Chief Legal Officer: Growth & M&A Strategy

Who We Are Arcadia is the AI-powered energy intelligence platform for businesses. We replace fragmented tools and manual workflows with one platform to pay utility bills, buy energy, and advance sustainability — across every location, at enterprise scale. Trusted by Fortune 2000 companies, Arcadia combines unified data, AI-powered analytics, and expert advisory to help enterprise teams save money, mitigate risk, and cut carbon. We deliver this through three comprehensive solutions: Utility Bill Management: Automating the entire utility bill lifecycle — from data capture and validation to payment processing and auditing. Energy Procurement Advisory : Bringing together comprehensive data, AI-powered analytics, market expertise, and a strong partner network to make sophisticated procurement options accessible to all. Sustainability Reporting — Verified emissions data with seamless integration into leading sustainability platforms. Tackling the world's most complex energy challenges requires diverse thinking. We're building teams of people from different backgrounds, industries, and disciplines — united by a belief that energy management should be simple, intelligent, and a genuine driver of business value. What we’re looking for The General Counsel is the senior‑most legal authority, responsible for architecting a legal function that drives business growth rather than merely managing risk. This role is a "business‑first" partner to the CEO and Board, tasked with enabling high‑velocity sales, leading complex M&A integration work streams, and fostering a compliant yet innovative workplace through strategic employee relations. Arcadia is open to fully remote candidates with preference for those in Washington, DC, New York, and Boston. What you’ll do Revenue & Sales Enablement Commercial Catalyst: Partner with Sales and Product teams to streamline the "Lead‑to‑Cash" process, focusing on being "more commercial than cautious". Transaction Architecture: Lead negotiations for high‑stakes SaaS contracts, IP licensing, and technology transactions with sophisticated counterparties. Deal Desk Governance: Establish standardized contract playbooks and self‑service legal tools to increase sales velocity and reduce the deal‑cycle time. M&A Integration & Corporate Governance M&A Exploration : Provide legal support to the company through potential future rounds of fundraising, acquisitions, and critical partnerships. Post‑Acquisition Harmonization: Lead the legal "harmonization" of newly acquired entities, including entity rationalization and the consolidation of intellectual property portfolios. Board Advisory & Strategy: Serve as the Corporate Secretary and primary liaison to the Board, advising on governance, ethics, and fiduciary duties. Public Readiness: (Level 10 focus) Prepare the company for potential future capital events, including fundraising rounds, IPO readiness, or strategic divestitures. Employee Relations & Human Capital Labor Relations: Serve as the legal architect & partner for the People Team on sensitive employee relations (ER) matters, including executive compensation and performance management. Cultural Alignment: Oversee the merging of employee policies and handbooks after an acquisition to ensure a unified corporate culture and adherence to labor laws. Dispute Resolution: Mitigate risks related to workplace disputes and labor audits, acting as an advocate for the company’s "Employer Brand". Enterprise Risk & Compliance Regulatory Navigation: Direct compliance across data privacy (GDPR/CCPA), cybersecurity, and industry‑specific regulations. Litigation & Vendor Management: Oversee all active litigation and optimize the use of outside counsel to ensure maximum ROI on legal spend. The Ideal Profile Experience: 15+ years of legal practice, including demonstrated success as in‑house counsel and/or outstanding experience at a top law firm. Significant time spent as a General Counsel or senior legal leader in a high‑growth SaaS or tech environment, including experience as a General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer at a publicly‑traded company (preferably leading a company through an IPO or a direct listing). M&A Sophistication: Proven track record of leading legal work streams through the full lifecycle of an acquisition and integration. Commercial Mindset: Demonstrated ability to distill complex legal problems into "streamlined, actionable advice" for fast‑paced commercial teams. Very practical and business‑oriented approach with strong attention to detail. Employee Relations Savvy: Deep familiarity with employment law and the nuances of managing human capital during organizational change. International Operations: The background vital to lead the legal operations of a company with significant international operations, including a large Indian subsidiary. Experience coordinating and communicating with an international team across multiple time zones. Professional Credentials: J.D. with excellent academic credentials, and a state bar member in good standing in a state where Arcadia does business. Work Style & Ethics: Client‑service orientation and demonstrated success in handling competing deadlines for multiple internal partners with minimal supervision. Willingness to take feedback, learn, and grow; an ethos of continuous self‑improvement. Outstanding judgment and uncompromising professional ethics. Nice-to-haves Energy Regulatory, or Utility Experience Experience with high‑growth, venture‑funded SAAS startups Demonstrated excellence at assessing risk with a flexible risk tolerance matched to the company’s objectives Experience leading a globally distributed team operating in multiple countries Leading the legal due diligence and execution of merger & acquisition events Benefits Remote first culture - work anywhere in the US as long as you have a reliable internet connection Flexible PTO - no accrued hours and no limit on the number of vacation days exempt employees can take each year 12 annual holidays 10 days sick leave Up to 4 weeks bereavement leave 2 volunteer days off 2 professional development days off 12 weeks paid parental leave for all parents 75-95% employer cost coverage for medical, dental, and vision benefits for employees and dependents Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion Here at Arcadia, we cultivate diversity, celebrate individuality, and believe unique perspectives are key to our collective success in creating a clean energy future. Arcadia is committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation by emailing View email address on click.appcast.io prior to completing your application. Target Annual Compensation Range for this role will be $230,000-$350,000. There will also be a competitive benefits (bonus/equity if applicable) component to the package. The exact compensation at which this job is filled will be determined by the skills, experience, and location of the qualified candidate. Please note that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position at this time. #J-18808-Ljbffr