Senior Real Estate Counsel

Overview

A rapidly growing utility-scale solar development company focused on mid-market projects across multiple RTOs is seeking a Senior Real Estate Counsel. This role involves serving as the primary legal resource for all real property matters related to the development and financing of utility-scale solar projects. The position reports to the Chief Legal Officer and collaborates closely with development, commercial, project execution, and finance teams. The legal team includes in-house counsel and paralegal support. There may be opportunities to manage direct reports as the real estate function expands.

The organization is headquartered in St. Louis with an additional office in Los Angeles. Candidates able to work from either office are preferred, but remote work is also accepted.

Responsibilities

Real Estate Transactions

• Draft, review, and negotiate land purchase and sale agreements, options to purchase, rights-of-way, easements, and access agreements for utility-scale solar project sites
• Negotiate and structure complex site control agreements, including long-term ground leases (typically 30–40 years with extension options), option agreements, and exclusivity arrangements with landowners
• Advise on lease terms critical to project development such as landlord consent, financing cooperation provisions, estoppel certificates, subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreements (SNDAs), and developer step-in rights
• Coordinate multi-parcel land assemblies, manage overlapping ownership interests, and resolve competing claims or encumbrances
• Negotiate interconnection and generation-tie easements across multiple parcels, coordinating with utilities, RTOs, and adjacent landowners to secure delivery infrastructure rights

Title Curative Work & Due Diligence

• Lead title review and curative processes for project sites, including analysis of title commitments, exception documents, surveys, and plats
• Identify title defects such as gaps in chain of title, boundary disputes, adverse possession claims, mineral rights conflicts, agricultural liens, and existing encumbrances; collaborate with development teams to resolve these issues
• Work with development and engineering teams to incorporate land constraints into project designs
• Negotiate and obtain title insurance endorsements essential for solar development, construction, and financing (e.g., zoning, access, survey, creditors' rights, usury endorsements)
• Assist in finalizing lease lines and manage ALTA/NSPS survey review, legal description reconciliation, and coordination with title underwriters and surveyors
• Advise investment committees on title curative items that may impact project design or timeline
• Coordinate environmental due diligence including Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), wetlands jurisdictional determinations, threatened and endangered species clearance, and cultural resources surveys

Cross-Functional & Strategic Support

• Support real estate aspects of independent power producer (IPP) transactions, including lender due diligence, real property representations and warranties, collateral assignments of leases and easements, and financing estoppels
• Assist with real estate components of project acquisitions and dispositions, including structuring asset purchase agreements and managing real property schedules and disclosures
• Work with title companies and external counsel to satisfy real estate closing conditions in tax equity and construction/term loan financings
• Deliver clean, financeable title commitments, pro formas, and as-is ALTA surveys reflecting final project lease boundary areas to the project finance team
• Provide strategic real estate counsel to development, commercial, and project execution teams; act as a business partner rather than solely a legal reviewer
• Assess and communicate real estate legal and regulatory risks in the context of commercial decision-making
• Manage and coordinate external real estate counsel across multiple states, ensuring quality, cost-efficiency, and timeliness
• Develop and maintain standard form agreements, playbooks, and internal guidance documents for real estate processes
• Adapt to new tasks and responsibilities as the business grows, including emerging issues in agrivoltaics, community solar, and co-located storage

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• 5–10+ years of real estate transactional legal experience, including land acquisition, complex leasing, title curative work, and real property due diligence
• Experience with utility-scale renewable energy, infrastructure, oil & gas, transmission, or comparable large-footprint real property development
• Expertise with multi-parcel land assemblies, agricultural landowner negotiations, and long-term ground leases
• Deep knowledge of title insurance, endorsements, survey review, and title curative strategies
• Strong familiarity with zoning and land use permitting processes, including local entitlement proceedings
• Proven ability to manage multiple active projects across multiple states simultaneously
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from a U.S. ABA-accredited law school; licensed and in good standing in the jurisdiction where the candidate will be based

Preferred

• Direct experience with utility-scale solar, wind, or battery storage project development
• Working knowledge of solar or commercial real estate project finance transactions, including collateral assignment of real property interests, lender consents, and SNDA structures
• Experience with agricultural preservation programs, conservation easements, or right-of-first-refusal issues common in rural land markets
• Entity formation and governance experience to support special purpose entity (SPE)/project company structuring

Skills & Attributes

• Exceptional drafting, negotiation, and communication skills with meticulous attention to detail
• Strong risk-identification and issue-spotting instincts; ability to clearly communicate risk to non-legal stakeholders and understand risk magnitude in commercial contexts
• Highly organized and capable of managing competing deadlines in a fast-paced development environment
• Commercial mindset balancing legal rigor with pragmatic business needs
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; confident presenter to internal teams and external counterparties
• Curious, creative, and solutions-oriented; open to novel legal structures when business needs require
• Collaborative team player with strong interpersonal skills and a sense of humor

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive compensation package including base salary and bonus commensurate with experience and performance
• Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Generous paid time off
• Meaningful visibility and direct impact within a lean, high-growth organization
• Occasional travel may be required for site visits, county hearings, and counterparty meetings

Location

• Headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, with an additional office in Los Angeles, California
• Candidates may work from either office or remotely