Description:

How You Will Contribute:
The General Counsel is a new position to the company who will provide strategic legal guidance to the executive team and oversees all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters related to residential construction, land acquisition and development, sales, contracts, employment, risk management, and corporate governance for Hayden Homes and Simplicity by Hayden Homes.

Responsibilities include:

Real Estate & Land Use: Advise and consult on legal aspects pertaining to land acquisition, zoning, permitting, entitlements, and environmental compliance, including complex land-use matters, due diligence, and joint ventures.
Contracts & Transaction Management: Draft, review, negotiate, and update a wide range of contracts and agreements, including land, joint ventures, financing, development, and vendor arrangements—while overseeing intellectual property, software agreements, and banking/legal documentation.
Compliance and Risk Management: Provide legal and compliance oversight across real estate, homebuilding, employment, environmental, and safety regulations; manage insurance, litigation, licensing, and policies while ensuring adherence to federal, state, and local requirements.
Legal Leadership Strategy: Provide legal counsel and strategic guidance to executive leadership, ensuring compliance and risk management while developing a legal strategy that supports company growth.
Additional legal oversight includes but is not limited to: Oversee corporate governance, employment law, and litigation management by advising on organizational structure, policies, and compliance; providing legal support on employment matters and workplace regulations; and managing all litigation, dispute resolution, and outside counsel to mitigate risk and protect company interests.

How You Will Succeed:
You bring a strategic, business-minded approach to legal guidance, balancing risk management with the company's growth objectives. Your expertise across real estate, construction, contracts, employment law, and compliance enables you to navigate complex, multi-jurisdictional issues with confidence. You communicate clearly and persuasively with executives, internal stakeholders, and external partners, fostering trust and alignment. With strong judgment and analytical skills, you anticipate challenges, craft practical solutions, and manage outside counsel effectively. Your ability to prioritize, stay organized, and adapt to changing business needs ensures the company remains compliant, protected, and positioned for long-term success.

What You Can Offer:
Education:

J.D. from an accredited law school; active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

Specialized Knowledge and Skills:

Strong knowledge of contract law, regulatory compliance, and risk management with the ability to apply the knowledge to real estate.
Contract management, negotiation, and legal research skills.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook, Powerpoint).

Abilities:

Ability to lead legal strategy and stay abreast of ever-changing regulations.
Ability to review, write, and interpret legal documents.
Ability to communicate effectively, both verbal and written, to various audiences.
Ability to creatively solve problems and work under time constraints with minimal supervision.
Ability to work with team members to produce quality work within tight timeframes while managing multiple priorities simultaneously.
Exceptional organizational abilities and strong attention to detail.

Experience:

10+ years of legal experience with at least 5 years of in-house counsel experience preferred.
Multi-jurisdictional experience in real estate development, construction and land use law is strongly preferred. Secondary experience in employment, corporate and contracts law is desired.

How You Will Be Rewarded:
Hayden Homes' compensation and benefits package consists of a competitive base salary with quarterly bonus opportunities, generous health care coverage including medical, dental and vision benefits for team members and dependents, flexible spending accounts, life and disability insurance, 401(k) plan with company match, a team member home purchase discount, paid time off, volunteer time off, and education reimbursement.