Energy & Infrastructure Counsel

SpaceXAI; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Medical cover

401k

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Dental

Vision

Employee discounts

Job summary

SpaceXAI is seeking a Commercial Counsel to provide legal support for large-scale infrastructure transactions and development projects. You’ll tackle complex agreements, balance legal, business and engineering priorities, and streamline processes in a fast-paced environment. Based in part in multiple U.S.

offices including Palo Alto, CA, the role requires a JD, U.S. bar membership, and a hands-on, ownership-driven approach to cross-functional collaboration with engineering, procurement, and

Qualifications

• 5+ years of legal experience in technology or development settings.
• Deep experience in commercial contracting for large-scale infrastructure.
• Ability to manage heavy workload and close transactions to aggressive timelines.
• Strong ownership, curiosity about technology, and sound judgment in high-stakes situations.

Responsibilities

• Lead negotiation and structuring of development deals, real estate transactions, and large purchases.
• Negotiate and manage power-related contracts and PPAs for hyperscale deployments.
• Draft and review construction contracts and design-build engineering services.
• Support financing structures, tax incentives, and complex lease arrangements.
• Coordinate with engineering, security, procurement, finance to align terms with requirements.
• Coordinate with outside counsel while maintaining in-house oversight and risk judgment.
• Contribute to broader data center footprint initiatives as we grow.
• Be versatile, responsive, and ready to pitch in across disciplines.

Skills

Legal experience

Commercial contracting

Project management

Tech-savvy

Ownership & accountability

Problem solving

Communication skills

Education

J.D. from accredited law school

Job description

SpaceXAI’s mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. Our team is small, highly motivated, and focused on engineering excellence. This organization is for individuals who appreciate challenging themselves and thrive on curiosity. We operate with a flat organizational structure. All employees are expected to be hands‑on and to contribute directly to the company’s mission. Leadership is given to those who show initiative and consistently deliver excellence. Work ethic and strong prioritization skills are important. All employees are expected to have strong communication skills. They should be able to concisely and accurately share knowledge with their teammates.

About the Role

As Commercial Counsel at SpaceXAI, you'll provide legal support for some of the world’s largest and most interesting physical infrastructure transactions and development projects. You will tackle complex agreements, bring creative ideas and solutions to key business initiatives and streamline processes in a ludicrously fast‑paced environment. Expect to dive into strategic negotiations, balance legal, business and engineering priorities, and support SpaceXAI mission to advance AI‑driven human scientific discovery. This role will have global impact and can be based in Palo Alto, California; Memphis, Tennessee; Seattle, Washington; or Austin, Texas.

Responsibilities

• Lead negotiation and structuring of development deals, real estate transactions, capital equipment purchases, hardware and raw material procurement, and much more.
• Negotiate and manage power‑related contracts: interconnection agreements, electricity service agreements, solar project deployments, sustainable storage system transactions, power purchase agreements (PPAs), behind‑the‑meter generation structures, gas supply/transport, water rights, and ERCOT/regulatory matters critical to hyperscale data center deployments.
• Draft, review, and negotiate construction contracts, engineering services for design‑build, and related project documents for facilities involving insane amounts of power, absurd cooling systems, and advanced cabling and fiber get‑ups, all in support of the world’s largest integrated GPU clusters.
• Support financing structures, tax incentives, complex lease arrangements, permitting activities, easement and land use transactions, and project finance elements that enable multi‑billion‑dollar‑scale infrastructure investments.
• Partner closely with engineering, security, procurement, business development, and finance teams to align legal terms with technical and commercial requirements.
• Coordinate effectively with specialized outside counsel on complex matters while maintaining in‑house strategic oversight and risk judgment.
• Contribute to broader initiatives as our data center footprint grows.
• Be extremely versatile, highly responsive, ability to roll your sleeves up and pitch in for anything and everything needed, even if it’s unfamiliar or not in your lane.
• Sense of humor, humility, and team‑based mentality is a must.

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of legal experience—ideally through a combination of experience at innovative technology or development companies, and/or excellent law firms.
• Deep experience in commercial contracting, with a focus on large‑scale infrastructure projects.
• Proven track record of effectively managing a heavy workload and ability to prioritize to close transactions according to aggressive business timelines.
• Tech‑savvy with an understanding or interest in datacenters, power, and emerging AI technologies.
• Have a strong sense of ownership and accountability, be inquisitive and enthusiastic about technology, enjoy being continually challenged, and can demonstrate sound judgment in high‑stakes and ambiguous situations.
• Have a lot of charge in the battery!
• Creative, solution‑oriented problem solver.
• JD from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one U.S. state.
• Commitment to being in‑office 5 days/week.

Compensation and Benefits

$200,000 - $230,000 USD

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at SpaceXAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short‑ and long‑term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.

ITAR Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

SpaceXAI is an equal opportunity employer. For details on data processing, view our Recruitment Privacy Notice.