Overview
Legal & Government Operations Officer Jobs in Houston, TX at Robert Half
Title: Legal & Government Operations Officer
Company: Robert Half
Location: Houston, TX
About Our Client
Our client is an innovative, venture-backed technology company on a mission to decarbonize the physical world. At the core of their platform is a proprietary, first-of-its-kind manufacturing process that converts plant-derived materials into essential chemicals traditionally produced from fossil fuels—delivering high-performance, cost-competitive solutions with minimal emissions and no hazardous waste.
Role Summary
Our client is seeking a Legal & Government Operations Officer to serve as the primary operator for legal operations. This individual will act as a key execution partner to the General Counsel, ensuring legal workflows, outside counsel coordination, governance processes, and regulatory initiatives run seamlessly. The candidate must be able to travel as needed to Washington D.C. (approximately 25%).
Key Responsibilities
Legal Operations (Primary)
- Coordinate legal workstreams across internal teams and outside counsel
- Serve as first-line triage for inbound legal matters
- Maintain legal request tracking systems and document repositories
- Track timelines, dependencies, and deliverables for legal initiatives
- Coordinate document collection and closing readiness
- Maintain legal dashboards and reporting
Export Control & Regulatory Coordination
- Coordinate export control compliance workflows
- Support ITAR and EAR compliance processes
- Interface with engineering, business development, and trade counsel
- Track export licensing and regulatory obligations
Corporate Governance & Entity Management
- Maintain entity records and subsidiary documentation
- Support board governance processes and materials
- Track corporate maintenance obligations
Government & External Affairs Support
- Assist in executing government relations and policy initiatives
- Prepare policy materials and briefings
- Support lobbying compliance, bill tracking, and reporting
- Willingness to register as a lobbyist if required
What You Bring
Core Competencies
- Strong project management and organizational skills
- Ability to identify legal risks and route matters appropriately
- Ownership mindset with high attention to detail
- Comfort working with senior stakeholders
- Ability to operate independently in a fast-paced environment
Culture Fit
- Curious, proactive, and solutions-oriented
- Comfortable navigating ambiguity in a startup environment
- Passion for sustainability and climate impact
- Self-starter with strong prioritization skills
- Collaborative, respectful, and safety-focused
- Eager to learn across technical and scientific domains
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree required; Paralegal certification or JD preferred
- 4–8 years of experience in legal operations, paralegal work, program management, consulting, or transaction coordination
- Experience managing legal workflows and outside counsel
- Familiarity with ITAR, EAR, and export control compliance required
- Experience supporting government affairs or lobbying efforts preferred
- Background in venture-backed, manufacturing, chemical, or defense environments is a plus
Benefits
- Semi-annual bonus
- Multiple options for medical, dental, vision insurance
- 401k with company match
- Generous PTO
- Salary range of $100,000-$125,000
