Sr. Counsel, Datacenter Development & Infrastructure

InvestedintheMission; Town of Florida (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX in Cape Canaveral, FL is seeking a Sr. Counsel for Datacenter Development & Infrastructure to provide expert legal guidance on large-scale infrastructure projects, including land acquisition, construction, and on-site power generation.

You will draft and negotiate complex agreements, advise on zoning and environmental permits, and coordinate with regulators and internal teams to move datacenter and spaceport initiatives forward; willingness to travel and readiness for extended hours may

Qualifications

• JD or foreign equivalent from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Active licensed attorney.
• 7+ years of legal experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal guidance on developing large-scale datacenter infrastructure and supporting utilities — land, construction, on-site power, water, and communications.
• Draft and negotiate land purchases, easements, leases, PPAs, interconnection agreements, fuel supply contracts, and other real estate and commercial documents.
• Advise on zoning, permitting, environmental reviews, utility interconnections, and water/air permitting for datacenters and large projects.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to brief county, state, and federal regulators on applicable matters.
• Negotiate complex EPC contracts, vendor and supply contracts related to datacenter buildout, power facilities, and spaceport development.

Skills

Legal experience

Senior counsel

Education

JD or foreign equivalent

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SR. COUNSEL, DATACENTER DEVELOPMENT & INFRASTRUCTURE

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide expert legal guidance on matters related to developing large-scale datacenter infrastructure and supporting utilities — acquisition and development of land, construction of datacenters and associated facilities, on-site power generation (including gas turbines and backup systems), electrical transmission and distribution infrastructure, gas pipelines and fuel supply systems, water supply and wastewater treatment (especially for high-density cooling), communications/fiber infrastructure, transportation access, and worker accommodations. This role also supports spaceport and other advanced critical infrastructure development projects as needed.
• Draft and negotiate land purchases, easements (including power line, gas pipeline, and utility rights-of-way), rights-of-way, leases, power purchase agreements (PPAs), interconnection agreements, fuel supply contracts, pipeline capacity agreements, and other real estate and commercial transaction documents required to bring datacenter and infrastructure projects fully online.
• Advise on municipal, county, State, and Federal requirements related to zoning, building and construction permitting, environmental reviews, power generation and utility interconnections, gas pipeline development and safety, water rights and wastewater treatment, air permitting for turbines/generation, and related infrastructure for datacenters and large industrial projects.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to brief county, State, and Federal regulators on applicable matters, including public utility commissions, environmental agencies, pipeline safety regulators, and permitting authorities.
• Negotiate complex construction contracts, engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) agreements, vendor and supply contracts related to datacenter buildout, power generation facilities (turbines, substations, switchgear), utility infrastructure (gas pipelines, high-voltage power lines, water systems), fuel procurement and delivery, and spaceport development.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• JD or foreign equivalent from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Active licensed attorney.
• 7+ years of legal experience.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• 7+ years of experience with real estate, land use, and/or large-scale power and utility infrastructure development issues, preferably including hyperscale datacenter or major industrial project development.
• Knowledge and/or experience with natural gas project development, power generation contracts and operations (including on-site turbine generation), gas pipeline and fuel supply agreements, power purchase agreements (PPAs), utility interconnection processes, transmission planning, and mineral rights or surface use agreements.
• Familiarity with Florida regulatory environment, including Public Utility Commission requirements, Florida Department of Environmental Protection rules for oil and gas operations, and air/water permitting for power generation facilities is highly desirable.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be admitted to the bar, in good standing, in at least one U.S. state.
• Willingness to travel occasionally to project sites and different offices for a week at a time.
• Must be willing to work extended hours and/or weekends as needed.
• This position is based in Cape Canaveral, FL and requires being onsite – remote work not considered.

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.

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Aff… or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail].