Legal Counsel

Engelhart; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

20 days annual holiday

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life

401(k) match

Job summary

Engelhart is seeking a Commercially minded Legal Counsel with 5+ years of relevant experience to support North American principal investments and structured origination activities, including power, natural gas, environmental products, and related commodities trading matters. This is a full-time, on-site role based in Houston, TX, partnering with Investments, Origination, Trading and Finance teams.

The ideal candidate will be a hands-on attorney capable of leading transactions, translating

Qualifications

• This role requires leading complex energy and investment transactions.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and risk assessment skills are essential.
• Experience with ISDA, EEI, NAESB or similar energy docs is a plus.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and outside counsel.

Responsibilities

• Lead acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, and complex transactions and structure them effectively.
• Advise on power generation, energy storage, midstream assets, and related trading matters.
• Support structured origination opportunities and long-term offtake arrangements.
• Draft and negotiate transaction documents, NDAs, term sheets, and collateral agreements.
• Provide practical legal support for trading activities and corporate governance.

Skills

Transaction leadership

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Legal communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Texas bar admission

Job description

About Us

Engelhart was founded in 2013 by BTG Pactual Group as a commodities trading company. Our business model is “asset light” and highly diversified – giving us the ability to adapt effectively and nimbly to changing market conditions. We have assembled successful multidisciplinary teams, leveraging advanced fundamental analysis with deep quantitative and weather research capabilities. Our activities are underpinned by strong risk management practices and by powerful technology and operational excellence. We have exceptional teams with diverse global backgrounds and decades of experience, and are driven by a highly collaborative culture, across products and competencies.

About Us

Engelhart was founded in 2013 by BTG Pactual Group as a commodities trading company. Our business model is “asset light” and highly diversified – giving us the ability to adapt effectively and nimbly to changing market conditions. We have assembled successful multidisciplinary teams, leveraging advanced fundamental analysis with deep quantitative and weather research capabilities. Our activities are underpinned by strong risk management practices and by powerful technology and operational excellence. We have exceptional teams with diverse global backgrounds and decades of experience, and are driven by a highly collaborative culture, across products and competencies.

In 2024, Engelhart acquired Trailstone, a global energy trading and technology company. The acquisition provides us with new expertise, analytics and proprietary technology which is being used to provide risk management and optimisation services to help maximise the value of our clients’ renewable power. The acquisition also expanded Engelhart’s capabilities into physical natural gas across North America, a critical fuel to support the energy transition.

Our talented and experienced individuals work together according to its four company values: Performance, Agility, Collaboration, Entrepreneurship.

About the Role

Engelhart is seeking a Legal Counsel with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience to support its North American principal investment and structured origination activities, with additional responsibilities for power, natural gas, environmental products and related commodities trading matters. The role will partner closely with the principal investments and structured origination teams as well as cross-functional stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of acquisitions, joint ventures, project and structured investments, financings and other complex transactions. In addition, this individual will also provide practical legal support to the trading business and management. The ideal candidate is a hands‑on, business‑minded attorney who can lead transactions, exercise sound judgment and deliver commercially pragmatic advice in a fast‑paced environment.

This will be a full‑time role, owning the following responsibilities.

• Lead and support acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, strategic partnerships and other complex transactions, including transaction structuring, letters of intent, due diligence, equity and asset purchase and sale agreements, joint venture and LLC agreements, and financing and credit arrangements.
• Advise on investments and commercial arrangements involving power generation, energy storage, midstream assets, data centers, large loads, and other physical energy or infrastructure assets, including commercial, regulatory, financing, governance and risk‑allocation considerations.
• Support the execution of structured origination opportunities, including long‑term offtake arrangements, tolling structures, power purchase agreements, energy management arrangements, and other bespoke commercial structures.
• Draft, review and negotiate transaction‑related agreements, including confidentiality agreements, exclusivity arrangements, term sheets, guarantees, security and collateral documents, intercompany arrangements, transition services agreements and other ancillary documentation.
• Provide legal support for power, natural gas, environmental products and related commodities trading activities.
• Draft, review and negotiate trading documentation, including ISDA Master Agreements and CSAs, EEI, NAESB, WSPP, long‑form confirmations, netting agreements, guarantees, credit support and collateral agreements, and selected bespoke structured products or offtake arrangements.
• Coordinate transaction execution across Investments, Origination, Trading, Finance/Treasury, Tax, Credit, Risk, Compliance, Operations and Controllers, translating commercial objectives into clear legal structures and actionable workstreams.
• Manage transaction processes and outside counsel, including scoping matters, coordinating diligence and specialist advice, controlling budgets, and driving timely, value‑aligned outcomes.
• Support corporate governance and portfolio matters, including entity formation and maintenance, board and member approvals, amendments, restructurings, intercompany arrangements, and reporting obligations.
• Advise, in coordination with Compliance and outside specialists as appropriate, on energy and commodities regulatory matters, including FERC, state public utility commission, CFTC/Dodd‑Frank, ISO/RTO and physical market considerations relevant to investments or trading activities.

About You

This person will be a commercially‑minded and collaborative attorney who can independently lead principal investment and structured origination workstreams, identify and prioritize material risks, and provide clear, practical advice to investment professionals, originators, traders and control functions.

As such, we believe the following academic background, hands‑on experiences and skills are essential for application:

• JD. from an accredited law school and active license to practice in Texas, or eligibility for authorized in‑house counsel status or reciprocal admission within an appropriate period.
• Around 5 years of relevant experience at a leading law firm, in‑house legal department, or a combination of both, with meaningful experience in energy, M&A, structured transactions, project development or other complex commercial investment transactions, including transactions involving power generation, energy storage, midstream assets, large loads or related businesses.
• Demonstrated ability to lead transaction workstreams, manage multiple matters in parallel, identify and prioritize material risks, and negotiate complex agreements with limited supervision.
• Strong contract drafting, issue‑spotting and negotiation skills, with the ability to translate commercial intent into precise legal terms and practical recommendations.
• Clear, concise written and verbal communication, sound judgment, and a collaborative, low‑ego approach.

In addition, the following experiences are not required for application, but are deemed highly desirable for success in this role:

• Experience with commodity trading, private equity, project finance, infrastructure or other asset‑intensive investments.
• Experience with acquisition finance, secured lending, project finance, credit support arrangements, guarantees or other financing transactions.
• Experience with energy trading documentation, such as ISDA, EEI, NAESB or WSPP agreements.
• Working familiarity with FERC, state utility commission, CFTC/Dodd‑Frank or ISO/RTO frameworks relevant to energy investments and trading activities.

What we offer

• Competitive compensation and participation in Engelhart’s discretionary bonus plan.
• 20 days of annual holiday entitlement, excluding US public holidays (NYSE).
• Robust benefits package such as Medical, Dental, Vision, Life insurance, 401(k) match, and supplemental benefits partially subsidized by the Company.
• Eligibility to receive external and internal training in accordance with our Training & Development Policy.

We believe in inclusivity and are therefore dedicated to ensuring all employees – across gender identity, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, life experience, background and more – feel welcome and included in the company. We promote diversity because we believe it is essential to our ability to think holistically.