Does this describe you?
- Do you excel at identifying and managing legal, regulatory, and contractual risk?
- Are you confident drafting, negotiating, and improving contracts that protect businesses?
- Do you enjoy advising leaders and project teams on risk mitigation and sound decision-making?
- Are you highly organized in managing compliance, licensure, and governance across jurisdictions?
- Do you enjoy communicating with executives, teams, insurers, and external counsel?
- Are you looking to make a meaningful impact through your expertise?
- Do you value work/life harmony, and seek a work environment that is supportive?
If this describes you, this is your opportunity to join our fast-growing, forward-thinking company that is ready to empower you through our Colleague First set of Values.
SUMMARY
At HEAPY, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of legal compliance and risk management. The General Counsel – Risk Management position plays a critical role in contract review and negotiation, liability management, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and insurance oversight. This position provides strategic
legal guidance to senior leadership, ensuring that business operations align with legal and regulatory requirements while minimizing risk exposure. The ideal candidate thrives in a dynamic environment,
demonstrates exceptional analytical and communication skills, and proactively develops risk management strategies to support HEAPY’s growth and stability.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school and admission to at least one U.S. state bar, active and in good standing
- Located in and licensed in OH, IN, PA, NC, SC or FL preferrably
- 5+ years of legal experience with a strong foundation in professional services and general corporate /business law
- Proven ability to advise and support executive leadership.
- Experience managing outside legal counsel and serving as a strategic advisor to executive leadership.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to educate non-legal stakeholders on contracts, risk, and compliance.
PREFERRED
- Knowledge of ISO 9001, particularly requirements related to documented information and records control.
- Experience supporting professional services firms, preferably within the AEC sector.
- Experience advising mid-sized businesses on corporate structure, risk mitigation, licensing, etc.
- Familiarity with multi-state business operations
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Identifies, assesses, and prioritizes legal, regulatory, contractual, and operational risks across the company.
- Develops, implements, and continuously improves risk management strategies.
- Advises leadership and participates in C-Suite discussions to provide strategic legal, risk, and compliance counsel across all areas of the business.
- Develops, updates, and maintains HEAPY standard form legal documents (including contracts, subcontractor agreements, NDA’s, Non-competes, etc.).
- Supports Project Managers and Practice Leaders with review of contracts, focusing on standard of care, indemnification, limitation of liability, and other risk-shifting provisions.
- Works with clients’ legal contacts on negotiating fair and balanced terms and conditions.
- Advises project teams on contract administration, scope and change management, dispute avoidance, payment issues, and project-specific risk mitigation strategies.
- Ensures compliance with engineering licensure, ethics, business registration, and state, federal, and international regulations (e.g., OSHA, EPA), including research and filings for new markets and geographies.
- Manages registrations, renewals, qualifications, and related filings.
- Supports Board and related sub-Committees as needed regarding Governance, including Buy/Sell, Non-
- Competes, transition and other matters.
- In partnership with the CFO, oversees HEAPY’s insurance programs, including policy review, negotiation, and alignment with contractual and business risks.
- Liaises with assigned external legal counsel and insurers on litigation, disputes, and specialized legal matters to assess risk and determine optimal legal strategy.
- Provides legal guidance on employment and HR matters, including workplace policies, non-competes, separation agreements, compliance, and claims. Manages and coordinates with outside counsel as necessary.
- Provides legal support for mergers and acquisitions, including due diligence, transaction structuring, regulatory compliance, drafting and negotiating transaction documents, and post-acquisition risk mitigation.
- Supports facilities and real estate matters, including review/negotiation of leases and subleases.
- Advises on potential international expansion, including entity formation, business structuring, regulatory compliance, and contract execution.
- Influences and supports internal initiatives to strengthen design quality, risk awareness, and business outcomes.
- Develops and delivers training for colleagues on risk management, contracting best practices, and project risk mitigation.
- Monitors changes in laws, regulations, and industry standards; update policies, templates, and practices accordingly.
- Additional responsibilities as requested/needed.
- Ability to remain sedentary at a workstation for long periods of time while operating a keyboard and using a computer screen.
- Ability to operate a mouse, stylus, or similar tool to make adjustments on electronic visuals and documents.
- Ability to communicate in person, electronically, and via phone with other individuals.
- Possession of reliable transportation to and from locations as needed.
- Ability to move, transport, or position items weighing up to 25 lbs.
- Ability to apply established protocols and practices in a timely manner. and follow safety guidelines for both company and clients.
- Ability to gather, organize, and evaluate information related to legal matters (such as contracts, regulatory compliance, registrations, real estate information, etc.).
NOTE
This job description is not designed to state or imply that the listed responsibilities are the only duties to be performed by the colleague in this position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned by a person authorized to assign such duties at any time with or without notice. All responsibilities and requirements listed are considered essential and are subject to possible modification to reasonably
accommodate qualified individuals who may request such modification due to disabilities. This document does not create an employee contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
HEAPY is proud to have an engaged and inclusive culture. One that promotes and ensures equal employment opportunities in all employment decisions without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, military status, veteran status, and any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state and/or local laws.
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Built for People, Not Just Projects – a collaborative, colleague-first culture where you can do your best work
- Thrive with HEAPY Benefits – premium medical, dental & vision coverage designed with you in mind
- Invest in Your Future – 401(k) with competitive contributions to help you plan ahead
- Be Rewarded for Your Impact – 10–15% annual bonus potential tied to company performance and your contributions
- Own Your Time – open PTO and paid sick time that gives you the flexibility to recharge when you need it
- Wellness Week – we hit pause the final week of the year so you can rest, reset, and reflect
- Feel Your Best – annual wellness benefit bonus focused on your overall well-being
- Grow with Purpose – annual professional development stipend to support your career goals
Colleagues are at the center of everything we do at HEAPY. By engineering more sustainable, resilient buildings, our colleagues are creating healthy environments that inspire and have a positive impact on the community. In this way, HEAPY creates high-performance buildings to help clients achieve not just their goals for form and function, but also around sustainability commitments, recruitment, retention, productivity, and occupant wellness.
Our Colleague First approach encompasses how we invest in our colleagues here at HEAPY, as well as the way we engage with clients. Through active listening, creative collaboration, and support that extends throughout a building’s life cycle, we are creating a more rewarding engagement.
Our national portfolio speaks to the HEAPY team’s MEP engineering, technology engineering, commissioning, and construction administration expertise. But what truly sets us apart is the belief that continually investing in our colleagues is good for our clients, our communities, and our company.
HEAPY’s Colleague First culture reflects an environment in which people feel heard and respected, one where we take pride in delivering upon the core values of our organization. This support enables our colleagues to better guide clients through challenging design decisions and build the trust that enables unparalleled engineering solutions.
