General Counsel

~ Gevo is a leading renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company. We are developing biobased alternatives to petroleum-based products using a combination of synthetic biology and chemistry. Gevo is a team-oriented company that is pioneering the advanced green energy industry. ~

We plan to produce isobutanol, a versatile platform chemical for the liquid fuels and petrochemical market. Isobutanol has broad market applications as a solvent and a gasoline blendstock that can help refiners meet their renewable fuel and clean air obligations. It can also be further processed using well-known chemical processes into jet fuel and feedstocks for the production of synthetic rubber, plastics, and polyesters. Gevo's technology was designed to retrofit existing ethanol plants of all kinds.  

Position Overview  

We are looking for a General Counsel, based in Englewood, Colorado. The General Counsel, reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, is responsible for leading and managing corporate strategic and tactical legal initiatives.

The candidate provides senior management with effective advice on company strategies and their implementation, manages the legal function, and obtains and oversees the work of outside counsel. The general counsel is directly involved in complex business transactions in negotiating critical contracts. 

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Write contracts for business deals including sales, partnerships and strategic relationships
• Assists CEO, CFO, CTO and COO on legal matters
• Negotiates or participates in the negotiation of business deals
• Serves as key lawyer/legal advisor on all major business transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures
• Assumes ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the company conducts its business in compliance with applicable SEC et al. laws and regulations
• Prepare and "own" all SEC filings (K's, Q's, Proxies, etc)
• Plan and manage the legal budget, including fees from external counsel and advisors
• Manage IP portfolio as well as budget for patents and external counsel
• Advise on legal aspects of the company's financing, including assessing and advising on current and future business structures and legal entities
• Participate in the definition and development of corporate policies, procedures and programs and provide continuing counsel and guidance on legal matters and on legal implications of all matters
• Provide opinions to management on merits of cases filed against or on behalf of the company, work with the appropriate executive(s) to define a strategic defense and approve settlements of disputes where warranted
• Structure and manage the company's internal legal function and staff
• Oversee the selection, retention, management and evaluation of all outside counsel 

Qualifications 

Requirements include: 

• J.D. degree
• Admission to the Colorado State Bar
• Minimum of six years' experience in a law firm environment or as a General Counsel or assistant General Counsel
• Experience working with a Board of Directors
• Experience working with C-Level executives to develop plans, strategy
• Experience as in-house counsel and/or with a law firm, handling corporate and transactional matters, reviewing, preparing and negotiating contracts
• Experience managing other attorneys and supervising support staff in a corporation; experience with cost-effective management of outside legal resources
• Familiarity and understanding of Sarbanes-Oxley and legislation and related FASB revenue recognition guidelines
• Excellent communication, leadership and time management skills
• This position requires up to 25% travel, some international  

Compensation: Gevo offers a competitive compensation package.

To Apply  

• If interested, please click below: "Apply Now Online!" to email, or, you may fax, a letter of interest, resume and salary requirements.
• Please no phone calls or agency submissions. 

~ EOE ~