Assistant to General Counsel II

Responsible for providing legal representation to the Williamson County Commissioners Court, its departments, and, periodically, other Williamson County elected and appointed officials. Representation includes but is not limited to protecting the interests of Williamson County in a variety of legal areas, such as government procurement, roles and duties of Williamson County, transactional and litigation matters, and open governmental matters. This role requires strong attention to detail, discretion, and organizational skills to manage confidential matters with precision and professionalism. 

• Provides legal advice and counsel as a trusted legal advisor to the Williamson County Commissioners Court, its departments, and other elected and appointed officials on matters impacting the interests of Williamson County
• Assists in the creation and development of processes and procedures related to assigned areas
• Provides legal guidance and advice to the Williamson County Purchasing Department relating to procurement issues, laws, and requirements
• Participates in and provides legal guidance for Williamson County competitive procurement processes 
• Drafts, reviews, revises, and negotiates contracts to which Williamson County is a party, such as county roads, parks and building construction contracts; professional services agreements for architectural, engineering, surveying, and consulting services; purchase agreements for services and goods; interlocal agreements between a multitude of federal, state, and local entities
• Assists in researching, reviewing, drafting, analyzing, and amending Williamson County policies
• Serves as legal counsel to the Williamson County Benefits Committee
• Conducts sophisticated legal research and analysis and prepares high priority legal opinions on complex legal issues for the Williamson County Commissioners Court and, upon request, Williamson County officials
• Assists with providing legal advice and assistance on open government matters (Texas Open Meetings Act and Texas Public Information Act)
• Reviews applications for pauper burials and prepares orders for Commissioners Court
• Periodically attends open sessions and confidential executive sessions of the Williamson County Commissioners Court and provides legal opinions and advice on parliamentary procedure and contemplated actions, and implementation of policies and agendas for the Williamson County Commissioners Court
• May be assigned to periodically assist senior counsel on matters regarding human resources or risk management, such as employment matters, liability claims, and litigation
• May be assigned to assist the Williamson County Office of Emergency Management during emergency and disaster situations
• Communicates frequently with the Williamson County Commissioners Court members and other elected and appointed Williamson County officials, department heads and employees, attorneys, outside entities, and the public
• Effectively communicates both verbally and in writing

• Develops and manages productive relationships with coworkers, clients, the public, attorneys, and other work groups related to assigned areas
• Demonstrates a strong work ethic, including precise attention to detail, accuracy in work product, effective organizational skills, professional and positive interpersonal and social skills, self-starter, responsible, and enjoys working both independently and as part of a team
• Receives and applies regular performance feedback and annual performance reviews from management to improve job performance and meet organizational goals

• Attends and participates in all meetings and training courses as required
• Performs other duties as assigned – management may assess and reassign work assignments within the department from time to time to ensure equitable and effective workload distribution

ORGANIZATION RELATIONSHIPS

• Reports directly to – General Counsel and First Assistant General Counsel of the Williamson County Commissioners Court
• Direct Reports – No

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

• Work is primarily indoors in an air-conditioned office environment
• Some travel between work sites as required
• High stress, high pressure of deadlines, and work management under limited time constraints
• This position requires on-site presence and is not a remote role 

ATTENDANCE AND IRREGULAR HOURS

• Regular attendance on-site is essential to this position
• Work outside of the normal office hours (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) may be required
• May be deemed essential personnel in the event of an emergency

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified in this position. This job description is subject to change as the needs and requirements of the job change.

• Doctor of Jurisprudence from an accredited law school and five (5) years of experience as an attorney in the practice of law for a county, municipality, or state governmental agency OR six (6) years of experience as an attorney in general civil, transactional and litigation law
• A clear knowledge and understanding of contractual principles and theory
• Previous experience with county, municipal, state, federal and common law, including their relationship with the authority and functions of a Texas county government
• Working knowledge of Westlaw/LexisNexis, Microsoft Office Suite, and Adobe Acrobat
• Strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills are essential to effectively and objectively advise and/or interact with elected officials and department heads, Williamson County personnel, external agencies, members of the public, and outside legal counsel

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Required

• State Bar of Texas
  • No prior history of disciplinary sanctions issued by any state bar association

Required within thirty (30) days of employment

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Seven (7) years of experience representing governing bodies of local Texas governments, with stronger preference for representation of Texas commissioners courts or city councils
• Seven (7) years of government procurement, transactional, and policy drafting experience for a local government, with stronger preference for experience with Texas counties or municipalities
• Previous experience handling Texas Public Information Act matters and Texas Open Meetings Act matters
• Previous experience with public sector litigation, with stronger preference for litigation relating to Texas counties 

EMPLOYMENT TESTING 

Employment is contingent on passing any post-offer pre-employment screening as listed below:

• Criminal background check: Yes
• Motor Vehicle Record check: Yes
• Drug screening: No
• Physical exam: No
• Psychological exam: No
• Additional: N/A