Commercial Counsel - Data Centers

ABOUT xAI

xAI’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 xAI, you'll provide legal support for the development of data centers by executing on some of the world’s largest and most interesting physical infrastructure transactions. 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 xAI’s mission to advance AI‑driven human scientific discovery. This job will have global impact but will be based in Palo Alto, California or Austin, Texas.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead negotiation and structuring of data center development deals, real estate transactions, capital equipment purchases, hardware and raw material procurement and much 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, 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 commercial and procurement initiatives as our data center footprint grows.
• Be extremely versatile, highly responsive, able to roll your sleeves up and pitch in for anything and everything needed in the Legal department, even if it’s unfamiliar or not in your lane.
• Sense of humor, humility and team‑based mentality is a must.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• 8+ 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 correctly to close transactions according to aggressive business timelines.
• Tech‑savvy-ish with an understanding or interest in datacenters 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.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

$240,000 – $285,000 USD

Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at xAI, 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 ITARhere.

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