Attorney IV

Agency

Dept of Commerce

Division

Utilities-Public Staff

Job Classification Title

Attorney IV (NS)

Position Number

60081050

Grade

LG09

About Us

The North Carolina Department of Commerce is the state's lead agency for economic, community and workforce development. The department works with local, regional, national and international organizations to fulfill its mission to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for all North Carolinians.

The Department connects businesses with the site locations, workforce and infrastructure they need to succeed in one of the nation's top states for business. We also connect local communities with the grants and funding they need to attract new business and ensure future prosperity.

Description of Work

Start your journey towards success and unleash your potential to make an impact!

The NC Public Staff is currently accepting applications for the Staff Attorney IV - Wake County.

This position will be in the Legal Division of the Public Staff. The primary purpose of the Staff Attorney position is to provide legal advice and representation to the Executive Director, members of the Public Staff, and the using and consuming public in matters involving the rates and service of electric utilities, natural gas utilities, water and sewer utilities, communications service providers, ferry operators, and movers of household goods. Cases range in significance and complexity from rate increases for small water and sewer utilities serving as few as 15 residences to major electric and natural gas utility rate cases and corporate mergers involving millions of customers and hundreds of millions and sometimes billions of dollars.

The job opening is for an attorney to work on matters involving the provision of natural gas, water, sewer, telecommunications, ferry, and intrastate household moving utility service in the Gas/Water/Sewer/Telecom/Transportation Section of the Legal Division. However, the attorney may be assigned to matters involving other types of utility service.

Within the Public Staff, the primary purpose of the Legal Division is:
(1) to provide legal representation of the Public Staff and the using and consuming public in formal proceedings before the Utilities Commission, appellate courts, and federal regulatory agencies,
(2) to provide legal and policy advice on issues related to public utility regulation to the Executive Director and other members of the Public Staff and, upon request, members of the General Assembly, other governmental bodies, the general public, and entities that provide public utility service in North Carolina.

This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) with State Benefits, including health insurance, as well as retirement pursuant to State Policy.

Applicants invited to interview will be required to provide a writing sample. The writing sample must be the applicant’s original work and should demonstrate legal analysis, clarity of written communication, and the ability to present complex information in an organized and persuasive manner. Acceptable samples include judicial decisions, administrative law decisions, legal memoranda, briefs, motions, or other comparable legal documents authored solely by the applicant. Samples should be submitted in hard copy at the interview, should have original formatting and content intact, and should be no more than 15 pages.

Incentives of NC State Employment
We value our employees and offer a wide variety of competitive and family-friendly benefits.

Benefits to include:
• 12 Annual Paid Holidays and monthly accrual of vacation and sick leave.
• North Carolina State Health Plan currently administered by Aetna.
• Supplemental Benefits including Flexible Spending Accounts, Accident Insurance, Cancer & Specified Disease, Critical Illness, Dental, and Vision.
• NC State Retirement (TSERS), 401(k), and 457 savings plans.
• WeSave Employee Discounts.
• Eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Learn more about new hire resources, safety, health, and wellness information, leave options, employee discounts and more by selecting the link below: https://oshr.nc.gov/state-employee-resources/benefits

Note to Current State Employees
The salary grade for this position is LG09. State employees are encouraged to apply for positions of interest even if the salary grade is the same as, or lower than, their current position. If selected for this position, a new salary will be recalculated taking into consideration the quantity of relevant education and experience, funding availability, and internal equity. Based upon those factors, a pay increase MAY result.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences

Recruitment Range: $96,513 - $145,885

Important: This posting closes at 11:59:59 PM the night BEFORE the End Date above

Management Preferences - Optional: These skills are not required but managers may choose to interview/select applicants who demonstrate Management Preferences.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Competencies
 

Utility Regulation

• Knowledge or experience that will enable a rapid understanding of case, statutory, regulatory, and common law and policy governing the regulation of public utilities in North Carolina and the role of the Public Staff in the regulatory process.

Research and Analytical Skills

• The ability to gather and synthesize relevant information, recognize legal and policy implications, and recommend appropriate solutions and courses of action.

Litigation skills

• Knowledge or experience that will enable rapid development of litigation skills, including the ability to identify legaland factual issues, develop legal positions and strategies, deliver oral arguments, conduct discovery, and present and cross-examine expert witnesses in cases before the Utilities Commission.

• Knowledge or experience that will enable rapid development of appellate advocacy skills, including the ability to prepare persuasive briefs, and present effective oral argument in novel and complex cases.

Communication skills

• The ability to express legal concepts and related facts in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner both orally and inwriting to draft statutes and rules dealing with utility regulation and energy related issues, and to make public presentations.

Education and Experience Requirements

APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION. 
 

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an “equivalent combination of education and experience.” If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the OSHR Guide for details.

Licensed to practice law by the North Carolina State Bar and four years of progressively responsible professional legal experience. 

NOTE: GS 114-2 and 114-6 make it the duty of the Attorney General of NC to represent the State of North Carolina in all litigation unless another statute specifically states otherwise.

Supplemental and Contact Information

About the Public Staff
The Public Staff is an independent agency created in 1977 to review, investigate, and make appropriate recommendations to the North Carolina Utilities Commission with respect to the reasonableness of rates charged and adequacy of service provided by any public utility and with respect to the consistency with the public policy of assuring an energy supply adequate to protect the public health and safety. The Public Staff shall intervene on behalf of the using and consuming public in all Commission proceedings affecting rates or service. 

The Public Staff will also:

• Petition the Commission to initiate proceedings when in the public interest;

• Participate in all certificate applications and assist the Commission in analysis;

• Make recommendations to the Commission with respect to standards, regulations, or practices;

• Investigate formal and informal complaints affecting the using and consuming public;

• Participate in all proceedings for franchise transfers, mergers, and consolidations of public utilities;

• Review, investigate, and recommend action to the Commission regarding affiliate contracts.

About the Department of Commerce
The 
North Carolina Department of Commerce is the state's lead agency for economic, community, and workforce development. The department works with local, regional, national, and international organizations to fulfill its mission to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for all North Carolinians.

Commerce is an Equal Opportunity Employer who embraces an Employment First philosophy which consists of complying with all federal laws, state laws, and Executive Orders. Commerce does not provide employment visa sponsorship. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and throughout employment.

NC Department of Commerce uses the Merit-Based Recruitment and Selection Plan to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act with the most qualified individuals. The Minimum Education and Experience (E&E) is REQUIRED to qualify for this position. All work history and education (including accurate dates of employment/attendance) must be documented on the application. Transcripts may be attached to supplement education and work experience may include internships, volunteerism, and full and part-time work. Supplemental Questions are also a required part of the application: answers must reference education or work experience listed on the application. 

"Resumes may be attached as a supplement to the application but are not a substitution for a complete application."

We are committed to reviewing requests for reasonable accommodation at any time during the hiring process and throughout employment.  Applicants requesting and receiving an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are eligible to submit paper applications via mail or by fax by the vacancy closing date.

Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a DD-214 Form (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to their applications.

Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach a NGB 23A (RPAS) if they are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing.  If a former member of the NC National Guard who served for at least 6 years and was discharged under honorable conditions, they must attach either a DD256 or NGB 22.

Our Agency uses the OSHR Recruiting and Posting of Vacancies Policy to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act with the most qualified individuals. All applicants must complete and submit a state application for employment.

 

**PLEASE NOTE**  It is critical to our screening and salary determination process that applications contain comprehensive information. Please make sure you complete the application in full.   Information should be provided in the appropriate areas to include all work experience, the beginning and ending dates of jobs worked, education with the graduation date, and certificates/licenses.  

Any information omitted from the application cannot be considered in screening for qualifying credit.  Hiring salary will be based on relevant qualifications, internal equity, and budgetary considerations pertinent to the advertised position.  

 

***INCLUDE ALL RELEVANT EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE IN THE DESIGNATED EDUCATION AND WORK HISTORY SECTION ON THE FORMAL APPLICATION***

Attached or incorporated resumes (including Text resumes on the application form) WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completing this application and WILL NOT be used for screening for qualifying credit.  "See Resume" or “See Attachment" within the fillable application sections WILL NOT be accepted and will be considered an incomplete application and will not be processed.

 

Answers to Supplemental Questions must refer to education or work experience listed on this application to receive credit.  Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.  To receive credit for your work history and credentials, you must list the information on the application form.   For additional information about applications and processes with the state of NC, please visit:  How Do I Get the Job.

Applications for positions requiring specific coursework must be accompanied by a copy of the applicant's transcript. If applicants earned college credit hours but did not complete a degree program, they must attach an unofficial transcript to each application to receive credit for this education.

Re-Entry for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
Our Agency supports the Governor's Executive Order 303 which seeks to re-employ individuals that were previously incarcerated.  Formerly incarcerated individuals are invited to apply for any vacant Commerce position(s) in which they believe they are qualified.

By providing the requested information, you certify that you have given true, accurate and complete information on this attachment to the best of your knowledge. In the event confirmation is needed in connection with your work, you authorize educational institutions, associations, registration and licensing boards, and others to furnish whatever detail is available concerning your qualifications. You authorize investigation of all statements made in this application and understand that false information or documentation, or a failure to disclose relevant information may be grounds for rejection of your application, disciplinary action or dismissal if you are employed, and(or) criminal action. You further understand that dismissal upon employment shall be mandatory if fraudulent disclosures are given to meet position qualifications (Authority: GS 126-30, GS 14- 122.1).

Minimum Education and Experience

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an “equivalent combination of education and experience.” If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See the Education and Experience Equivalency Guide for details.

EEO Statement

The State of North Carolina is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free from all forms of unlawful employment discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. The state provides reasonable accommodation to employees and applicants with disabilities; known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for religious beliefs, observances, and practices.

Recruiter:

Maxine Anderson

Recruiter Email:

MANDERSON@NCUC.GOV