General Counsel

ElementUSA is advancing how the world recovers and refines critical minerals, transforming industrial residues into valuable resources, accelerating America’s access to critical minerals. We’re seeking a strategic, hands‑on General Counsel to build and lead our legal function during a period of rapid technical scale‑up, commercial growth, and federal engagement. You will report to the Chief Executive Officer, act as a member of the executive team, and partner closely with operations, engineering, R&D, finance, and business development to manage legal risk, enable transactions, and ensure regulatory and contract compliance across the company. What You’ll Do Legal Leadership & Corporate Governance Serve as the company’s chief legal advisor: advise the CEO and executive team on legal, regulatory, and strategic matters. Lead corporate governance, board support, minutes, and corporate recordkeeping. Develop and maintain company legal policies, compliance programs, and workflows. Contracts, Transactions & Commercial Support Draft, negotiate, and manage commercial contracts including offtake, R&D agreements, supply and offtake agreements, EPC and construction contracts, licensing/IP agreements, NDAs, consulting agreements, and service agreements. Structure and support strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and collaborations with industry, national labs, and government partners. Create standard contract templates, playbooks, and approval matrices to scale commercial activity. Regulatory, Grants & Government Contracting Manage compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations relevant to mineral processing, environmental permitting, safety, and government funding. Support Department of Energy (DoE), Department of War (DoW), and other federal grants/contracting requirements, including reporting, flow‑down clauses, and IP obligations. Coordinate with external counsel on permits, investigations, and regulatory interactions. Risk Management, Compliance & Employment Oversee enterprise risk: identify legal exposures, develop mitigation strategies, and implement compliance and training programs (EHS, data privacy, anti‑corruption). Advise on employment matters, offer letters, executive compensation, and workforce policies; partner with HR and finance on employment law and benefits issues. Handle investigations, dispute resolution, and manage litigation and insurance matters with outside counsel. Intellectual Property & Technology Protection Develop IP strategy: oversee patent filings, trade secrets, confidentiality programs, and licensing to protect proprietary processes and technologies. Manage relationships with patent counsel, monitor freedom‑to‑operate issues, and support commercialization and technology transfer. Mergers, Financing & Board Transactions Support fundraising, equity financings, due diligence, acquisitions/divestitures, and investor relations as needed. Lead legal due diligence, negotiate transaction documents, and coordinate closing processes. Team & Outside Counsel Management Build and manage the legal team as the company grows; select and supervise outside law firms and legal service providers. Drive efficient legal operations, budgeting, and use of technology to deliver timely, business‑focused legal support. What You Bring Education: JD from an accredited law school and active Texas bar membership (required). Experience: 10+ years of legal experience with progressive in‑house responsibility or a combination of law firm and in‑house experience; at least 5 years in a senior in‑house role preferred. Sector Experience: Experience in industrial, energy, environmental, mining/minerals, manufacturing, or cleantech sectors strongly preferred. Familiarity with government grants/contracts (DoE/DoD), export controls (ITAR/EAR), and environmental permitting is highly desirable. Commercial & Dispute Experience: Substantial experience handling business law matters and commercial disputes in Texas and Delaware (TX and DE), including arbitration and litigation. UCC & Transactional Skills: Practical experience with UCC matters (secured transactions), commercial contract negotiation, EPC/engineering contracts, and IP management. Leadership: Demonstrated ability to advise senior leadership, build legal teams, and manage outside counsel and budgets. Skills: Strong commercial judgment, clear written and oral communication, pragmatic risk assessment, and the ability to translate complex technical issues into actionable legal strategies. Location Requirement: must be willing and able to work on-site in Cedar Park, Texas. Who You Are Strategic and practical: you balance legal rigor with business pragmatism to enable growth. Trusted advisor: you build credibility across technical and executive teams and communicate clearly with non‑lawyers. Proactive and process‑oriented: you implement scalable systems and templates that reduce friction and accelerate deals. Mission‑driven: you’re motivated by work that advances national security, clean technology, and sustainable resource recovery. Why ElementUSA ElementUSA is redefining the future of mineral processing. Our team is committed to accelerating America’s access to critical minerals by converting industrial residues, like bauxite residue, into valuable materials for national security, semiconductors and energy infrastructure. Here’s what sets us apart: Innovation with Impact: Our proprietary processes support both economic growth and environmental restoration. Mission-Driven Work: Every project contributes to reducing waste, improving recovery, and strengthening the U.S. critical mineral supply chain. Collaborative Environment: We bring together scientists, engineers, and innovators who share a passion for solving real-world challenges. Growth and Opportunity: As we scale our operations, you’ll have the chance to shape analytical strategy and influence the next generation of mineral recovery technology. Join Us If you’re excited by the idea of advancing sustainable mineral science and want your analytical work to make a measurable impact, we’d love to hear from you. ElementUSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected status. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to these characteristics. #J-18808-Ljbffr