VP Legal Transmission

Job Posting End Date

Please note the job posting will close on the day before the posting end date.

Job Summary

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 impact as appropriate.

What we're looking for:
Education

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Juris Doctor or equivalent law degree from an accredited law school.

Licenses and Certifications

• Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Ability to obtain any additional licenses or authorizations required for the role.

Experience

• Minimum of 14 years of legal experience in private practice, corporate, government, or regulatory environments.
• Significant experience advising senior leaders on complex commercial, transactional, and business matters.
• Strong background in negotiating commercial agreements and supporting strategic transactions.
• Experience supporting procurement, construction, infrastructure, real estate, energy, or other capital-intensive operations.
• Proven leadership experience managing legal professionals and outside counsel.
• Ability to assess and communicate legal risk to support sound business decisions.
• Experience working effectively across legal, operational, financial, and commercial functions.

Required Skills and Capabilities

• Strategic legal and business judgment.
• Strong commercial, transactional, and contract negotiation experience.
• Ability to assess complex issues and deliver practical business solutions.
• Executive presence with strong communication and influencing skills.
• Proven leadership and team development capabilities.
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, outside counsel, and legal resources.
• Commitment to ethics, governance, compliance, and safety.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting utilities, energy, infrastructure, or other capital-intensive industries.
• Experience with transmission, major projects, or regulated operations.
• Experience with strategic transactions, procurement, construction, and real estate matters.
• Experience serving as lead counsel to a business unit and partnering with enterprise legal teams.
• Experience managing complex, cross-functional legal matters.
• Advanced degree in business, finance, public policy, or a related field.

Where You'll Work:

• New Albany, OH or Austin, TX

What You’ll Get:

• Base Salary 
• Annual Bonus
• Long Term Incentive
• 401K
• AEP Pension
• Comprehensive Benefits Package

At AEP, we’re more than just an energy company — we’re a team of dedicated professionals committed to delivering safe, reliable, and innovative energy solutions. Guided by our mission to put the customer first, we strive to exceed expectations by listening, responding, and continuously improving the way we serve our communities. If you're passionate about making a meaningful impact and being part of a forward-thinking organization, this is the company for you!

Compensation Data

Compensation Grade:

Compensation Range:

The Physical Demand Level for this job is: S – Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally (Occasionally: activity or condition exists up to 1/3 of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force frequently. (Frequently: activity or condition exists from 1/3 to 2/3 of the time) to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.  

Hear about it first!   Get job alerts by email.  Log in to your Candidate Home Account today!  If you don't have an account, you can create one.