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ABOUT AVANTUS

Avantus is shaping the future by making reliable, low-cost clean energy a global reality. Our legacy of leadership in next-generation solar energy includes developing one of the nation’s largest solar clusters and one of the first projects to beat fossil fuel prices back in 2016. Today, we are expanding the boundaries of existing technologies to build one of the largest portfolios of smart power plants with integrated storage, capable of providing millions of people with affordable, zero-emission energy – day and night. Through our relentless pursuit of better, we are decarbonizing our planet at the gigaton level, and bringing the advantages of clean energy to all of us.

ABOUT THE POSITION

We are seeking a highly motivated and organized candidate for the Real Estate Counsel position. The successful candidate will demonstrate sound industry knowledge, superior communications, and detail-oriented organizational skills. This role reports to Christine Liberto, Sr. Supervising Counsel.  We are looking for a Real Estate Attorney with experience in renewable energy to join our team. This is a highly critical and cross-functional role, as the individual will work closely with all stakeholders and across all cross-functional teams from the inception of a new project through financing and construction. The ideal candidate is a true self-starter, a passionate and creative problem solver who will be able to hit the ground running with little supervision, and who understands both the legal and business objectives of renewable energy development and project financing.  The ideal candidate should be results-oriented and can balance the need for managing a wide variety of small details while thinking outside the box about ways to optimize the land acquisition effort and get projects built. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Draft and negotiate leases, purchase agreements, easements, licenses, and other related site control documents with landowners, public agencies, and attorneys. 
• Review key documents as they relate to real estate, including PPAs, EPC agreements, debt and tax equity financing agreements, project sale agreements, shared facility agreements, and other contracts in connection with the development, financing, construction, and operation of solar and battery storage systems in CA, TX and other western U.S. states. 
• Review title commitments, title proforma, and ALTA surveys and supervise title curative work required to obtain title policies, and related applicable endorsements, in preparation for project financing including resolution of issues relating to vesting, liens or easements, mineral rights, lis pendens filings, or other matter of records. 
• Lead real estate efforts related to project finance and sales, including responding to real estate due diligence requests from buyers, lenders, equity investors, and other financing partners and managing real estate closing deliverables. 
• Work with specialist outside counsel to manage multiple work streams and drive complex legal negotiations to support business development and project development.  
• Provide general support on real estate legal matters as they relate to land permitting, engineering, originations, finance, and other cross-functional efforts within the company. 
• Provide actionable, business-oriented counseling on various real estate issues such as mechanics liens and subordinations, water and mineral rights, landlord/tenant law, lender protections, condemnation, and insurance requirements.   
• Manage and accurately deliver results on multiple projects, assess risks, and make sound and practical judgment calls to resolve risks in the best interest of the company. 
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and proactively assist in implementation. 

• Ensure ongoing compliance with current and pending real estate-related legal regulations. 
• Keeping the legal and cross-functional teams informed of projects' real estate development status. 
• Provide general legal support to other attorneys and paralegals on the legal team on corporate and transactional matters. 

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school. 
• Minimum 4-6 years of experience with commercial transactions, construction, financing, and/or real estate legal experience required; solar, storage, and wind energy related experience preferred. 
• Strong grasp of real estate contract terms and conditions, and ability to understand and interpret complex legal documents. 
• Familiarity with lease or purchase negotiations and experience reviewing vesting deeds, entity documents, and trust agreements. 
• Experience with financial closings, including lender requirements related to real estate documents, title policies, ALTA surveys, and general closing mechanics and documentation; familiarity with tax equity preferred. 
• Ability to work closely with cross-functional teams of internal and external resources. 
• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and negotiation skills. 
• High level of integrity with the ability to cultivate and maintain positive relationships. 
• An entrepreneurial attitude and work ethic with a desire to roll up your sleeves and get the job done in a fast-paced environment and rapidly growing business. 
• Willingness to be flexible about your work schedule to support closings and to meet deadlines and shifting demands and priorities. 

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