Senior Counsel - Commercial

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Background

ClimeCo is a global sustainability company headquartered in Houston, Texas, with projects and partners all over the world. Our mission is to advance the low-carbon future and restore nature with market-based solutions. We offer comprehensive services spanning environmental asset innovation, ESG and climate strategy consulting, regulatory and policy advisory, environmental credits, API solutions, and climate action certification programs.

Our growing team of respected scientists and industry experts collaborate with companies of all sizes, governmental groups, NGOs, and capital markets players on ESG, decarbonization, and policy issues—allowing us to develop high-quality, purpose-built end-to-end sustainability solutions with measurable impact. We are steadfastly committed to educating and empowering our clients, no matter where they are in their sustainability journey, to be confident in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

ClimeCo is seeking a full-time Commercial Counsel to join our Legal team.

Position Description

ClimeCo is seeking a full-time Commercial Counsel to join our growing legal function. This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially minded attorney with experience in the sustainability or commodities space to embed directly in a fast-paced, mission-driven organization at the forefront of environmental markets. The ideal candidate brings a strong foundation in commercial contracting and business law, a genuine passion for climate and sustainability, and the entrepreneurial drive to thrive in a lean, remote-first environment.

This role offers real exposure across ClimeCo's business lines, from voluntary carbon market transactions and project development agreements to consulting engagements and corporate administration. Candidates who are hungry to grow, ambitious in their career trajectory, and eager to develop broad commercial legal expertise in a high-impact sector are strongly encouraged to apply. There is meaningful potential for succession and expanded responsibility as ClimeCo continues to scale.

• Eagerness to grow beyond your current scope and build toward a long-term career in sustainability law
• Willing to develop expertise across diverse legal and business domains rather than narrow specialization
• Able to work closely with non-legal colleagues and translate complex legal concepts into actionable guidance and agreements
• Capable of managing competing priorities in a lean team without sacrificing quality
• Focused on enabling the business, not just managing risk

Key responsibilities include:

Contract Support and Management

• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including voluntary carbon credit purchase and sale agreements, project development contracts, consulting service agreements, NDAs, and vendor contracts
• Maintain and improve contract management systems, templates, and playbooks to support operational efficiency and risk mitigation
• Advise internal stakeholders on contractual rights, obligations, and risk, providing clear and practical guidance in plain language
• Support contract lifecycle management from execution through close-out, including tracking obligations, expirations and renewals, and key milestones

Environmental Commodity Market and Project Development

• Provide legal support for voluntary and compliance carbon credit transactions, including structuring, documentation, and regulatory considerations across registries and standards
• Assist with the legal aspects of carbon and sustainability project development, including landowner agreements, option agreements, and third-party verification arrangements
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting the environmental commodity markets and marketing, and provide timely analysis to internal teams

Climate, Sustainability, and Commodities

• Support ClimeCo's sustainability consulting practice with legal review of client deliverables, engagement letters, and scope of work agreements
• Apply working knowledge of environmental commodities markets (voluntary and compliance carbon credits and offsets, RECs, plastics credits, criteria pollutants) to advise on deal structuring and transactional documentation
• Assist with compliance matters related to environmental regulations and market integrity frameworks

Corporate Administration and General Business Support

• Support corporate governance and business administration tasks, including entity maintenance, board resolutions, and subsidiary management
• Assist with procurement, vendor management, and other general business legal matters as needed
• Collaborate cross-functionally with finance, HR, IT and business development teams to support ClimeCo's commercial objectives

ClimeCo embraces diversity and welcomes candidates who contribute to a climate that supports our staff of all identities and backgrounds. We further commit ourselves to an inclusive workplace where we value the perspectives of all employees by recognizing and appreciating their unique skills and talents. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized communities to apply.

Requirements:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing
• 4 to 7 years of commercial legal experience, law firm background preferred, with in-house experience considered
• Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts
• Exposure to environmental commodity markets in general (including carbon markets), climate policy and sustainability or management consulting
• Proven ability to manage a high-volume workload independently in a remote work environment, including effective prioritization and proactive communication with stakeholders
• Strong command of AI-assisted legal tools and emerging legal technology; comfort with digital workflows and remote collaboration platforms
• Self-starter mentality with the judgment to work autonomously and the self-awareness to know when to escalate or seek input

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in voluntary and compliance carbon commodities trading, energy law, or structured transactions in environmental markets
• Familiarity with carbon market registries and standards (e.g., Verra VCS, Gold Standard, Climate Action Reserve, American Carbon Registry)
• Experience in a consulting firm environment or advising professional services businesses
• Demonstrated interest in and working knowledge of sustainability frameworks, including international GHG regulatory or market frameworks, GHG accounting, and ESG reporting standards