Legal Services Manager

About the role

Provide leadership and strategic direction to the Legal Services department, including setting priorities, allocating resources, and managing the Legal Services Supervisor and any attorneys or staff reporting directly to the Manager. Evaluate department performance, oversee professional development planning, and serve as primary liaison to the Assistant General Counsel/Compliance Director on department operations and staffing matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and management direction to Legal Services.
• Manage and evaluate direct report staff performance through performance appraisals/reviews, promotions, salary changes, professional development, and active monitoring and coaching.
• Provide legal advice and counsel on complex, enterprise-level, and high-stakes matters across EN departments, including regulatory proceedings and novel legal questions.
• Draft, review, and negotiate major contracts, leases, waivers, releases, financing documents, and other documents on behalf of Energy Northwest.
• Serve as Energy Northwest’s point of contact with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Office of the General Counsel and Office of Investigations, in coordination with the Assistant General Counsel/Compliance Director.
• Represent employees testifying in legal actions, proceedings, and public hearings (GBP-LEG-03) and NRC Investigations: Rights of Energy Northwest Employees (GBP-LEG-04).
• Maintain knowledge of, and ensure Energy Northwest compliance with, federal and state statutes, regulations, and court decisions.
• Protect Energy Northwest's interests by initiating or defending Energy Northwest in significant lawsuits, administrative hearings, and/or directing the conduct of said litigation by in-house or retained counsel.
• Provide training to Energy Northwest staff on current legal issues and compliance with legal requirements.
• Review and act upon legal invoices less than or equal to $200,000; refer greater expenditures to the appropriate delegated authority.
• Prepare and manage the annual budget for Legal Services.
• Participate on the Emergency Response team (ERO) when designated.
• Support the biennial refueling outage.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and a current license to practice law in the State of Washington or the ability to obtain a license through WSBA Admission by Motion within 9 months.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience practicing law.
• Previous management/leadership experience.

Pay

Pay range: $195,000 - $250,714. Typically, selected candidates are hired between the minimum and midpoint of the range, based on applicable experience and qualifications, market rate, internal equity, and budgetary allowances.

This position is eligible for an annual at-risk compensation (ARC) incentive plan target of 20% of the base salary. Incentives are earned based on agency performance against defined metrics and goals.

Benefits

• Substantial retirement benefits through three retirement programs: Washington State Public Employees' Retirement System pension plan (PERS), a 401(k) savings plan with an employer match, and a 457(b) savings plan.
• Multiple options for medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage.
• Voluntary benefits including flexible spending accounts (FSAs), tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, childcare subsidies, health reimbursement arrangement (HRA VEBA), health savings account (HSA), supplemental life insurances, credit monitoring/identity theft insurance, and more.
• Personal time accrual starting at 160 hours per year, with accruals growing significantly at various service intervals.
• Nine paid holidays per year.

Washington State has no state income tax, and the Tri-Cities area offers a cost-of-living lower than the national average.