R3 Lithium operates North America's first commercial-scale lithium carbonate recovery facility, located in Covington, Georgia. Using a lithium-first extraction process, the company recovers, refines, and returns lithium carbonate from recycled black mass into the battery supply chain for energy storage systems, defense applications, and electric vehicles. Founded in 2026 and privately held, R3 Lithium is headquartered at 9176 Industrial Drive NE, Covington, Georgia. For more information, visit www.r3lithium.com.

We are seeking a practical, commercially minded Senior Counsel to work closely with and report directly to the General Counsel. This is a broad in-house role offering substantial exposure to the legal, commercial, regulatory and strategic issues involved in building and operating an industrial business in an evolving and strategically important sector. 

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 5 years of experience, comfortable working across multiple areas of law rather than specializing narrowly in a single discipline. The position will involve significant interaction with senior management and business teams and will require sound judgment, responsiveness, intellectual curiosity and the willingness and ability to take ownership of matters from beginning to end. 

This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney who enjoys the variety and responsibility of working in a lean legal department and wants to have a meaningful role in the growth of an emerging industrial company. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Working with and under the direction of the General Counsel, the Senior Counsel will provide legal support across the Company's operations. Responsibilities are expected to include: 

Commercial Contracts and Business Operations: 

• Draft, review and negotiate a wide variety of commercial agreements, including supply, purchase, sale, services, equipment, technology, logistics, consulting, confidentiality and other operating agreements. 

• Provide practical day-to-day legal advice to commercial, operations, finance, engineering, procurement and other business functions. 

• Identify legal and commercial risks and develop practical solutions that appropriately balance risk with business objectives. 

Battery Recycling, Environmental and Regulatory Matters: 

• Advise on legal and regulatory matters affecting the acquisition, transportation, storage, processing and recycling of lithium-ion batteries and battery materials and the production and sale of black mass, lithium carbonate and related materials. 

• Support compliance with applicable federal and state environmental, waste-management, transportation, permitting and related regulatory requirements. 

• Work with operational personnel, technical consultants and outside counsel regarding environmental permits, regulatory inquiries, compliance matters and facility-related issues. 

Government Programs and Government-Funded Projects: 

• Support matters involving federal and state grants, incentives, government-funded projects and other governmental programs. 

• Review and advise on contractual, compliance, reporting and flow-down requirements associated with government funding. 

• Assist the business in identifying and managing legal requirements arising from interactions with federal, state and local governmental authorities. 

Corporate Transactions and Governance: 

• Support acquisitions, dispositions, investments, joint ventures, strategic partnerships and other corporate transactions. 

• Assist with transaction structuring, due diligence, negotiation, documentation, closing and post-closing matters. 

• Support corporate governance for a privately held, investor-backed company, including Board and stockholder matters, corporate approvals, entity management and maintenance of corporate records. 

• Assist with equity-related matters and other corporate transactions as required. 

Real Estate and Major Projects: 

• Advise on industrial real-estate matters, including acquisitions, leases, site development, easements, access arrangements and related agreements. 

• Support development, construction, expansion and operation of industrial and processing facilities. 

• Coordinate with environmental, engineering, construction and real-estate specialists as appropriate. 

Compliance, Trade and Foreign Investment: 

• Assist the General Counsel in developing, implementing and administering a practical, risk-based corporate compliance program. 

• Advise on policies, training, investigations and compliance controls, including anti-bribery and corruption, conflicts of interest and third-party compliance. 

• Support U.S. import/export and trade-compliance matters, including export controls, sanctions, customs and supply-chain compliance. 

• Assist with legal issues arising from foreign investors, foreign counterparties and cross-border transactions, including CFIUS and other foreign-investment or national-security-related considerations where applicable. 

Insurance and Risk Management: 

• Assist in the management of the Company's insurance and risk-management program. 

• Work with management, insurance brokers, carriers and outside counsel regarding placement and renewal of coverage, contractual insurance requirements, claims and risk mitigation. 

• Review contractual indemnification, limitation-of-liability, insurance and related risk-allocation provisions. 

Disputes and Litigation: 

• Manage or assist with commercial disputes, claims, litigation, regulatory proceedings and other contested matters. 

• Develop dispute strategy in conjunction with the General Counsel and business stakeholders. 

• Select, instruct and manage outside counsel where appropriate, with an emphasis on effective outcomes and disciplined management of legal spend. 

General Legal Support: 

• Assist the General Counsel with employment, intellectual property, financing, privacy and other legal matters as needs arise. 

• Monitor legal and regulatory developments relevant to the Company's business and translate them into practical recommendations. 

• Develop templates, policies, processes and other tools that allow the legal function to support efficient business growth. 

• Manage outside counsel and other legal service providers when appropriate. 

• Perform other legal responsibilities typical of a small and growing company's in-house legal department. 

Required Qualifications: 

• J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school. 

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant legal experience, gained in a law firm, corporate legal department, government agency or a combination thereof. 

• Active and in-good-standing license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction. 

• Strong commercial contracting and legal drafting skills. 

• Demonstrated ability to analyze unfamiliar legal issues and provide clear, practical and commercially useful advice. 

• Ability to manage multiple matters simultaneously and work effectively in a fast-moving environment with limited administrative infrastructure. 

• Strong judgment, communication skills and attention to detail. 

• Ability to work independently while recognizing when issues should be escalated to the General Counsel. 

Particularly Relevant Experience: 

We recognize that few candidates will have experience in all of the areas below. Experience in one or more of the following is preferred, but not required. 

• Lithium-ion battery recycling, battery materials, critical minerals, chemical processing, metals, waste management or similar industrial businesses. 

• Production, processing, purchase or sale of black mass, lithium carbonate or other battery materials. 

• Federal or state environmental, waste-management or permitting laws applicable to industrial or recycling operations. 

• Government procurement, federal grants, cooperative agreements, government incentives or other government-funded projects, particularly in the energy, manufacturing, critical-minerals or infrastructure sectors. 

• Industrial real estate, facility development, construction or major capital projects. 

• Mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic investments or other private-company transactions. 

• Corporate governance of private or private-equity/venture-backed companies. 

• Insurance coverage, insurance placement, claims and corporate risk management. 

• Establishment or administration of corporate compliance programs. 

• Export controls, economic sanctions, customs, trade compliance or other cross-border regulatory matters. 

• CFIUS, foreign investment, foreign ownership/control or related national-security considerations. 

• Management of commercial litigation, regulatory proceedings, investigations or significant claims. 

What We Are Looking For: 

The strongest candidate will be a business lawyer first: someone who can understand what the Company is trying to accomplish, identify the risks that genuinely matter, and help the business find a responsible way forward. 

Because the legal department is lean, this role is not suited to someone who wants to work exclusively within a narrow specialty. The successful candidate must be comfortable moving – sometimes within the same day—from negotiating a commercial contract, to considering an environmental or regulatory issue, to supporting a corporate transaction, to advising on a dispute or Board matter. 

We particularly value: 

• Practical judgment and a solutions-oriented approach. 

• A willingness to learn new areas of law and take ownership of unfamiliar matters. 

• The ability to distinguish significant legal and business risks from issues that do not warrant disproportionate attention. 

• Clear, concise communication with executives and non-lawyers. 

• Comfort operating in an entrepreneurial environment where priorities can change quickly. 

• A collaborative, low-ego working style. 

• An understanding that an effective in-house lawyer's role is not merely to identify risk, but to help the Company manage risk while accomplishing legitimate business objectives. 

Working Arrangements: 

The position may be performed remotely from within the United States, subject to reasonable availability for meetings and business needs. Periodic travel to Company facilities, meetings, transaction sites and other locations may be required. 

The Senior Counsel will report directly to the General Counsel and will have the opportunity to work closely with the Company's executive leadership and other key decision-makers. 

Compensation and Benefits: 

R3 Lithium, Inc. intends to offer a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience and the responsibilities of the position, including base salary and participation in applicable employee benefit programs. Depending on the Company's compensation structure and the successful candidate's level of experience, the package may also include an annual incentive opportunity and/or equity participation. 

R3 Lithium, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants without regard to characteristics protected by applicable law.