Associate General Counsel, Energy & Regulatory

Oklo•Santa Clara, CA

5d•$230,000 - $250,000•Remote

About The Position

The Associate General Counsel, Energy & Regulatory will play a critical role helping Oklo navigate a wide range of energy-related legal, regulatory, and public policy matters as the company continues to develop, build, and scale its powerhouse fleet. This role sits at the intersection of cutting-edge nuclear energy technology and energy regulatory law. The ideal candidate will have deep experience in FERC practice and energy project development, and will bring hands-on experience navigating complex regulatory approval processes. As a high-growth company, this role will also support other legal needs across the company as they arise. This position reports directly to the General Counsel and is perfect for an experienced energy regulatory attorney who is ready to roll up their sleeves and help a growing company navigate and improve a complex regulatory landscape. Oklo is looking for a lawyer who is great at what they do, but is excited to do work beyond their areas of expertise, and thrives in exciting and fast-moving environments.

Requirements

A J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school and admission to practice law in at least one U.S. state.
7–10 years of energy regulatory experience at a large law firm or in-house legal department.
Substantive FERC practice experience, including experience with FERC filings, rulemakings, and proceedings.
Experience with State PUC filings and matters.
Experience with generator interconnection processes and/or transmission access matters, or other experience with state public utility commission proceedings.
Experience with energy-related public policy and legislative affairs, and close collaboration with government affairs teams.
Strong attention to detail and ability to manage and prioritize multiple matters simultaneously.
Deeply knowledgeable in FERC practice, power markets, and energy regulatory law, with hands-on experience in FERC proceedings and filings.
Familiar with State Public Utility Commission processes.
Experienced with generator interconnection processes, transmission access, and wholesale power market rules.
Effective at triaging and prioritizing across a wide range of tasks and project managing cross-functional tasks to completion.
An excellent communicator (including to engineers and other non-lawyers) focused on solutions and willing to explain the “why” behind legal advice.
Substantively agile: someone who enjoys leaning into new areas, and is comfortable learning new things (and learning quickly!).
Detail-oriented while moving lightning fast.
Passionate about clean energy and making advanced fission a reality.
An optimist at heart.
Resourceful, inquisitive, and willing and able to learn quickly.
Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment.
A startup person: not driven by titles or hierarchy, prefers efficiency to excess process, doesn't need or expect a lot of guidance but enjoys working in a fast-paced team.
Motivated, self-motivated, brings enthusiasm and passion.
A team-player: acts for the good of the company and the world, focused on the mission, not personal recognition.
An excellent communicator: clear and upbeat.
Creative: able to identify and invent ways to solve problems or fill needs without micromanagement.
Detail-oriented: excellent grammar and spelling matter.

Nice To Haves

Experience working on data center related matters.
Prior experience working at or with FERC or State PUCs.
Experience working in-house at a high-growth or startup company.
Familiarity with energy project permitting and pre-construction regulatory approvals, including NEPA and state environmental review.
Experience supporting local zoning or permitting efforts.
Interest in experimenting with AI and other tools.
Nuclear and/or nuclear-adjacent technologies or renewables experience.

Responsibilities

Lead all FERC-related legal matters, including filings, compliance, and proceedings before FERC; advise on generator interconnection processes, wholesale power market rules, and transmission access matters.
Support energy-related public policy work, including monitoring FERC and other regulatory rulemakings and participating in comment processes.
Work closely with our government affairs team on federal, state, and local legislative and regulatory initiatives.
Support pre-construction regulatory and zoning work, including environmental reviews (NEPA and state equivalents), local permitting, land use approvals, and siting matters, managing outside counsel as needed.
Help to review and negotiate interconnection agreements, and support our commercial legal team with energy-related requirements in agreements being negotiated.
Track regulatory developments across key jurisdictions and advise business teams on regulatory strategy and compliance risk.
Provide expertise and technical assistance supporting federal, state and local government affairs teams on legislation and policy analysis that could impact or improve outcomes.