Chief Compliance and Legal Officer

Confidential; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential, Houston-based, seeks a Chief Legal, Compliance & Corporate Secretary to lead the company’s legal, governance, ethics and risk functions. You will advise the Board, CEO and ELT on strategic matters, oversee external counsel, manage budgets, and drive enterprise-wide governance and regulatory compliance initiatives.

You will direct global compliance, ethics, contracts, data privacy, and governance programs, balancing legal protection with business priorities across jurisdictions.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive legal experience with senior leadership responsibility.
• Experience advising Boards and executives on governance, compliance and enterprise risk.
• Expertise in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, contracts, ethics and investigations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as principal legal advisor to the Board, CEO, and executive leadership.
• Provide strategic guidance on corporate transactions, operations, disputes and initiatives.
• Oversee external counsel, budgets, IP protection, claims and dispute resolution.
• Lead global compliance and ethics framework including sanctions, anti-bribery, trade controls.
• Coordinate Board/Committee agendas, minutes, and governance records.
• Manage data privacy, cybersecurity-related legal matters, and records retention.
• Develop and lead the Legal, Compliance, and Governance function; manage budgets and priorites.

Skills

Executive leadership

Governance

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

The Chief Legal, Compliance & Corporate Secretary Officer is the Company’s senior executive responsible for legal affairs, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, ethics, enterprise risk, and Board administration. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the role protects the Company’s legal and reputational interests while enabling strategic growth and promoting the highest standards of governance, integrity, and accountability across all operations.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Global executive accountability for the Legal, Compliance, Ethics, Governance, Corporate Secretary, and enterprise legal-risk functions.

• Principal legal and governance advisor to the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Leadership Team.

• Leadership of internal legal and compliance resources and oversight of external legal counsel and specialist advisors.

• Ability to operate effectively across multiple jurisdictions and balance legal protection, governance requirements, and commercial priorities

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Legal & Strategic Counsel

• Serve as principal legal advisor to the Board, CEO, and Executive Leadership Team.

• Provide strategic legal guidance on corporate transactions, commercial matters, international operations, disputes, litigation, and key business initiatives.

• Oversee external counsel, legal budgets, intellectual property protection, claims, and dispute resolution.

Compliance, Ethics & Risk

• Lead the global compliance and ethics framework, including anti-bribery and corruption, sanctions, competition law, trade controls, fraud prevention, and other applicable regulatory requirements.

• Oversee whistleblower channels, internal investigations, remediation, compliance training, and reporting to executive leadership and the Board.

• Identify and manage legal, regulatory, governance, ethical, and reputational risks in coordination with business leaders.

Corporate Governance & Corporate Secretary

• Serve as Corporate Secretary to the Board of Directors and its Committees.

• Coordinate Board and Committee agendas, materials, meetings, resolutions, minutes, and official records.

• Advise directors and executives on fiduciary duties, governance obligations, bylaws, shareholder requirements, and delegated authority.

• Maintain corporate records and legal-entity governance, and ensure timely statutory filings and good standing across applicable jurisdictions.

Regulatory, Contracts & Privacy

• Monitor legal and regulatory developments and oversee regulatory inquiries, inspections, and corrective actions.

• Oversee the negotiation and governance of material commercial contracts, strategic transactions, and corporate agreements.

• Provide legal oversight of data privacy, information governance, cybersecurity-related legal matters, and records retention.

Leadership

• Lead and develop the Legal, Compliance, and Governance function; establish priorities, controls, performance measures, and budgets.

• Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, sound judgment, and proactive risk management throughout the Company.

• Perform other responsibilities reasonably required to support the objectives of the Company.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

Required

• Juris Doctor (JD), LLB, or equivalent law degree; licensed attorney in good standing in at least one jurisdiction.

• 15+ years of progressive legal experience, including significant senior or executive leadership responsibility.

• Experience advising Boards of Directors and senior executives on legal, governance, compliance, and enterprise-risk matters.

• Demonstrated expertise in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, commercial contracts, ethics and investigations, and litigation management.

• Executive presence, sound business judgment, discretion, strategic thinking, and strong negotiation and stakeholder-management skills.

Preferred

• Experience serving as Corporate Secretary and working within a multinational energy services, industrial, engineering, or technology organization.