Energy Attorney – Houston or Midland (Senior Counsel)

Job Description

FLSA Status
Exempt

Earliest Start Date
Immediately

Salary
Salary commensurate with experience

Hours per Week
40.00 Standard from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Hiring Department
University Lands

Required Application Materials
A resume is required to apply. Candidates under final consideration will also be required to submit professional references, college degree information, and employment history to an online third-party vendor.

About Us

About University Lands
With offices in Houston and Midland, Texas, University Lands is the fiduciary steward of 2.1 million acres of land across 19 counties in West Texas, managing both the surface and mineral interests for the benefit of the Permanent University Fund (PUF); one of the largest university endowments in the United States that benefits more than 20 educational and health institutions across The University of Texas System and Texas A&M University System.

About the University Lands Legal Department
The Legal Department at University Lands is a key, strategic business partner that facilitates value through collaboration and proactive counseling that is fit-for-risk. With a strong understanding of ULs mission and its business objectives, Legal provides commercial and legal support to all UL departments in a multitude of practice areas affecting the surface and subsurface of the 2.1 million acres of land.

About UT System
The UT System Administration supports the missions of the Systems fourteen institutions by providing financial, legal, planning, purchasing, government relations, communications, development, and other central services. Serving a growing state, the UT System Administration strives to provide a welcoming, supportive work environment that embraces different perspectives – not only because it enables the organization to be stronger, creative, and thoughtful, but because it is the right thing to do. To that end, UT System Administration embraces state laws on military and former foster children employment preferences.

Purpose of Position
Senior Attorney will report to the Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer and will provide expertise and strategic legal advice in a wide variety of legal matters, including land operations, minerals, leasing, major transactions, renewables, emerging energy, royalties, regulatory, state purchasing, environmental, and sustainability.

Essential Functions

• Strong understanding and knowledge of the oil and gas industry and land management practices.
• Provide legal support and analysis on a diverse portfolio, including mineral leasing, surface leasing, oil and gas development, renewable transactions, emerging energy transactions, royalty accounting and disputes, ranching, environmental, remediation, and sustainability.
• Provide specialized legal advice, analysis, counsel, and transactional support that is both commercially oriented and risk assessed on contract interpretation issues, oil and gas disputes, and complex transactions.
• Draft, review, and revise day to day operational agreements and complex transaction agreements.
• Perform legal research and investigation, and report findings and conclusions to senior and executive management.
• Independent responsibility engaging with UT System, government relations, commercial counterparties, operators, and internal and external stakeholders.
• Responsible for managing legal projects and matters independently and across functions, with oversight from Senior Vice President & Chief Legal Officer.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Ability to prioritize and handle a large number of matters.
• Excellent speaking and writing skills as well as exceptional executive, analytical, and communication abilities.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school and a license to practice law in Texas.
• Eight (8) years of experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience at a law firm or combination of experience at a law firm and/or in-house at an energy company or land management company.
• Board Certified Legal Specialist in Oil, Gas, and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
• High degree of professionalism.
• Ability to communicate clearly with internal and external parties.
• Ability to work with all types of people, both internal and external to the organization.
• Ability to manage and adhere to deadlines, with strong attention to detail, higher level thinking skills, strong professional judgment and interpersonal skills, and a positive attitude with enthusiasm.

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.
• Uses standard office equipment.
• Requires occasional evening or weekend hours.

Additional Information
The standard retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. However, the incumbent of this position may elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
A background check will be conducted on applicants under final consideration. The background check may include any or all of the following: criminal history check, prior employment verification, education verification, professional references check, and motor vehicle records check. Background checks are conducted by third-party vendors. Upon request from the third-party vendor, candidates under final consideration must provide the required information for the background checks to be completed.

EO/AA Statement
The University of Texas System Administration is a federal contractor committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all qualified applicants and employees in all terms and conditions of employment. U. T. System will provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state laws.
For information on accommodations for individuals with disabilities, please contact the Office of Talent and Innovation at [email protected].

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location: In person