Corporate Counsel, Project Development

Middle River Power; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, dental coverage (em员工

FSA and HSA plans

15 days of PTO

Employee EAP and wellness services

Parental Leave

401k with company matching up to 4%

Job summary

Middle River Power seeks a Corporate Counsel, Project Development to support the development of power generation projects from acquisition through construction and operations. You will negotiate site control, interconnection, offtake, EPC, and major equipment contracts, while advising on environmental and regulatory matters.

The role requires strong legal judgment, ownership, and collaboration with Finance, Asset Management, and Development teams to move projects toward closing in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• 6+ years of relevant legal experience in energy, infrastructure, or power projects.
• Significant experience drafting and negotiating project development and construction agreements.
• Experience supporting environmental due diligence and permitting disclosures.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate project development and construction agreements (leases, interconnection, EPC, vendor contracts).
• Provide regulatory due diligence advice and guidance on environmental compliance.
• Advise on risk allocation, schedules, milestones, and day-to-day project execution.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to address legal and commercial risks while advancing projects.
• Coordinate with in-house and outside counsel to ensure timely, high-quality support.
• Support litigation or disputes affecting development and operating assets as needed.
• Manage multiple complex matters with accountability for timelines and outcomes.

Skills

Negotiation

Drafting

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Communication skills

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Job description

About Middle River Power

Middle River Power (MRP) is a private equity-sponsored platform specializing in the investment and asset management of U.S. power generation facilities. With over 8GW of natural gas, coal, battery storage, and solar facilities across multiple states, the company focuses on safe, reliable, and efficient power plant operations. MRP’s executive team collectively brings over 120 years of expertise in energy management and power generation, collaborating closely with plant personnel and industry professionals. MRP applies a data-driven approach to investment and operational decisions, considering key factors such as regulatory changes and resource planning. Learn more at middleriverpower.com.

At MRP, we believe that experienced leadership, capable emerging talent, and strong partnerships enable us to deliver innovative, outsized solutions in the energy sector. This framework ensures every hire strengthens our culture of curiosity, collaboration, and commitment while maintaining the speed and flexibility our business demands.

The Behaviors We Hire For

Our business thrives on a set of behaviors that allow our team-based culture to reach high standards and build on one another’s strengths. MRP is a PE-backed environment that requires operating at pace, calculated risk-taking, and creative problem-solving. The people we hire must excel not only in their technical domain but also embody the behaviors that make us successful.

• Love What You Do - Genuine curiosity for the energy sector and our business
• Collaborate to Win - Works across teams; believes partnership delivers results
• Comfort with Ambiguity - Adapts to growth and change; solves problems resourcefully
• Innovation Over Status Quo - Brings fresh thinking and challenges assumptions
• Confident & Honest - Owns their contribution; transparent about what they don't know
• Progressive Problem Solver - Guides problems to solutions; works hard to get it done
• Here for the Long Term - Committed to building a career and business with others

Position Summary

We are seeking a Corporate Counsel, Project Development to join our legal team and support the development of power generation projects from acquisition through construction and operations. Reporting to a senior member of the legal team, this role will partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders to structure, negotiate, and advise on key project development matters, including site control, interconnection, offtake, EPC, and major equipment and supply arrangements.

The Corporate Counsel will also advise on environmental, permitting, and regulatory matters; support environmental and project diligence; and help drive projects toward successful execution and closing. The ideal candidate brings strong legal judgment, a high degree of ownership, and a practical, collaborative approach to supporting complex energy projects.

We value individuals with outstanding character, integrity, dedication, and a positive, engaging approach who thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and are motivated to make a meaningful impact on the energy transition.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate project development, commercial, and construction agreements, including site control agreements (leases, easements, and options), interconnection and transmission-related agreements, offtake arrangements, EPC agreements, confidentiality agreements, and key vendor, equipment, and supply contracts.
• Support environmental due diligence and advise on permitting, environmental compliance, and related regulatory matters throughout project development, acquisition, construction, and operations.
• Provide practical, solutions-oriented legal counsel on project risk allocation, permitting and regulatory requirements, development schedules and milestones, and day-to-day project execution matters.
• Partner closely with Development, Commercial, Finance, Asset Management, and other cross-functional teams to identify and address legal and commercial risks while advancing project objectives.
• Coordinate with the General Counsel, in-house legal team, and outside counsel to ensure consistent, timely, and high-quality legal support across the organization.
• Support litigation, arbitration, and other disputes affecting development and operating assets, including coordination with outside counsel on strategy, document preservation and discovery, and resolution.
• Manage multiple complex legal matters simultaneously, maintaining accountability for timelines, deliverables, and key project milestones.

Qualifications

• Education & Bar Admission: J.D. from an accredited law school and admission to practice law in the relevant jurisdiction.
• Experience: 6+ years of relevant legal experience, ideally combining law firm training with in-house experience supporting power generation, renewable energy, energy infrastructure, utilities, or large-scale industrial projects.
• Significant experience drafting and negotiating project development and construction agreements in the energy or infrastructure sector, including site control, interconnection, EPC, and major equipment, vendor, or supply agreements.
• Experience supporting environmental due diligence and advising on permitting, environmental compliance, and related regulatory matters associated with the development, acquisition, construction, and operation of energy or infrastructure projects.
• Experience supporting multi-state and, where applicable, multi-jurisdictional operations and working effectively across business, technical, legal, and executive stakeholders.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple complex matters simultaneously, prioritize effectively, and keep transactions and projects moving toward closing.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, analytical, and communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical guidance for business partners.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership, exercise sound judgment, and drive matters through completion in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Intellectual curiosity and an interest in identifying opportunities to improve processes, legal workflows, and business outcomes.
• Genuine interest in the power and renewable energy sectors, with a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach and a strong commitment to integrity and teamwork.

Overview of our Hiring Process

We take a progressive approach to our interview process, which means we move quickly and prioritize early conversations with the people you would work with day to day. Final round interviews are usually held onsite and include members of our leadership team. In some situations, we will ask candidates to complete a project or build a presentation when it is relevant to the job. We are committed to moving efficiently and valuing your time throughout the interview process.

Work Location

To foster a collaborative culture, we aim to place roles within one of our office locations. In some cases, we may create remote roles when it makes sense for business. Frequency and location of travel for team meetings and job duties will vary by role. MRP is an in-office 4 days a week organization.

Compensation

MRP builds its compensation packages to reward and recognize high-performing talent. Base salary ranges are designed to be competitive by market and take into consideration individual experience, technical skills and long-term career growth. Each employee is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus based on their level and company annual performance metrics.

Benefits and Perks

• Medical, vision, dental coverage for employees and families is 90% employer-funded
• FSA and HSA plans with company HSA contributions
• 15 days of PTO and company holidays
• Employee EAP and wellness services
• Parental Leave
• 401k with company matching up to 4%