Deputy General Counsel

About the Role

This is a highly responsible position, reporting to the Department's General Counsel. You'll work on a small, collaborative team of attorneys supporting the Department of Economic Development's mission to create greater opportunities for Missourians to prosper, operating under the values of exceptional service, creative solutions, and good stewardship of state and federal dollars and incentives.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice (oral and written) to non-attorney Department of Economic Development (DED) team members on numerous issues affecting the day-to-day operations and activities of DED's economic and community development programs (e.g. tax credits, tax increment financing, grants, and other tax incentives), drawing upon statutory construction, administrative law, contract law, and other skills.
• Advise non-attorney team members on implementation of new DED programs, including reviewing and editing program guidelines and forms, and ensuring program requirements, including requirements applicable to multiple DED programs, are included. (DED will potentially be setting up more than five new programs from the recent legislative session).
• Legislative drafting and assisting in the review of pending legislation affecting DED.
• Serve as part of legal team charged with setting up templates for agreements, certifications, and other legal documents. This will include eliminating legalese and increasing clarity.
• Advise other members of the Divisions that serve the rest of DED, including fiscal, budget, legislative, and human resources.
• Conduct legal due diligence checks on applicants for incentives.
• Draft portions of procurement documents, review and approve procurement documents, and advise team members about the varying procurement requirements under state law.
• Analyze potential program agreement violations for action by DED, repayment demands, and possible referral for litigation.
• Draft administrative rules and amendments.
• Respond to or assist in responding to records requests and subpoenas, including reviewing and redacting records.
• Advise team members about record retention laws and assist in interpreting or seeking modifications to applicable retention schedules.
• Perform other work, as assigned.

About the Legal Team

In addition to the General Counsel, there is a Senior Counsel. Both the Deputy General Counsel and the Senior Counsel report to the General Counsel. Because of the size of the Legal Team, sharing responsibilities and having the ability to back each other up is vital. The actual responsibilities may depend on the experience, skills, and interest of the successful candidate.

A note about litigation: DED is currently rarely involved in litigation and is typically represented by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) or outside counsel selected by the AGO. However, litigation experience can be useful in risk assessment and other responsibilities of the position.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited law school.
• Be a member in good standing of The Missouri Bar.
• Minimum of five years' experience practicing law.
• This position is in person in DED's Jefferson City office.

Qualifications

• Previous in-house counsel to a government entity, or other government experience.
• Ability to proactively identify legal issues.
• A desire for public service and for learning.

Benefits

• DED pays annual bar dues and although free Continued Legal Education (CLE) is encouraged, will pay for reasonable CLE expenses.
• DED is a qualifying Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer.
• The State of Missouri offers an excellent benefits package that includes a defined pension plan, generous amounts of leave and holiday time, and eligibility for health insurance coverage.

Pay & Schedule

• Salary Range: $100,000 – $110,000
• Scheduled Hours: M–F, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (flexible)
• Full-time Salaried, Benefit Eligible