General Counsel @ Zanskar

The L Suite • Salt Lake, UT

2d

About The Position

Zanskar is developing the next generation of geothermal infrastructure by combining AI-powered resource discovery with large-scale energy development. The company identifies, develops, and operates geothermal power assets designed to deliver reliable, carbon-free baseload energy at a time when global demand for clean infrastructure is accelerating. Zanskar is hiring a General Counsel to build and lead its legal function during a critical phase of company growth. Reporting directly to the CEO, this role serves as both a strategic executive partner and the architect of a modern, high-leverage legal organization designed to support rapid infrastructure development and long-term scale. As the company’s first General Counsel, you will oversee legal strategy across project development, financing, corporate matters, regulatory issues, public policy, HR, and real property. A core focus of the role is ensuring that development and construction activities are contractually structured to meet the standards required for institutional financing and project bankability. The role also involves navigating the complex regulatory and permitting landscape tied to geothermal development, including mineral rights, surface rights, and federal, state, and local permitting frameworks. You will work closely with leadership to evaluate legal risk in the context of ambitious commercial and operational objectives, helping the business move quickly while maintaining strong legal and strategic discipline. In parallel, you will build the company’s legal infrastructure from the ground up. This includes managing a broad network of outside counsel across specialized domains while designing scalable internal systems and workflows. Zanskar is particularly interested in a leader who embraces AI and automation as core tools for creating a lean, future-oriented legal department capable of operating with high efficiency and leverage. The ideal candidate brings significant experience within energy, infrastructure, project development, or related sectors, particularly in areas involving project finance, permitting, and complex commercial execution. Equally important is a builder mentality—the ability to operate effectively in ambiguity, create structure from scratch, and serve as a pragmatic business partner in a fast-moving environment. This is a foundational executive role for a lawyer who wants to help shape both a company and an emerging category within the clean energy transition.

Requirements

• Significant experience within energy, infrastructure, project development, or related sectors.
• Experience in project finance, permitting, and complex commercial execution.
• A builder mentality—the ability to operate effectively in ambiguity, create structure from scratch, and serve as a pragmatic business partner in a fast-moving environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience combining AI and geothermal infrastructure.
• Experience with AI and automation in legal departments.

Responsibilities

• Oversee legal strategy across project development, financing, corporate matters, regulatory issues, public policy, HR, and real property.
• Ensure development and construction activities are contractually structured to meet the standards required for institutional financing and project bankability.
• Navigate the complex regulatory and permitting landscape tied to geothermal development, including mineral rights, surface rights, and federal, state, and local permitting frameworks.
• Evaluate legal risk in the context of ambitious commercial and operational objectives.
• Build the company’s legal infrastructure from the ground up.
• Manage a broad network of outside counsel across specialized domains.
• Design scalable internal systems and workflows for the legal department.
• Embrace AI and automation as core tools for creating a lean, future-oriented legal department.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed