General Counsel - Administration

Job Location: This position will be located in Jefferson City, MO, within the Harry S. Truman Building, 301 W. High Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101 Why You’ll Love This Position You'll lead 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. This is a highly responsible position, reporting to the Department Director. The General Counsel responsibilities include: Serve as the General Counsel for the Department Director on departmental matters including tax credits, economic development initiatives, projects and programs, policy matters and legislation, drawing upon statutory construction, administrative law, contract law, and other skillsAdvise 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 includedLegislative drafting and assisting in the review of pending legislation affecting DEDSupervise and provide direction to legal team charged with setting up templates for agreements, certifications, and other legal documents - this will include eliminating legalese and increasing clarityAdvise other members of the Divisions that serve the rest of DED, including fiscal, budget, legislative, and human resources, in matters such as employment law, administrative procedure, Sunshine Law, contracts, and overall legal complianceDraft portions of procurement documents, review and approve procurement documents, and advise team members about the varying procurement requirements under state lawAnalyze potential program agreement violations for action by DED, repayment demands, and possible referral for litigationDraft administrative rules and amendmentsRespond to or assist in responding to records requests and subpoenas, including reviewing and redacting recordsAdvise team members about record retention laws and assist in interpreting or seeking modifications to applicable retention schedulesOversee legal due diligence checks on applicants for incentivesServe as Custodian of Records and oversee administration and fulfillment of public record requestsOther related work as needed Required Competencies Strong written and oral communication skills Knowledge of Missouri statutes Knowledge of complex public financing options, state and localKnowledge of such terms and concepts as economic impact analysis, cost-benefit ration, rate of return, return on investment, time value of money, and gap financingKnowledge of business and real estate financingAbility to direct all litigation against and by the DepartmentAbility to interpret federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations and policies and proceduresAbility to provide legal advice, opinions and recommendations, both orally and in writingAbility to conduct highly complex legal research on a wide variety of mattersAbility to effectively communicate with all levels within the organization, Governor's Office, and legislatureAbility to effectively negotiate with private practice public finance attorneys representing local governments or developers with an application before the department Qualifications Required: Graduation from an accredited law schoolBe a member in good standing of The Missouri BarMinimum of five years' experience practicing lawWork in-person within DED's Jefferson City office Preferred Previous in-house counsel to a government entity, or other government experienceAbility to proactively identify legal issuesA desire for public service and for learningEducation or experience in finance and/or economics preferredDirect experience with, or knowledge of tax credit programs DED pays annual bar dues and although free Continuing 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. Your total compensation is more than the dollars you receive in your paycheck. To help demonstrate the value of working for the State of Missouri, we have created an interactive Total Compensation Calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive view of benefits and more that are offered to prospective employees. The Total Compensation Calculator and other applicant resources can be found here. HRHelpdesk@ded.mo.gov