Staff Attorney

Rocky Mountain Institute; Colorado; Hybrid; USD 153,000 - 188,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

403b retirement match

Paid time off

Job summary

Rocky Mountain Institute is seeking a highly qualified Staff Attorney to join our in-house legal team in Colorado. This role reports to the Senior Legal Director and requires an autonomous, business-minded attorney who can handle multiple projects in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

Responsibilities include drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts, providing guidance on nonprofit governance, IP, privacy, lobbying, and compliance, and managing legal risk through policies and

Qualifications

• JD degree and bar admission in at least one U.S. state.
• 7+ years in general law practice with contract, corporate and transactional experience.
• Excellent verbal and writing skills; ability to simplify complex legal issues.
• Systems thinking and ability to work independently in a team setting.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts; advise on structuring entities and transactions.
• Provide guidance on laws affecting nonprofit operations, governance, IP, data privacy, lobbying and FARA, antitrust and anti-corruption.
• Develop policies and templates to mitigate legal risk and support compliance.
• Collaborate with finance, subgrants, and outside law firms; manage multiple projects and priorities.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Legal writing

Corporate law

Regulatory compliance

Policy interpretation

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

Job Description: RMI is looking for an articulate, eager, and highly qualified attorney who is passionate about the energy transition, wants to help create positive impact, and thrives in a team-oriented, fast-paced, and agile work environment. Position Overview: The Staff Attorney will be a full-time in-house lawyer who will report to the Senior Legal Director. The ideal candidate is a highly self-motivated, business-minded, solutions-oriented attorney who enjoys operating autonomously and can comfortably manage multiple projects and competing priorities. This person brings systems thinking, extraordinary judgment, and interpersonal skills to a role that will collaborate closely with others throughout the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Work across various program areas to support them with all types of complex legal needs, including but not limited to drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts and providing guidance about how to structure legal entities, relationships and transactions
• Provide legal advice and support on applicable laws, regulations, and policies, including but not limited to those related to nonprofit operations, governance, and compliance; intellectual property; data privacy; lobbying and FARA; antitrust and anti-corruption
• Manage and mitigate legal risks by drafting and implementing company policies, procedures and legal templates
• Work with the finance team on compliance issues and protocol
• Collaborate with the subgrants team to ensure all outgoing subaward agreements comply with the original agreements between RMI and the funder
• Coordinate with outside law firms across a variety of practice areas and jurisdictions
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• JD degree from accredited law school and licensed to practice law in at least one U.S. state bar
• 7+ years’ experience, preferably in a general law practice with expertise in contract, general corporate and transactional law
• Excellent verbal and writing skills, and the ability to simplify complicated legal issues and language
• Whole systems approach to problem solving

Additional Qualifications:

• Experience in or knowledge of nonprofit law, corporate entity formations, social enterprise and impact investing, emerging companies and venture capital, intellectual property, or global privacy law preferable
• The ability to quickly master and integrate legal, business, technical, and practical analysis
• Desire and ability to work independently as well as in a team setting

Compensation

At RMI, we prioritize fairness in our pay practices. Salaries are determined based on a mix of experience, market benchmarks, and internal equity across similar roles. The salary range of this position is $152,540-$188,000. New hires typically start toward the lower end of the range, depending on experience and alignment with the role’s scope. In addition to base salary, this position includes an annual bonus target of 10% and eligibility for merit-based increases, which are tied to both individual and organizational performance.

Benefits:

We offer an array of benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance
• 403b retirement match with immediate vesting
• Group life, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability
• Optional voluntary life, AD&D and accident plans
• Health savings or flexible spending accounts
• Fertility and hormonal health support
• Mental health and wellness support
• Comprehensive leaves of absence (including generous parental leave)
• Generous paid time off and sick leave
• Paid sabbatical leave
• Regional holidays with at least one extended break in each geography
• Work from home and home technology allowances
• Learning & development opportunities (LinkedIn Learning and an annual individual professional development budget)
• Potential for bonuses and merit increases
• Discount marketplace (gym memberships, pet insurance, etc.)
• Hybrid / remote work options
• Team retreats and geographic meetups
• Rewards and recognition programs

Diversity

We know that the diversity of our teams makes us stronger as an organization, and RMI is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity as outlined in U.S. federal law. We prohibit discrimination against applicants, interns, and employees on the basis of any legally recognized basis, including but not limited to: age (40 and over), race, color, sex, pregnancy (including lactation, childbirth, or related medical conditions), religion, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender expression/identity, uniformed service member status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other applicable status protected by applicable law.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

RMI is an independent nonprofit, founded in 1982 as Rocky Mountain Institute, that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. We work in the world’s most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale energy system interventions that will cut climate pollution at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; Abuja, Nigeria; and Beijing.