Lead Counsel, Commercial (Energy - Infrastructure)

About the Team OpenAI’s Legal team plays a crucial role in advancing our mission by tackling innovative and fundamental legal issues in AI. The team includes professionals from diverse legal fields—technology, AI, infrastructure, privacy, IP, corporate, employment, tax, regulatory, and litigation—who collaborate closely with colleagues across the company. If you are passionate about being an energy and infrastructure lawyer working on cutting-edge challenges, you’ll thrive here. About the Role We’re seeking an experienced energy lawyer to support the business on legal matters relating to the energy and power infrastructure supporting OpenAI’s fast-growing data center portfolio. This is a cross-functional role that will partner closely with energy, infrastructure development, engineering, procurement, and finance teams to advise on complex legal and regulatory issues and help structure, negotiate, and manage the transactions that secure reliable, cost-effective power for OpenAI’s long-term infrastructure ambitions. We’re looking for an experienced energy and infrastructure lawyer who thrives in ambiguity and wants to help define the commercial playbook for power procurement and energy project development in the AI era. This role reports to the Associate General Counsel for Infrastructure. The role’s scope and level will reflect the successful candidate’s experience and expertise. In this role, you will: - Own legal strategy and risk management for OpenAI’s global energy procurement and power infrastructure transactions, from initial structuring through execution and ongoing implementation. - Draft, negotiate, and advise on complex power purchase agreements, energy supply and hedging arrangements, and utility service and special contracts, including related regulatory requirements and approvals. - Structure and negotiate interconnection, transmission, and utility infrastructure arrangements that align power availability with data center development and operating schedules. - Advise leadership and business leaders on legal and regulatory considerations as they develop and implement our energy and data center strategy - Support strategic partnerships involving renewable and other carbon-free generation, energy storage, and on-site or behind-the-meter power solutions for AI infrastructure. - Develop legal and regulatory frameworks for energy procurement, project development, and collaboration with utilities, independent power producers, and energy developers. - Partner with finance and operations teams to align contract terms with business and compliance requirements, including pricing, delivery and curtailment risk, credit support, and project milestones. - Collaborate with policy and regulatory colleagues on issues impacting energy transactions, utility tariffs, grid access, market participation, retail service requirements, and renewable energy attributes. - Build scalable, efficient contracting processes that support OpenAI’s energy and infrastructure development at speed while managing legal and regulatory risk. - Guide outside counsel and coordinate with real estate, construction, tax, and regulatory counsel on energy transactions and project development. You might thrive in this role if you: - 10+ years of legal experience, with substantial focus on complex commercial energy transactions. - Have a JD and license or qualification to practice in CA. - Relevant experience in-house, at a law firm, or a combination of both, advising energy companies, utilities, developers, major power customers, or infrastructure investors. - Demonstrated experience independently leading complex energy transactions, including power purchase, utility service, or interconnection agreements. - Familiarit