Corporate Counsel Regulated Water

Job Description

Position Purpose: 

The Corporate Counsel will be an integral member of the Legal team supporting the Company’s Regulated Utility business within the Municipal Water Division. The Regulated Utility business consists of six regulated utility companies that serve more than 2 million people combined in NY, NJ, PA, DE, RI and ID.

This role advises senior management on a wide range of legal matters, with a focus on operational issues, contract drafting and negotiation, regulatory compliance, real estate, land use, permitting, environmental, water supply, and water quality matters. Additional support to other business units and corporate functions may be required.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

Utility Operations:

• Permitting and Zoning Representation: Represent or coordinate legal representation for the Company before zoning and planning boards regarding permits for Company projects.
• Regulatory Proceedings: Represent utility subsidiaries in utility regulatory proceedings. Perform legal work related to regulatory matters, including filing petitions for approvals and waivers, coordinating with regulatory business departments, and responding to inquiries from public utility commissions.
• Environmental and Permitting Support: Provide legal support in administrative proceedings related to environmental matters and water/wastewater permits, including filing comments with environmental and municipal agencies.
• Real Estate Transactions: Draft and review legal documents for the use, acquisition, or disposal of real estate.
• Contractual Advice and Enforcement: Provide advice to Company personnel on contract rights and responsibilities and assist with contract enforcement (especially as it pertains to operations).

Rates Department Support:

• Regulatory Monitoring and Compliance: Support Rates Department with regulatory and compliance filings and hearings for utility companies. Monitor select regulations impacting utility industry, circulate relevant proposals for comment, assist with drafting and filing of comments with agencies, and inform personnel of rule adoptions (particularly as they relate to rates).
• Legislative Counsel: Provide advice on the legal implications of proposed and newly enacted legislation upon request of Company management (with a focus on rate implications).

Procurement Function Support:

• Contract Management: Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts, including those related to major facility construction, services to Veolia subsidiaries, and wholesale water/wastewater arrangements.
• Contract Negotiation: Negotiate favorable legal terms in all contracts to protect the Company's financial interests and mitigate legal risks.

General/Ongoing Responsibilities:

• Senior Counsel Communication: Keep the Senior Utility Counsel informed of complex, sensitive, or material matters and seek their counsel as needed.
• Risk Management: Perform all work professionally to protect the Company’s interests and mitigate risks that could adversely impact operations and growth.
• Flexibility: Support the Senior Utility Counsel or General Counsel on critical matters as they arise within the Company. Stay agile and be able to adapt to an evolving regulatory and business environment.

Additional Information:

• This is a hybrid role based out of our office in Paramus, NJ.

Qualifications

Education/Experience/Background:

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited U.S. law school.
• A minimum of 6 years of experience in legal practice.
• Prior land use law, environmental law and governmental agency experience preferred.
• Prior experience as in-house counsel preferred, but not required.
• Substantial familiarity with the legal aspects of various areas of water and wastewater operations, both in regulated utilities and contract operations, and relationships among these areas.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills as well as a proven ability to negotiate and draft documentation for sophisticated commercial transactions.
• Adept at working with minimal supervision on multiple time-sensitive projects and dealing directly with business developers, senior management and finance, accounting and tax professionals.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with an ability to interface with people at all levels of the organization by virtue of professional competence, personal integrity, and personal style.
• Ability to contribute to the Legal Department as a team player.

Required Certification/Licenses/Training:

• Licensed to practice law in the United States with bar admission in New Jersey. Additional admission in New York or Pennsylvania is a plus.
• A state bar member in good standing.

Physical Requirements:

• The position requires some travel to visit the Regulated Utility sites in the various U.S. states.