Director, Regulatory

Menlo Park, CASalary$233k–$275kPosted Aug 5, 2026

About Mainspring

Mainspring Energy manufactures and delivers fuel-flexible, low-emissions local power solutions that rapidly add new capacity and deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable electric power. The company began commercial shipments of its Mainspring Linear Generators in 2020 and today has hundreds of megawatts in advanced development and field operations for leading Fortune 500 companies, data centers, and utilities. Mainspring also partners with global energy leaders including AEP, NextEra Energy Resources, Schneider Electric, and more.

The core values that ground our work, guide our decisions, and connect us together:

Pragmatic Optimism
Excellence without Ego
Proactive Collaboration

About Mainspring

The core values that ground our work, guide our decisions, and connect us together:

Pragmatic Optimism
Excellence without Ego
Proactive Collaboration

Job Overview

Mainspring Energy is seeking an experienced legal or regulatory professional to lead the Company's strategy on environmental, energy, and regulatory matters. Reporting to the General Counsel, this individual will drive regulatory strategy, policy engagement, and compliance initiatives affecting the Company's operations, grid integration, and growth objectives. A J.D. and experience practicing or advising on energy, utility, or environmental law are strongly preferred. The role partners closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Commercial, Project Development, Finance, and Government Affairs to proactively manage legal and regulatory risk, market access, and support strategic scaling.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead the Company's regulatory legal strategy to support further commercialization, manufacturing expansion, project deployment, and market growth, while proactively identifying and mitigating regulatory risks and influencing emerging policy developments
Advise the Company on state and federal environmental laws and regulatory compliance applicable to manufacturing operations, including U.S. EPA regulations, air quality, hazardous materials, waste, and related permitting requirements
Provide legal support for air permitting and environmental approvals for manufacturing facilities and customer deployments
Lead legal strategy relating to product regulatory requirements, certifications, emissions standards, and evolving regulatory frameworks (e.g., NERC)
Advise on utility regulation, interconnection requirements, tariffs, and energy market rules affecting distributed generation projects
Support project development and siting by identifying regulatory risks and permitting requirements
Monitor and interpret federal, state, and local legislation, regulations, and policy developments affecting distributed energy resources and advise business leaders on legal implications
Serve as the legal lead on Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC), domestic content, and other supply chain regulatory requirements
Coordinate with Government Affairs on legislative and regulatory advocacy and engagement with agencies, policymakers, and industry organizations
Manage outside counsel and consultants as needed

Qualifications

J.D. preferred with an active membership in at least one U.S. state bar
Director: 15+ / Senior Director: 20+ years of legal experience, including significant experience advising on environmental, energy, utility, or regulatory law
Strong knowledge of environmental permitting, energy regulation, and administrative law
Familiarity with the Inflation Reduction Act, including ITC, FEOC, and domestic content requirements
Experience advising technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, or energy companies preferred
Excellent judgment, business acumen, and ability to work cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment

Does your experience not meet all of our posted requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to positions unless they meet every listed requirement. At Mainspring, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, flexible, and collaborative environment, so if you want to help us transition the world to clean and affordable electricity, and don’t meet all posted requirements for a particular role, we’d still love to hear from you. Mainspring can sometimes be flexible enough to shift responsibilities for the right person, or otherwise identify open or upcoming roles that may better fit your professional background.

In more traditional words, Mainspring Energy, Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

This compensation and benefits information is based on Mainspring Energy's estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future. We generally do not negotiate on salary once we have made an offer. The level of pay within the range will depend on a variety of job-related factors that may include location, relevant prior experience and/or education, or particular skills and expertise. New hires joining the company tend to be paid within the starting base pay range noted above, with opportunities to increase pay over time based on development of additional skills, competencies, and company-specific knowledge.