Investment Counsel - Austin - TRS

Description

Investment Counsel

Requisition ID: req1330
Employment Type: Unclassified Regular Full-Time (URF)
Division: Legal & Compliance
Compensation: Depends on Qualification
Job Closing: 1/31/2026
Location: TRS Headquarters Building 2
1900 Aldrich Street
Austin, Texas, 78723
United States

WHO WE ARE:
Service, Respect, and Connection are core to the TRS experience. TRS supports retirement security for public education employees and retirees in Texas. We administer pensions and healthcare benefits and aim to provide personal and career growth for our team.

Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) manages retirement and healthcare plans for over 2 million public education professionals. This growth means expanding talented teams dedicated to keeping the Trust financially healthy for a long time to come.

The Investment Counsel is responsible for providing complex counsel and related services regarding investment transactions and related matters, preparing and negotiating investment transaction documents; providing general legal counsel and representation to executive management; and providing research and other legal support. This position will proactively work with the Investment Management Division, the TRS legal team, Executive staff, members of TRS executive and leadership teams, and external stakeholders. This position reports to the Director, L&C Investment.

WHAT WILL YOU DO

• Investment Counsel
• Provides legal advice to and represents the agency regarding:
• Negotiation of investment management agreements with external managers and related matters;
• Investments in hedge funds, private equity funds, real asset funds, energy and natural resources funds, related co-investment or principal investment funds, and derivatives transactions;
• Investment operations, non-disclosure agreements, foreign investment documentation, investment policies, litigation analysis, and other duties as assigned; and
• The application of fiduciary duties to investment matters, policies, procedures, and operations.
• Participates in the selection and oversight of outside investment counsel, including coordinating workflow, evaluating work product, reviewing invoices, and negotiating fee reductions.
• Prepares, reviews, and negotiates research and other investment-related arrangements including those involving commission credits or custody of pension assets, and advises investment staff and agency management about such arrangements.
• Investment Contracts and Documents
• Prepares or reviews requests for proposal or qualifications, and drafts and negotiates contracts with vendors (e.g., custody agreements), investment consultants, external discretionary investment managers, outside legal counsel, clearinghouses, and prime brokers.
• Reviews offering memoranda, subscription documents, and proposed contracts relating to private investments; provides legal advice and services, including drafting and negotiating transaction documents, as assigned; and supervises execution of documents according to agency policies and procedures.
• Prepares memoranda, contracts, policies, guidelines, procedures, letters, bills, or analysis for legislative consideration, or other materials as assigned.
• General Legal Counsel and Representation
• Attends as needed meetings of the agency Board of Trustees, Board Committees, and internal investment committees; and assists with preparation of meeting materials, such as proposed resolutions, meeting minutes, and related materials.
• Assists senior attorneys and management in meetings and negotiations with other attorneys and external parties, including executive and legislative branches of Texas state government, auditors, investment consultants, and vendors.
• Research and Support
• Provides advice and assistance regarding all applicable existing or proposed federal, state, and agency laws, rules, and policies.
• Conducts legal research and analysis with respect to assigned or referred matters.
• Assists with preparing audit inquiry responses on behalf of the agency, as assigned.
• Coordinates and reviews the related work of legal assistants, specialists, and support staff with regard to specific areas of responsibility.
• Participates in special projects, as assigned (e.g., foreign office matters).
• Performs related work as assigned.

WHAT WILL YOU BRING

Required Education

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.

Required Experience

• Four (4) years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience as a transactional attorney or related experience.

• Two (2) years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience in at least one of the following areas: transactional work in private equity, real estate, or energy and infrastructure transactions, derivatives contracts, or mergers and acquisitions.

• Experience may be concurrent.

Required Registration, Certification, or Licensure

• Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and a member in good standing of the State Bar of Texas; or hold a valid, active law license issued by another state and be eligible for Texas licensure under Board of Law Examiners Rule XIII: Attorneys from Other Jurisdictions (candidate must obtain Texas license within eight months of hire date).

Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) years of experience providing legal services for transactional matters such as corporate, derivatives or private fund transactions.

• Experience effectively and succinctly communicating with a high-level audience, such as a governing Board or executive management.

• Experience overseeing and managing outside counsel.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of:

• Corporate law, Partnership law, federal tax laws, federal regulation of securities and commodities, regulation of broker-dealers and investment advisers, and/or international investment law.

• Legal issues and concepts in at least one area of law relevant to job functions pertaining to the agency investment program.

• Fiduciary responsibilities or ethics issues.
Skills in:

• Monitoring, reviewing, drafting, and advising on legislation.

• Written and verbal communications, including awareness of reactions to others; analyzing, developing, and advocating legal positions; giving advice; and preparing and presenting complex legal documents or reports to a variety of audiences.

• Negotiating, mediating, and resolving agreements and disputes.

• Performing legal research and analysis of relevant information, and rendering advice based on sound legal judgment.

• Task management and organization, including setting priorities to meet deadlines and manage a high-volume workload in a fast-paced and -changing environment, while completing detailed work with a high degree of timeliness, appropriate brevity and economy, and accuracy.

• Using a computer in a Windows environment with word processing, spreadsheet, and other business software (Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Westlaw, Tamale, etc.).
Ability to:

• Establish and maintain harmonious, productive, efficient, and mutually beneficial working relationships of trust with co-workers, other agency staff, and external contacts (such as consultants, outside fund management, opposing counsel, state government personnel, and the public).

• Work effectively in a professional team environment.

MOS Codes: Veterans, Reservists or Guardsmen with experience in the Military Occupational Specialty ( MOS ) along with the minimum qualifications listed above may meet the minimum requirements and are highly encouraged to apply. Please contact Talent Acquisition at with questions or for additional information.

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