Energy Lawyer (AI Infrastructure)

Location: San Francisco, United States; hybrid

Salary: $330,000–$423,000 annual base pay, plus equity and performance-related bonus opportunities.

Company

OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company developing and deploying general-purpose artificial intelligence.

What you will do

• Own legal strategy and risk management for global energy procurement and power infrastructure transactions supporting OpenAI’s data center portfolio.
• Draft, negotiate, and advise on power purchase agreements, energy supply and hedging arrangements, utility service contracts, interconnection, transmission, and utility infrastructure agreements.
• Advise leadership and business teams on legal and regulatory issues affecting energy and data center strategy.
• Support partnerships involving renewable and carbon-free generation, energy storage, and on-site or behind-the-meter power solutions.
• Develop scalable legal and regulatory frameworks and contracting processes for energy procurement and project development.
• Coordinate with finance, operations, policy, regulatory, real estate, construction, tax, and outside counsel on transactions and project development.

Requirements

• 10+ years of legal experience, with substantial focus on complex commercial energy transactions.
• JD and license or qualification to practice in California.
• Experience in-house, at a law firm, or in a combination of both, advising energy companies, utilities, developers, major power customers, or infrastructure investors.
• Experience independently leading complex energy transactions, including power purchase, utility service, or interconnection agreements.
• Familiarity with U.S. electricity markets, utility tariffs, and regulatory frameworks involving energy supply, interconnection, and transmission, including FERC, state utility commissions, and regional grid operators.
• Strong commercial judgment and financial fluency covering energy pricing, volume commitments, credit support, and allocation of development and operating risk.
• Ability to work autonomously with sound judgment in highly technical, fast-moving environments.
• Exceptional communication skills, including distilling complexity into actionable, business-aligned guidance for senior business leaders.

Nice to have

• Experience advising on cross-border energy deals and international energy regulatory frameworks.
• Experience with data center power procurement, generation or storage development, energy project finance, joint ventures, or on-site and behind-the-meter energy projects.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative legal environment working with technology, AI, infrastructure, privacy, IP, corporate, employment, tax, regulatory, and litigation professionals.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance; employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts; FSA options; and a 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Paid parental, medical, caregiver, sick, and safe leave; flexible or annual paid time off depending on exemption status; and paid company holidays and office closures.
• Mental health and wellness support, employer-paid life and disability coverage, and an annual learning and development stipend.
• Daily office meals, eligible meal delivery credits, and relocation support for eligible employees.