VP Legal Transmission

American Electric Power; New Albany (IN); On-site; USD 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

American Electric Power seeks a Vice President, Legal, Transmission to serve as the primary legal advisor to the President of Transmission and the Transmission leadership team. Reporting directly to the President of Transmission, this role provides strategic, practical, and business-focused legal counsel in support of Transmission objectives, operations, investments, and growth priorities.

The VP leads a small, specialized legal team and coordinates with the central legal organization, managing

Responsibilities

• Executive and Strategic Legal Counsel
• Lead legal support for complex commercial matters affecting transmission assets
• Advise on structuring, negotiation, documentation and execution of strategic transactions
• Draft, review and negotiate complex agreements
• Coordinate legal due diligence and identify risks
• Provide practical guidance on risk allocation and compliance
• Manage outside counsel and coordinate with central legal organization

Job description

Job Summary

The Vice President Legal, Transmission serves as the primary legal advisor to the President of Transmission and the Transmission leadership team. Reporting directly to the President of Transmission, this position provides strategic, practical, and business-focused legal counsel in support of Transmission objectives, operations, investments, and growth priorities.

The Vice President leads the legal strategy for commercial matters, transactions, procurement and contracting, real estate, and other significant legal matters affecting the Transmission business. The position works closely with senior leaders to structure transactions, evaluate business opportunities, negotiate complex agreements, manage legal and commercial risk, and support timely executive decision-making.

The Vice President leads a small, specialized legal team, anticipated to include approximately two direct reports with primary expertise in real estate and procurement contracting. The position also coordinates with the company’s central legal organization and manages outside counsel as needed to obtain specialized expertise, maintain alignment with enterprise legal standards, and provide efficient legal support to the Transmission organization.

Job Description

What you'll do:

Executive and Strategic Legal Counsel

• Serve as the principal legal advisor to the President of Transmission and the Transmission leadership team.
• Participate as a member of the Transmission leadership team and provide legal perspective on business strategy, operating priorities, investments, organizational decisions, and risk.
• Develop a strong understanding of Transmission’s business model, objectives, competitive position, and operational environment.
• Translate complex legal issues into clear business implications, options, and recommendations for senior leaders.
• Apply independent legal judgment while helping the business achieve its objectives in a legally sound and commercially practical manner.
• Identify emerging legal risks and opportunities and recommend proactive actions to protect and advance the interests of the Transmission business.

Commercial and Transactional Matters

• Lead legal support for complex commercial matters affecting the development, construction, ownership, operation, and maintenance of transmission assets.
• Advise on the structuring, negotiation, documentation, and execution of strategic transactions, business arrangements, investments, partnerships, and other commercial initiatives.
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex agreements, including purchase and sale agreements, development agreements, joint development arrangements, service agreements, confidentiality agreements, and other business contracts.
• Counsel business leaders throughout the transaction lifecycle, including early-stage evaluation, due diligence, negotiation, approval, closing, implementation, and ongoing contract administration.
• Coordinate legal due diligence and identify contractual, real estate, operational, financial, and other legal risks associated with proposed transactions.
• Support the development of practical risk allocation strategies that reflect the business objectives and risk tolerance of the Transmission organization.
• Advise leadership on disputes, claims, contract interpretation, and potential resolution strategies arising from commercial relationships.

Procurement and Contracting

• Provide strategic legal counsel for significant procurement activities and complex contracts supporting Transmission.
• Advise on procurement strategies, competitive sourcing activities, contract structures, negotiation positions, and allocation of commercial risk.
• Oversee the drafting, review, and negotiation of procurement, equipment, materials, professional services, construction, technology, supply, and other vendor agreements.
• Partner with Procurement, Supply Chain, Finance, Operations, Engineering, and project teams to establish clear and commercially appropriate contract terms.
• Advise on supplier performance, contract compliance, change orders, claims, warranty matters, remedies, and contract termination.
• Support the consistent use of appropriate contract standards, approval requirements, and risk controls across the Transmission organization.
• Develop practical legal guidance and training for business and procurement teams on contracting requirements and commercial risk.

Real Estate and Property Matters

• Oversee legal support for real estate matters affecting Transmission assets, projects, and operations.
• Provide strategic guidance concerning property acquisition, easements, rights-of-way, land use, access rights, development restrictions, title matters, and related agreements.
• Advise on real estate considerations associated with transactions, capital projects, operational needs, and long-term asset strategies.
• Guide the resolution of significant property disputes, title issues, access concerns, and other real estate risks.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders and outside counsel on complex or jurisdiction-specific real estate matters.
• Establish priorities and provide leadership to the attorney or legal professional primarily responsible for Transmission real estate matters.

Legal Risk, Governance, and Compliance

• Lead the identification, assessment, communication, and mitigation of significant legal and contractual risks within the Transmission business.
• Advise on applicable laws, regulations, judicial decisions, corporate policies, and governance requirements affecting Transmission activities.
• Provide legal input to executive decisions, investment reviews, approval processes, and internal committees.
• Support appropriate documentation of significant business decisions, legal advice, approvals, and risk acceptance.
• Promote high standards of ethical conduct, compliance, accountability, and sound business judgment.
• Partner with appropriate litigation, compliance, regulatory, environmental, safety, finance, audit, and risk functions when matters require coordinated advice.
• Monitor relevant legal and industry developments and communicate their potential implications to Transmission leadership.

Disputes and Outside Counsel Management

• Advise on significant commercial, contractual, procurement, and real estate disputes involving the Transmission organization.
• Develop dispute avoidance and resolution strategies that appropriately balance business objectives, legal risk, cost, and stakeholder relationships.
• Select, retain, and manage outside counsel when specialized expertise, additional capacity, or jurisdiction-specific support is required.
• Establish clear objectives, responsibilities, budgets, and expectations for outside counsel engagements.
• Monitor the quality, timeliness, efficiency, and cost of outside legal services.
• Coordinate litigation and formal dispute matters with the central legal organization, as appropriate.

Leadership and Team Management

• Build, lead, and develop a small, highly capable legal team supporting the Transmission business.
• Directly manage approximately two legal professionals whose primary areas of responsibility are expected to include real estate, land, easements, and rights-of-way; and procurement contracts and related commercial matters.
• Establish team priorities, assign responsibilities, set clear performance expectations, and ensure timely and responsive legal support.
• Coach and develop team members while encouraging sound judgment, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Allocate internal and external legal resources based on business priorities, risk, complexity, and required expertise.
• Create an effective service model that allows a small team to focus on the Transmission organization’s most significant legal needs.
• Promote collaboration across the Transmission leadership team, the central legal organization, and other company functions.

Enterprise Coordination

• Partner with the central legal organization to coordinate legal strategy and maintain appropriate alignment with company policies, legal standards, and enterprise positions.
• Work collaboratively with other