General Counsel Nuclear Development

American Electric Power • Columbus, OH

1d

About The Position

The General Counsel, Nuclear Development serves as the primary legal advisor to the President of Nuclear Development and the Nuclear Development leadership team. This role leads the legal strategy for licensing, regulatory, commercial, contractual, corporate governance, environmental and risk matters for new nuclear projects (including SMRs and advanced technologies) during development, construction and operations. The incumbent builds and directs an in-house legal function, manages complex external counsel relationships, and partners with AEP’s central legal organization as needed to align enterprise legal strategy, leverage resources, and ensure consistent enterprise-wide compliance and governance.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and active license to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (willingness/ability to obtain additional state licensure as required).
• Minimum 14 years of progressively responsible legal experience, including significant transactional and regulatory work supporting large-scale energy or infrastructure projects; substantial nuclear regulatory experience strongly preferred.
• Direct experience with NRC licensing or comparable federal nuclear regulatory matters, or demonstrable experience supporting nuclear project development (new builds, SMRs, advanced reactors).
• Proven track record negotiating and drafting complex EPC, supply, JV, and project finance-related agreements.
• Demonstrated leadership managing legal teams and supervising outside counsel on multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional matters.
• Experience advising senior executives and boards; strong strategic judgment and commercial focus.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to communicate legal risk and options clearly to non-legal stakeholders.
• Experience managing regulatory, compliance, and litigation risk in high-stakes project environments.

Nice To Haves

• Prior in-house counsel experience at a utility, independent power producer, nuclear vendor, or major EPC firm.
• Experience coordinating with central/enterprise legal organizations and aligning multi-business legal strategies.
• Familiarity with project finance, government funding programs, and PPP structures relevant to energy projects.
• Advanced technical understanding of nuclear technology, construction, and operations or prior close work with technical/nuclear operations teams.
• Advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MPP).

Responsibilities

• Serve as chief legal advisor to the President of Nuclear Development and participate as a member of the Nuclear Development executive team.
• Build, lead and mentor the in-house nuclear development legal team; recruit, develop, and manage attorneys, paralegals, and external counsel panels.
• Provide strategic counsel on nuclear licensing and regulatory matters and manage interactions with the NRC, DOE, state public utility commissions, lawmakers, and other federal/state agencies.
• Draft, negotiate and oversee complex commercial agreements, joint ventures, EPC/turnkey contracts, procurement and supply agreements, offtake arrangements, and project-related financing documents.
• Advise on regulatory compliance programs (NRC, environmental, safety, export controls, trade sanctions) and implement policies and controls across the development portfolio.
• Lead legal risk assessments and mitigation strategies tied to permitting, licensing, construction, commissioning, and readiness for operation.
• Manage dispute resolution and litigation strategy for development activities; select and oversee outside litigation counsel and lead settlement negotiations.
• Manage corporate governance, board reporting, executive decision support, and legal input to internal committees.
• Manage real estate, land use, easements, and rights-of-way matters for site selection, option agreements, and site development.
• Develop and deliver legal training and guidance to project teams and business leaders on contractual risk, regulatory obligations, and corporate policies.
• Partner with AEP’s central legal organization as needed to coordinate strategy, align precedent, access enterprise resources, and ensure consistency across the company.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting nuclear technology, project finance, and market structure; translate implications into actionable guidance.
• Represent Nuclear Development externally when required with regulators, project partners, and industry stakeholders.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree