Legal & Regulatory Director (Agency Legal Director) - #240606-8539Mp-001

Introduction

OCC) has an exciting opportunity for a Legal and Regulatory Director (Agency Legal Director).

Position highlights

Reporting to the Consumer Counsel, the Legal & Regulatory Director will play a critical role in ensuring affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy and water in the state of Connecticut. The Legal Director will have the opportunity to supervise an excellent team of attorneys and technical staff, and oversee and participate in cases in both administrative and judicial settings, including directly litigate cases in state and federal appellate courts.

The Legal & Regulatory Director will also assist the Consumer Counsel with policy development on matters addressed by the office, including but not limited to utility regulatory reform, grid modernization, electrification, energy affordability and water quality and service.

As an Agency Legal Director:

• In coordination with the Consumer Counsel, direct staff and operations of the agency's legal and technical divisions, including a team of high-performing attorneys and accountants, to ensure coordinated strategy in rate cases, other PURA proceedings and litigation;

• Coordinate with legal and technical staff on formulating OCC regulatory priorities and objectives and the development of OCC positions on state and federal policies and law;

• Model and facilitate effective and open communication throughout the agency;

• Partner with the Consumer Counsel and Supervisor of Technical Analysis on high level organizational management and budget setting;

• In coordination with the Consumer Counsel, manage departmental structures, individual workplans, and evaluation processes; support individual lawyers' professional development;

• Direct and conduct research on legal issues or relating to the agency's regulatory and legislative work;

• In coordination with legal team, examine potential litigation and appeals and make recommendations to Consumer Counsel;

• Draft and review staff attorney drafts of legal memoranda, briefs, legal opinion letters, and regulatory filings;

• Participate in the drafting and review of all proposed legislation, regulations, agency policies, contracts and agreements;

• Manage or oversee responses to FOIA requests for the agency;

• Monitor Agency activities to ensure that they confirm with policy, procedures, regulations, legislation and state and federal laws;

• Testify before legislative committee and perform related legislative duties;

• Perform other related duties as needed.

Occasional travel and participation in events outside regular work hours may be required.

About us

The OCC is a small, independent state agency that acts as the advocate for consumer interests in matters which may affect Connecticut consumers relating to electricity, natural gas, water, and telecommunications. OCC plays a critical role in ensuring that the transition to cleaner power generation benefits consumers, and supports equitable, affordable access to energy, water and telecommunications services.

The OCC is a statutory party to all proceedings before the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) and is authorized to appear and participate in any regulatory or judicial proceedings, federal or state, in which the interests of Connecticut utility consumers may be involved. OCC also participates actively in proceedings before federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") and the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), advocates on behalf of consumer interests in state and federal courts. OCC also promotes the interests of consumers at the Connecticut legislature and in regional and national forums, including elevating consumer interests in the deployment of state and federal funding and programs.

The OCC's work covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Wholesale and retail electric and gas markets and rates

• Energy infrastructure (e.g., electric transmission lines, non-wires alternatives,)

• Renewable energy, distributed generation, and grid modernization

• Energy efficiency and demand response

• Water rates, infrastructure, and resource planning

• Utility service quality and storm response

• Electric vehicles and energy storage

• Telecommunications service, service quality, and infrastructure, broadband access, and telecommunications policy

Selection Plan

In order to be considered for this job opening you must be a current State of CT employee of the agency listed above for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service, absent any applicable collective bargaining language, and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.

Before you apply:

• In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.

• The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.

• Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.

• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate's obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

Important information for after you apply:

• This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.

• Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.

• Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.

• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.

• Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.

Questions related to the technical filing of your application for this position should be directed to Mackenzie Robinson at mackenzie.robinson@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a state agency this class is accountable for directing the legal staff of the agency and acting as legal advisor to the Commissioner in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General on complex legal issues.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Directs staff and operations of the agency's legal division;

• Coordinates, plans and manages division activities;

• Formulates program goals and objectives;

• Develops or assists in development of related policies;

• Interprets and administers pertinent laws;

• Evaluates staff;

• Prepares or assists in preparation of division budget;

• Maintains contacts with individuals within and outside of division who might impact program activities;

• In consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, directs research of legal issues or researches complex legal issues relating to the agency;

• Examines potential litigation and makes recommendations to agency Commissioner;

• Drafts legal memoranda, legal opinion letters or declaratory rulings;

• Participates in drafting and review of all proposed legislation, regulations and agency policies and guidance documents;

• Oversees drafting and administrative review of all agency contracts and agreements; may manage all FOIA requests for the agency;

• Conducts investigations as required;

• Leads the recruitment and hiring of staff, including outreach, interview and selection;

• May act as agency legislative liaison;

• May testify before legislative committee;

• Performs related duties are required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

• Considerable knowledge of

• and ability to apply management principles and practices;

• and ability to interpret relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations;

• relevant agency policies and procedures;

• the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act;

• legal practices and procedures in federal courts and state venues;

• legislative processes;

• Considerable

• interpersonal skills;

• oral and written communication skills.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

Five (5) years of experience as an attorney with some responsibility for research, development, planning and review of legislative and/or regulatory programs.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

Two (2) years of the General Experience must have been in a supervisory or managerial capacity.

NOTE: Managerial experience is defined as formulating program goals and objectives, developing and implementing program procedures, initiating program policies and developing and/or monitoring a budget.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience overseeing rate cases and demonstrated comprehension of utility regulatory principles and ratemaking standards;

• Experience working on issues related to public service companies, energy markets, grid modernization, clean and renewable energy, affordability, cybersecurity, and/or reliability and resilience programs;

• Administrative law experience, including but not limited to interpreting state or federal statutes and regulations, experience with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act (UAPA), and/or appearing before administrative bodies for hearings and other proceedings;

• Experience in State, federal and/or appellate litigation;

• Experience addressing complex policy challenges in the energy sector, including comprehending, analyzing, and applying technical data to legal standards and understanding the interaction between technological and market innovation and the law;

• Experience supervising and creating strong and effective teams working in cultures defined by excellence, professionalism, trust, and respect;

• Experience formulating program or organization goals and objectives, developing and implementing procedures, initiating and developing policies and developing reports;

• Experience communicating, listening and negotiating skills to facilitate conversation and drive decision-making;

• Experience with contracting, corporate or organizational governance and/or FOIA or auditing functions.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Incumbents in this class must be admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.