Job Description
About the Company
Location: Texas, USA (Taylor Manufacturing Site / Georgetown Service Center / Greater Austin) On-site is required; 2–3 months of temporary remote/temporary office may be allowed during early build-out.
About the Role
This role provides end-to-end operational legal support for our US sites, focusing on construction/engineering contracts, factory setup, supplier/outsourcing agreements, HR/labor matters, and local/state/federal compliance & government liaison. The mandate is to enable schedule/cost certainty, ensure compliance, and mitigate risk. Not in scope as core requirements: IP licensing and M&A (helpful but not required).
Responsibilities
- Construction & Facilities Contracts: Draft/review/negotiation for EPC/GC, subcontractors, design consultants, MEP/utilities, maintenance, leases/land-use; structure milestones, progress payments, change orders, acceptance, warranty, claims, and dispute resolution.
- Factory Setup & Operations: Permits/occupancy, environmental & safety coordination (with internal teams/consultants), standardization of supplier and service agreement templates.
- Government & Compliance: Liaise with city/county/state authorities on incentives, permits and compliance; track relevant Texas legal updates.
- HR/Labor: Review employment agreements, handbooks and policies (shifts, overtime, premiums, grievance/investigation); advise on employee relations.
- Operational Support: Legal review for RMA/service center operations, logistics and procurement workflows; implement data protection, trade secrets/NDA and non-compete practices.
- Outside Counsel Management: Scope issues, control budget, manage deliverables and timelines.
- Enablement & Standards: Build contract templates, checklists and quick guides; provide basic compliance training to non-legal teams.
Qualifications
Must-Have:
- Law degree (J.D. or equivalent) with US bar admission (Texas preferred) or eligibility for in-house practice.
- 5–8+ years in construction/engineering/manufacturing contracting and compliance.
- Strong contract drafting/redlining/negotiation skills; mastery of milestones, performance security, indemnities and liability caps.
- Solid knowledge of HR/labor regulations and policy development; proven cross-functional partnership with HR/Operations.
- Experience working with local/state/federal compliance and government agencies.
- Effective bilingual communication (English/Chinese a plus); thrives in fast-moving, cross-time-zone settings.
Nice-to-Have:
- Greenfield factory or high-tech manufacturing site experience.
- Familiarity with economic incentives documentation and commitments.
- Working knowledge of EHS/OSHA, basic export controls (EAR/ITAR), and privacy/trade secret matters.
- Prior experience managing outside counsel and legal spend.
Success Metrics
- Turnaround time for contract review (e.g., 3–5 business days for standard forms; complex items per project plan).
- On-time delivery of legal critical path items for factory milestones (permits, agreements, go-live).
- Early risk identification/mitigation rate and value impact.
- Adoption of templates and completion of compliance trainings.
Others
- Close on-site collaboration with Taylor/Georgetown teams; travel as needed.
- Relocation per company policy (eligible roles/allowances to apply).