Puc Deputy Chief Counsel

THE POSITION

The Law Bureau is an active and experienced legal team of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Attorneys in the Law Bureau operate in a fast-paced, challenging environment and deal with regulatory compliance, litigation, appeals and business transactional matters of jurisdictional public utilities. As such, Law Bureau attorneys are exposed to a wide range of legal, technical and financial issues. The Law Bureau seeks new, highly motivated members with strong interpersonal skills and legal acumen. If interested apply today!

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

The Deputy Chief Counsel position in the Law Bureau is a supervisory position that is responsible for (1) directly representing the Commission in difficult and complex cases before appellate courts (state and federal) or assigning and supervising other attorneys to represent the Commission in such cases; (2) researching and evaluating the relative merits of legal positions, preparing and/or reviewing briefs, memoranda, and relevant correspondence; and (3) making oral argument before the court(s) or preparing other attorneys for oral arguments before the courts. This Deputy Chief Counsel position will have significant responsibility for subpoenas, right-to-know requests and appellate litigation and rulemaking proceedings that involve motor carrier/transportation issues, rail safety and crossing issues, and cybersecurity issues. The DCC position will also advise the Commissioners, Commission Bureaus, and other Commission employees on various legal and administrative matters through TEAMs, in-person and written communications, including preparation and presentation of reports, comments, recommendations and proposed Orders. Finally, this position will represent the Commission at various meetings with utility executives, state and local representatives, other governmental agency officials and state regulatory commissions and the public.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment
• Work hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 60-minute lunch.
• Telework: You may have the opportunity to work from home (telework) part-time. In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. If you are unable to telework, you will have the option to report to the headquarters office in Harrisburg. The ability to telework is subject to change at any time. Additional details may be provided during the interview.
  • The successful candidate is required to report to the headquarters worksite daily, unless the employee meets eligibility requirements and telework has been approved. Management may discontinue any telework arrangement at any time, for any reason. In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection. If you are unable to telework, you will have the option to report to the headquarters office.
  • To be eligible to participate in telework, the employee's alternate (telework) worksite must meet the following requirements:
  • Within a reasonable travel distance of headquarters and
  • Within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
  • Please direct all questions regarding reasonable distance and the type of available telework to the PUC Human Resource Office at [email protected] or 717.787.8714.
• Salary: In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE, TRAINING & ELIGIBILITY

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• Five years of progressively responsible legal experience, with some if experience in highly responsible and complex professional legal work which provided exposure to governmental regulatory law (regarding public utilities)/administrative law and graduation from an approved school of law; or
  
  
• any equivalent combination of experience and training.

Special Requirement:

• Possession of a certificate of admission to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; or eligibility for such certification.

Additional Requirements:

• You must have a minimum of five years’ experience handling complex litigation and appeals before Federal and/or Pennsylvania Courts, including drafting briefs and presenting oral argument before the Commonwealth Court, Superior Court, or Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

• You must have a minimum of five years of experience with the Public Utility Code and/or with administrative hearings before the Public Utility Commission.
• You must have a minimum of five years of experience with Pennsylvania Right to Know Law issues, including handling appeals before the Office of Open Records.
• You must have experience handling subpoenas and providing legal review for the production of documents in civil litigation or RTKL context, including fluent knowledge of e-discovery software and systems.
• You must have experience with cybersecurity, data security, and privacy issues, including cybersecurity frameworks and standards, incident response, and the Pennsylvania Breach of Personal Information Notification Act (BPINA) and/or possession of Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) or equivalent certification.
• You must have experience drafting proposed and final-form regulations.
• You must have the ability to prioritize tasks and work independently in a highly collegial, fast-paced and high-performing environment.

• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

How to Apply:

• Resumes, cover letters, and similar documents will not be reviewed, and the information contained therein will not be considered for the purposes of determining your eligibility for the position. Information to support your eligibility for the position must be provided on the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education).
• If you are claiming education in your answers to the supplemental application questions, you must attach a copy of your college transcripts for your claim to be accepted toward meeting the minimum requirements. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
• Your application must be submitted by the posting closing date. Late applications and other required materials will not be accepted.
• Failure to comply with the above application requirements may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

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