THE ORGANIZATION

The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District protects public health and the environment by leading effective wastewater and stormwater management. As the largest wastewater treatment provider in the State of Ohio, the Sewer District spans 380 square miles, serves 63 communities and one million residents, and treats 90 billion gallons of wastewater a year.

In addition to its award-winning treatment plant and laboratory performance, the Sewer Districts Project Clean Lake construction program will reduce annual Lake Erie pollution by 4 billion gallons by 2036, while its Regional Stormwater Management Program addresses widespread inter-community problems like flooding, pollution, and erosion.

THE POSITION

Assists in providing legal advice, counsel, strategy, issue-spotting and project management on assigned transactional legal matters in assigned practice area(s) at the direction of the Chief Legal Officer (CLO). Performs other duties as may be required.

The candidate’s eligibility for Assistant General Counsel (ACG) I, II or III position is determined by the candidate’s level of experience as determined by the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities section.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

- Provides legal advice and counsel to all Sewer District departments.

- Develops and maintains a functional understanding of Sewer District legal documents, operations, history, structure, governance and strategic plan goals. Participates on Sewer District project teams and assists in implementation of strategic plan initiatives as required.

- Conducts research and works on a variety of legal matters. Collaborates with outside counsel as required.

- Consults with Chief Legal Officer (CLO) on legal issues and actions. Provides periodic updates to Chief Executive Officer (CEO), executive leadership and the Sewer District’s Board of Trustees as required.

- Maintains a functional understanding of Ohio public laws and requirements, including Ohio Public Records and Open Meetings obligations, to ensure compliance with such regulations. Provides guidance in appropriate practice areas to ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

- Represents the Sewer District in a variety of settings including professional and industry groups, the community and conferences.

- Maintains admission status with Ohio Supreme Court by completing mandatory continuing legal education and registration. May participate in bar association membership groups and events.

- Provides legal counsel support to outside counsel on assigned litigation. Works closely with outside counsel on strategy and development of the evidentiary record.

- Provides effective case management support for potential and existing litigation, including effective use of litigation avoidance strategies. Participates in settlement negotiations as required.

- Performs other duties as may be required.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS BY PRACTICE AREA

Environmental/Regulatory

- Advises Sewer District departments on Federal and State environmental/regulatory compliance and environmental permitting issues including Clean Water Act (includes NPDES permitting), Clean Air Act (includes Title V air permitting), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability (CERCLA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Phase I/II and pretreatment regulations.

- Serves as legal advisor on the Sewer District's Code of Regulations and CSO Consent Decree implementation and modification.

- Provides guidance to and coordinates with internal departments and the Sewer District's State and Federal advocates on implementation of new legislation, regulations, and emerging issues concerning the Sewer District. Provides appropriate reporting and updates on environmental, regulatory and legislative issues to CLO and executive leadership as necessary.

- Participates in internal and external working groups on environmental, legal and regulatory issues that impact the Sewer District.

- Supports Water Quality Industrial Surveillance (WQIS) enforcement and pre-treatment efforts by attending meetings with regulated entities or other parties for negotiation purposes.

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION

Candidate must possess a Juris Doctorate (JD) from an accredited law school.

EXPERIENCE

ACG I - No experience required.

ACG II - Candidate must possess five (5) years of experience serving as in-house counsel to a public entity or with private law firms providing counsel to public entities.

ACG III - Candidate must possess fifteen (15) years of experience serving as in-house counsel to a public entity or with private law firms providing counsel to public entities.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATIONS

- Candidate must be licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio and in good standing with the Supreme Court of Ohio.

- Candidate must possess a valid driver’s license with a driving record in accordance with the Sewer District’s acceptable guidelines.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

- Candidate must possess effective client service skills, including written and verbal communication, organizational and decision-making abilities.

- Candidate must possess ability to manage projects, meet deadlines and tackle emergencies and difficult situations.

- Candidate must possess negotiation, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills to address issues and opportunities for improvement.

- Candidate must possess the ability to effectively plan, coordinate, establish and maintain effective working relationships and prioritize workloads based on available resources.

- Candidate must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

- Candidate must be able to write business correspondence and procedure manuals.

- Candidate must possess ability to continuously take on complex projects and additional responsibilities.

- Candidate must be detail-oriented and capable of managing large amounts of data, maintain detailed comprehensive records, analyze and organize information, have effective project and time management skills and be well organized.

- Candidate must be able to conduct research and draft various legal documents including agreements, contracts, filings and reports used to prepare legal advice, arguments and analyses.

- Candidate must be able to manage long-term and/or complex legal projects with significant financial, operational, or other business impact.

- Candidate be knowledgeable about federal, state, and local laws, and regulations governing public entities in various disciplines. Must be able to read, analyze and interpret laws, regulations and legal documents.

- Candidate must be able to perform multiple tasks simultaneously and adapt to Perform duties at a high level of accomplishment in a time-critical manner within a deadline-driven environment.

- Candidate must be able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, research and provide legal advice and counsel. Ability to read, analyze and interpret federal and state law and regulations, as well as various legal documents required.

- Candidate must be able to manage outside counsel and represent the organization in a positive and professional manner

- Candidate must be able to work independently and as a member of a team.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS

During the course of performing the essential functions of this position, the employee must be able to analyze, communicate, comprehend, make decisions, possess general intelligence, interact, interpret, negotiate, possess numerical intelligence, organize, problem solve, have resilience and perform tasks. Physical work will need to be performed, such as driving, reaching, sitting, standing, talking, typing and walking. Ability to lift from waist to shoulder up to 10 lbs. on an occasional basis may be necessary. Position will require visual demands of accommodation, color vision, and near acuity. Ability to withstand faint to moderate noise exposure for fifteen minutes or longer on a frequent basis is required.

Pay Range: USD, Commensurate with Experience

ACG I - $89,945 - $134,919

ACG II - $101,232 - $151,848

ACG III - $114,522 - $171,785

View Our Equal Employment Opportunity Statement, Our Accessibility Statement & Education Equivalencies Policy on our Job Board via https://www.workforcleanwater.com/

Our Employee Benefits & Wellness Programs

We offer a comprehensive employee benefits package including Health Insurance Coverage, Various Retirement Planning Options (Ohio Public Employee Retirement System and Deferred Compensation Plans), Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program, Free Parking at our facilities, Corporate Discounts, and more! We also have an active Health & Wellness Program that promotes a life/work balance.

NEORSD supports the use of hybrid work as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity and better prepares the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for hybrid work. hybrid eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

DISCLAIMER: The information outlined in this job description indicates the general nature and type of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to provide a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities or competencies required of employees within this classification.

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Assistant General Counsel I, II, III - Environmental/Regulatory