Enforcement Attorney, Senior

About the role

The Senior-level Enforcement Attorney will process Potential Noncompliance (PNC) with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission-approved and British Columbia Utilities Commission-approved mandatory Reliability Standards by investigating, analyzing, and resolving cases in alignment with WECC’s mission.

Responsibilities

• Conduct legal research on North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) precedents and Reliability Standards to ensure appropriate and consistent dispositions of alleged violations.
• Review and assess registered entities’ potential noncompliance of NERC Reliability Standards in accordance with NERC Rules of Procedure (ROP) and related NERC and FERC guidance.
• Collaborate with Enforcement risk and mitigation Engineers to conduct discovery and determine the scope and risk of potential noncompliance issues.
• Draft disposition documents and settlement agreements to resolve registered entities’ noncompliance.
• Speak with registered entity compliance and legal contacts regarding the status of open enforcement actions.
• Conduct penalty assessments, prepare settlement agreements, and participate in settlement negotiations with registered entities.
• Provide legal and/or technical expertise when a registered entity contests a violation and requests a hearing.
• Ensure the development of a complete evidentiary record for all noncompliance issues.
• Provide legal expertise and training to other WECC departments and registered entities on enforcement related issues.
• Attend and participate in industry workshops and presentations to keep abreast of current industry trends, guidance, and processes.

Requirements

• Hold a Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Have admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum of 5-10 years of experience in energy, administrative law, regulatory law, or complex litigation.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cases and negotiations.
• Can learn and effectively use specialized systems, including Align, SEL, and case tracking tools.
• Are detail-oriented with strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Possess strong computer literacy and proficiency using PCs, including a working knowledge of common applications such as those in the Microsoft Office Suite.
• Understand and adhere to sound principles of cybersecurity, including protecting sensitive information, using secure passwords, and following organizational cybersecurity protocols.