VP Legal Transmission at American Electric Power in New Albany, OH

Job description

Job Posting End Date 10-17-2026 Please note the job posting will close on the day before the posting end date. Job Summary The Vice President Legal, Transmission serves as the principal legal advisor to the President of Transmission and the Transmission leadership team. Reporting directly to the President of Transmission, this role provides strategic, practical, and business-focused legal counsel supporting Transmission operations, investments, growth initiatives, and overall business objectives. The Vice President is responsible for leading legal strategy across commercial transactions, procurement and contracting, real estate matters, and other significant legal and business issues impacting the Transmission organization. This individual partners closely with executive leadership to structure and negotiate complex transactions, assess business opportunities, manage legal and commercial risk, and support informed decision-making. The role leads a small, specialized legal team, expected to include two direct reports with primary responsibility for real estate, easements, rights-of-way, and procurement contracting matters. The Vice President also works closely with the company's broader legal organization and manages outside counsel as needed to ensure efficient, high-quality legal support and alignment with enterprise legal standards. Job Description What you'll do: Executive and Strategic Legal Counsel Serve as the principal legal advisor to the President of Transmission and leadership team. Provide strategic counsel on business priorities, investments, risk, and organizational matters. Translate legal issues into practical business solutions. Identify emerging risks and opportunities and recommend proactive strategies. Commercial and Transactional Matters Lead legal support for complex transactions, partnerships, investments, and commercial initiatives. Structure, negotiate, and draft key commercial agreements. Advise business leaders throughout the transaction lifecycle, including due diligence, negotiation, and closing. Provide guidance on contract disputes, interpretation, and risk allocation. Procurement and Contracting Advise on procurement strategies, sourcing activities, and commercial risk. Draft, review, and negotiate vendor, construction, supply, technology, and service agreements. Partner with business teams to support contract performance and risk management. Establish contracting standards and best practices. Real Estate and Property Matters Oversee legal matters involving acquisitions, easements, rights-of-way, title, and land use. Advise on real estate issues related to projects, operations, and asset strategy. Lead resolution of significant property disputes and risks. Direct legal resources supporting real estate activities. Legal Risk, Governance, and Compliance Lead legal risk identification, assessment, and mitigation efforts. Advise on regulatory, governance, compliance, and policy matters. Support executive decision-making, approvals, and risk acceptance processes. Promote ethical conduct and sound business judgment. Disputes and Outside Counsel Management Advise on significant commercial, procurement, and real estate disputes. Develop dispute resolution strategies aligned with business objectives. Manage outside counsel, legal budgets, and specialized legal resources. Coordinate litigation and complex legal matters as needed. Leadership and Team Management Lead and develop a small legal team supporting the Transmission business. Establish priorities, allocate resources, and ensure responsive legal support. Coach, mentor, and develop team members. Foster collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement. Enterprise Coordination Partner with enterprise legal teams to align strategy, policies, and standards. Collaborate with internal subject matter experts on complex matters. Leverage enterprise resources while supporting Transmission business priorities. Escalate matters with broader enterprise i