Assistant General Counsel - Engineering, Procurement & Construction Contracts

Position: Assistant General Counsel – Engineering, Procurement & Construction Contracts
Location: San Antonio, Texas
 

Zachry Group is seeking a highly experienced construction attorney to join its corporate legal team as Assistant General Counsel supporting Engineering, Procurement and Supply Chain (“EPC”) contracts. This role will provide strategic, practical, and business-focused legal support for Zachry’s supply chain, subcontracting, and EPC-related contracting activities. The successful candidate will be a trusted advisor to procurement, supply chain, project, commercial, engineering, risk, compliance, and executive stakeholders, with primary responsibility for drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and supporting the administration of complex construction-related agreements across Zachry’s business lines.

The ideal candidate will bring deep experience negotiating engineering, construction, procurement, subcontract, equipment, material, services, logistics, and related agreements, preferably from the perspective of an EPC contractor or a legal team supporting major capital projects. This attorney must be able to balance legal risk, commercial objectives, operational realities, and schedule pressures while helping the company honor its commitments, collaborate effectively, communicate with openness and transparency, and make a positive impact on projects, customers, suppliers, and internal teams.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and strong undergraduate academic credentials.
• Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of Texas, or eligibility and willingness to become licensed in Texas promptly.
• Minimum of ten years of significant legal experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating construction, engineering, EPC, subcontract, equipment, material, services, or major commercial agreements.
• Demonstrated experience supporting complex construction, industrial, energy, chemical, refining, power, nuclear, infrastructure, manufacturing, or major capital project matters.
• Strong understanding of commercial risk allocation, project execution, construction contract strategy, supplier management, prime contract flow-downs, change management, project controls, pricing concepts, schedule impacts, and claims avoidance.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, analytical, communication, and judgment skills, with the ability to translate legal concepts into practical business guidance.
• Familiarity with Construction Lifecycle Management platforms including but not limited to Ironclad or its equivalent.
• Demonstrated ethical standards of the highest order, sound professional judgment, and commitment to doing the right thing even in difficult or time-sensitive circumstances.
• Ability to work effectively with project, commercial, engineering, finance, risk, compliance, and executive stakeholders in a collaborative team environment.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, respond quickly to business needs, and perform sophisticated legal work in a challenging and rapidly changing environment.
• Position may be based in San Antonio or Houston, Texas, with regular collaboration across Zachry’s enterprise and project locations.

CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP EXPECTATIONS

The successful candidate must embrace and model Zachry’s values in both substance and style. This includes honoring commitments by being reliable, prepared, and accountable; demonstrating the power of “we” through collaboration and teamwork; practicing openness and transparency through candid, respectful, and timely communication; and making a positive impact by strengthening relationships, improving processes, supporting successful project outcomes, and leaving matters better than they were found. This attorney must build trust across all levels of the organization while leading with integrity, humility, respect, and a practical understanding of the business.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior in-house legal experience with an EPC contractor, construction company, engineering company, industrial services provider, or owner organization involved in major capital projects.
• Experience negotiating from the EPC contractor’s perspective, including subcontractor, supplier, equipment, services, logistics, fabrication, and professional services agreements.
• Experience supporting commercial negotiations, and supplier performance issues.
• Experience with LSTK, target cost, cost-plus, reimbursable, unit rate, EPC, EPCM, construction management, and hybrid project delivery models.
• Experience with change order strategy, claims preservation, back charges, schedule delay issues, liquidated damages, warranty obligations, indemnity, insurance, limitation of liability, payment protections, and dispute resolution provisions.
• Familiarity with nuclear, power, energy, chemicals, refining, LNG, manufacturing, or industrial construction sectors.
• Board Certification in Construction Law, active participation in the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, or involvement in comparable construction, procurement, or industry organizations.
• Experience with contractor licensing, export controls, nuclear-related procurement, government-facing compliance issues, or regulated-project contracting is beneficial but not required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The employee will be required to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, by video conference, and in writing; use a computer and standard office equipment; review, draft, and analyze documents for extended periods; and perform work requiring concentration, judgment, and attention to detail. The position may require occasional lifting, carrying, or moving of objects in a safe manner.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This position will work primarily in a professional office environment in either San Antonio or Houston, Texas. The role requires the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-accountability business environment, manage confidential and time-sensitive matters, collaborate across functions and locations, and provide responsive legal support to business partners and project teams.

The above description summarizes the fundamental responsibilities of the Assistant General Counsel position. It is not intended to be a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties, or requirements that may be assigned from time to time.

Zachry Group is dedicated to providing a safe and drug-free work environment and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the primary legal partner to Zachry’s engineering, procurement and construction groups on the formation, negotiation, interpretation, and administration of related contracts.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and support execution of contracts that align with project requirements, prime contract obligations, company risk standards, commercial objectives, and operational needs.
• Support EPC projects, maintenance services, turnaround work, engineering services, and corporate procurement activities across Zachry’s business groups.
• Advise procurement, supply chain, project management, engineering, finance, risk management, compliance, and executive stakeholders on contract structure, risk allocation, flow-down obligations, supplier performance, change management, claims avoidance, and dispute resolution.
• Assist in developing, maintaining, and improving contract templates, playbooks, fallback positions, preferred terms, and negotiation guidance for procurement and supply chain agreements.
• Provide timely, practical, and business-oriented legal advice in a fast-paced environment, including support for proposal activity, project execution, supplier negotiations, and urgent operational needs.
• Support contract management and change-management processes, including review of notices, amendments, change orders, back charges, claims, supplier disputes, and project correspondence.
• Advise on compliance issues affecting procurement and supply chain activities, including export controls, nuclear-related contracting requirements, Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission considerations, conflicts of interest, and other applicable legal and policy requirements.
• Build trusted relationships with internal clients by communicating clearly, listening first, maintaining transparency, and helping stakeholders solve problems in a manner consistent with Zachry’s values and long-term business interests.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives designed to increase consistency, efficiency, accountability, and commercial discipline in contracting processes.
• Coordinate legal research and analysis on matters affecting Zachry’s EPC, construction, and commercial activities.
• Complete special projects and perform other related duties as assigned.