team, providing strategic legal oversight and guidance across the company's utility-scale solar energy and battery energy storage development, financing, construction, and operations activities throughout the United States and Canada.
The Associate General Counsel will play a critical leadership role in overseeing legal matters across all major business functions, including Project Development, Project Finance, Real Estate and Land Acquisition, Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC), Operations & Maintenance (O&M), and corporate and commercial transactions.
This position will directly oversee and manage a team of Legal Counsel members responsible for supporting these respective business functions, providing legal leadership, strategic direction, and oversight of complex transactions, contractual matters, and regulatory considerations. The Associate General Counsel will ensure consistency in legal strategy, effective risk management, and alignment of legal priorities with the company's broader commercial and operational objectives.
The ideal candidate will be an experienced renewable energy attorney and proven legal leader with a strong understanding the project development life cycle, the Independent Power Producer/IPP business model, exceptional commercial judgment, and the ability to navigate complex legal matters across multiple disciplines. This individual will serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and a strategic partner to business stakeholders throughout the organization.
Key Responsibilities
Legal Leadership & Team Management
- Lead, manage, mentor, and develop a team of Senior Legal Counsel & paralegal members supporting various business functions, including Project Finance, Development, Real Estate, EPC, and O&M.
- Provide strategic legal guidance, oversight, and direction to the legal team, ensuring consistent, high-quality legal support across all business divisions.
- Oversee the allocation, prioritization, and management of legal resources to effectively support business objectives and transactional demands.
- Review and provide guidance on complex legal matters, significant transactions, and material contractual negotiations.
- Establish and maintain effective legal processes, policies, and best practices to promote operational efficiency, consistency, and risk mitigation.
- Foster a collaborative, business-oriented legal team that delivers practical, timely, and commercially focused legal solutions.
Strategic Legal Oversight & Business Partnership
- Provide comprehensive legal oversight across the full lifecycle of utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects, including development, financing, construction, operations, and asset management.
- Serve as a strategic legal advisor to executive leadership and senior business stakeholders on complex transactions, commercial arrangements, legal risks, and strategic business initiatives.
- Partner closely with leadership across Project Development, Project Finance, EPC, O&M, Asset Management, Real Estate, Tax, and other corporate functions to support business priorities.
- Oversee legal strategy and risk management for major business transactions, ensuring legal considerations are appropriately integrated into commercial decision-making.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate legal, regulatory, contractual, and operational risks across the company's North American portfolio.
- Support strategic growth initiatives, including new project development, acquisitions, divestitures, financing structures, and other business opportunities.
Project Development, Real Estate & Land Acquisition
- Provide senior-level legal oversight of renewable energy project development activities, including site control, land acquisition, permitting, environmental compliance, interconnection, and related development agreements.
- Guide Senior Legal Counsel members on complex real estate transactions, land use matters, title issues, and regulatory considerations impacting project development.
- Oversee legal support for project acquisitions, divestitures, and development-stage transactions, including due diligence, transaction structuring, and risk assessment.
- Collaborate with Development and Real Estate leadership to resolve complex legal challenges and advance project milestones.
Project Finance, M&A & Commercial Transactions
- Oversee legal support for project financing transactions, including debt and equity financing, tax equity arrangements, refinancing, and other structured financing activities.
- Provide strategic legal guidance on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and other corporate or project-level transactions.
- Partner with Project Finance, Treasury, Tax, and executive leadership to evaluate transaction structures, negotiate material commercial terms, and manage associated legal risks.
- Oversee legal due diligence, transaction documentation, and coordination with lenders, investors, financial institutions, and external legal advisors.
- Ensure legal strategies support the company's long-term investment, ownership, and asset management objectives.
EPC, Construction & Operations
- Provide strategic legal oversight of EPC contracting, construction-related matters, procurement agreements, and other commercial arrangements supporting project execution.
- Guide legal strategy on complex construction disputes, contractual claims, performance obligations, warranty matters, and risk allocation.
- Oversee legal support for O&M activities, including long-term service agreements, maintenance contracts, vendor relationships, operational compliance, and asset management matters.
- Partner with Construction, Procurement, O&M, and Asset Management leadership to address legal issues affecting project delivery, operational performance, and contractual obligations.
- Support the development and implementation of consistent contracting standards and risk management practices across construction and operational functions.
Corporate Governance, Compliance & Risk Management
- Support the General Counsel in overseeing corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and enterprise-wide legal risk management.
- Provide legal guidance on corporate policies, organizational matters, commercial disputes, and other legal issues affecting North American operations.
- Oversee the management of material disputes, litigation, claims, and external legal proceedings in coordination with outside counsel.
- Monitor relevant legal and regulatory developments affecting the renewable energy industry and advise leadership on potential business implications.
- Manage relationships with outside legal counsel and consultants, including oversight of legal expenditures, work product, and external resources.
- Assist the General Counsel with special projects, strategic initiatives, and other legal matters as needed.
Qualifications & Requirements
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school and active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
- Minimum of 12–15 years of progressive legal experience, preferably with a combination of top-tier law firm and in-house corporate legal experience.
- Significant experience within the renewable energy, power generation, or broader energy infrastructure industry, with a strong preference for utility-scale solar and battery energy storage experience.
- Demonstrated understanding of the Independent Power Producer (IPP) business model and the full renewable energy project lifecycle, including development, financing, construction, operations, and asset management.
- Proven experience leading, managing, and developing attorneys or legal teams within a complex, cross-functional business environment.
- Broad legal expertise across multiple disciplines, including project development, real estate, project finance, M&A, EPC contracting, O&M, and corporate and commercial transactions.
- Demonstrated ability to provide strategic legal oversight across multiple business functions while effectively delegating specialized legal matters to appropriate team members.
- Strong transactional experience, including structuring, negotiating, and overseeing complex commercial agreements and high-value transactions.
- Experience advising executive leadership and senior business stakeholders on material legal risks, strategic initiatives, and complex commercial decisions.
- Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong relationships across all levels of the organization.
- Strong commercial acumen and sound business judgment, with the ability to balance legal risk against operational and strategic business objectives.
- Ability to manage competing priorities, oversee multiple complex legal matters, and operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving business environment.
- Entrepreneurial, strategic, collaborative, and solutions-oriented approach to legal leadership.
- Ability to exercise discretion, maintain confidentiality, and demonstrate the highest standards of professional integrity.
- Experience supporting business activities across the United States and Canada preferred.
- Travel required: 0–15%.