Commercial Counsel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at Sargent Electric

Sargent Electric Company (www.sargentelectric.com) – Consistently named one of the Top Fastest Growing Companies by the Pittsburgh Business Times. Established in 1907, Sargent Electric Company has since evolved into one of the largest electrical contracting companies in the area, providing comprehensive services to our clients.

We are seeking a Commercial Counsel in our Pittsburgh, PA office. The successful candidate will be instrumental in driving efficiency in our Legal processes and supporting the company's strategic objectives through effective legal operations management.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as a legal advisor for three U.S. operating companies engaged in the electrical construction, telecommunication, power, utilities, infrastructure, mission critical, and renewable energy markets, providing strategic and day-to-day commercial legal support across the full project lifecycle, including project development, contracting, execution, change management, claims, disputes, and closeout.
• Draft, review, and negotiate EPC, BOP, electrical construction, telecommunications, utility services, supply chain, confidentiality, teaming, and other commercial agreements in support of projects, consistent with company standards, risk tolerance, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Identify, analyze, and clearly communicate legal, contractual, and commercial risks (including scope, schedule, payment, performance, liquidated damages, indemnity, insurance, warranty, limitation of liability, compliance, and regulatory interface) and recommend practical mitigation strategies to business leaders and project teams.
• Partner with operations, procurement, finance, project management, and other internal stakeholders to ensure consistent understanding and execution of contractual obligations and to provide timely legal guidance during project pursuit, kick-off, performance, change management, and closeout.
• Lead or support the legal review, preparation, evaluation, and negotiation of claims, change requests, and disputes (including time extensions, additional compensation, and backcharges), ensuring timely notice, proper documentation, preservation of rights, and alignment with contract requirements and company strategy.
• Monitor and promote compliance with contractual terms, company policies, and applicable laws and regulations, including appropriate flow-down of key terms to subcontractors and vendors and support for governance, approval, delegation of authority, and documentation standards applicable to the electrical construction, telecommunication, power, utilities, infrastructure, mission critical, and renewable energy businesses of the three U.S. operating companies.
• Support the implementation, use, and continuous improvement of legal and contract management tools and processes, including contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems, templates, playbooks, and standard work to drive efficiency, consistency, and data integrity.
• Assume any additional duties and responsibilities as delegated by Sargent Electric Management

Basic Qualifications:

• Excellent written communication skills. Proficient with computers, particularly Microsoft Office applications, including the ability to type.
• Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of diverse individuals.
• Works efficiently under tight timeframes, responds to requests in a timely manner, and communicates effectively as a team player.
• Understands the importance of being able to multi-task.
• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience advising business and project teams - whether in-house or in private practice - on legal and commercial risk allocation, contract administration, claims, disputes, and project execution issues in the electrical construction, telecommunications, power, utilities, infrastructure, mission critical, renewable energy, or other complex project-based businesses.
• Technical familiarity with construction and engineering practices and terminology, and prior experience supporting large, complex EPC, energy, or infrastructure projects.
• Experience with legal operations, contract management, or CLM systems and related legal technology tools, including contributing to process improvement, implementation, or optimization.
• Experience supporting dispute resolution and litigation management, including effective coordination with external counsel.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to sit for long periods of time
• Must be able to stand, bend, lift and move intermittently
• Ability to withstand extended exposure to a computer monitor, which may at times be straining on the eyes
• Ability to carry up to 20 pounds
• Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals to perform the physical demands

Sargent Electric Company and all its affiliate companies are committed to providing equal employment opportunities in all aspects of employment to qualified individuals without regard to the following criteria: race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability, age, familial or marital status, ancestry, military status, veteran status or genetic information as well as any other prohibited criteria under any local, state or federal law applicable to Sargent Electric Company.