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Posted May 10, 2024

Attorney IV

State of North Carolina
Wake County, NC Full Time
Reference: StateofNorthCarolina4498612


Are you a highly skilled attorney looking to find meaningful work and positively impact the lives of the residents of North Carolina? If your answer is yes, then we want you to join our team at the Public Staff - North Carolina Utilities Commission and make a difference.

The NC Department of Commerce, Public Staff - North Carolina Utilities Commission is looking for an Attorney IV. This position is assigned to the Legal Division within the Public Staff.

This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) with State Benefits, including health insurance, as well as retirement.

Salary Grade: LG09
**Recruitment Range: $89,775 - $135,200**

The primary purpose of the Staff Attorney position is to provide legal advice and representation to the Executive Director, members of the Public Staff, and the using and consuming public in matters involving the rates and service of electric utilities, natural gas utilities, water and sewer utilities, communications service providers, ferry operators, and movers of household goods. Cases range in significance and complexity from rate increases for small water and sewer utilities serving as few as 15 residences to major electric and natural gas utility rate cases and corporate mergers involving millions of customers and hundreds of millions and sometimes billions of dollars. The job opening is for an attorney to work on matters involving the provision of electric service in the Electric Section of the Legal Division. However, the attorney may be assigned to matters involving other types of utility service.

Within the Public Staff, the primary purpose of the Legal Division is:
(1) to provide legal representation of the Public Staff and the using and consuming public in formal proceedings before the Utilities Commission, appellate courts, and federal regulatory agencies,
(2) to provide legal and policy advice on issues related to public utility regulation to the Executive Director and other members of the Public Staff and, upon request, members of the General Assembly, other governmental bodies, the general public, and entities that provide public utility service in North Carolina.

Note to Current State Employees
The salary grade for this position is LG09. State employees are encouraged to apply for positions of interest even if the salary grade is the same as, or lower than, their current position. If selected for this position, a new salary will be recalculated taking into consideration the quantity of relevant education and experience, funding availability, and internal equity. Based upon those factors, a pay increase MAY result. In order to receive credit for the supplemental questions in which you answered yes, you must provide supporting information within the body of the application, to support your answer. Your application should also reflect all education and all professional work experience acquired including high school and all degrees. It is critical to our screening and salary determination process that applications contain comprehensive candidate information.

Utility Regulation
  • Knowledge or experience that will enable a rapid understanding of the law and policy governing the regulation of public utilities in North Carolina and the role of the Public Staff in the regulatory process.
  • Knowledge or experience that will enable a rapid understanding of case, statutory, regulatory, and common law.
Research and Analytical Skills
  • The ability to gather and synthesize relevant information, recognize legal and policy implications, and recommend appropriate solutions and courses of action.
Litigation skills
  • Knowledge or experience that will enable rapid development of litigation skills, including the ability to identify legal and factual issues, develop legal positions and strategies, deliver oral arguments, conduct discovery, and present and cross-examine expert witnesses in cases before the Utilities Commission.
  • Knowledge or experience that will enable rapid development of appellate advocacy skills, including the ability to prepare persuasive briefs, and present effective oral argument in novel and complex cases.
Communication skills
  • The ability to express legal concepts and related facts in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner both orally and in writing, as well as the ability to draft statutes and rules dealing with utility regulation and energy related issues.
  • Ability to make public presentations.
APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT AND ALL KSA IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION.

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an equivalent combination of education and experience. If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience OR a combination of both. See oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for details.

Licensed to practice law by the North Carolina State Bar and four years of progressively responsible professional legal experience. NOTE: GS 114-2 and 114-6 make it the duty of the Attorney General of NC to represent the State of North Carolina in all litigation unless another statute specifically states otherwise.

About the Public Staff
The Public Staff is an independent agency created in 1977 to review, investigate, and make appropriate recommendations to the North Carolina Utilities Commission with respect to the reasonableness of rates charged and adequacy of service provided by any public utility and with respect to the consistency with the public policy of assuring an energy supply adequate to protect the public health and safety.

About the Department of Commerce
The North Carolina Department of Commerce is the state's lead agency for economic, community and workforce development. The department works with local, regional, national and international organizations to fulfill its mission to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for all North Carolinians.

Commerce is an Equal Opportunity Employer who embraces an Employment First philosophy which consists of complying with all federal laws, state laws and Executive Orders. We are committed to reviewing requests for reasonable accommodation at any time during the hiring process or while on the job.

Our Agency uses the Merit-Based Recruitment and Selection Plan to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act with the most qualified individuals. All applicants must complete and submit a state application for employment using the NEOGOV Online Job Application System (OSHR - Work for NC) for the State of North Carolina.

**PLEASE NOTE**
It is critical to our screening and salary determination process that applications contain comprehensive information. Information should be provided in the appropriate areas to include the beginning and ending dates of jobs worked, education with the date graduated, all work experience, and certificates/licenses. Hiring salary will be based on relevant qualifications, internal equity, and budgetary considerations pertinent to the advertised position.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completing this application. Answers to Supplemental Questions must refer to education or work experience listed on this application to receive credit. Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions. To receive credit for your work history and credentials, you must list the information on the online application form. Any information omitted from the application cannot be considered in screening for qualifying credit. Attached or incorporated resumes (including Text resumes on application form) WILL NOT be used for screening for qualifying credit. Please make sure you complete the application in full. "See Resume" or "See Attachment" will NOT be accepted and will be considered an incomplete application and will not be processed. For additional information about applications and processes with the state of NC, please visit: How Do I Get the Job.

For consideration for this vacancy, all applicants must complete an on-line application using this link, https://www.governmentjobs.com/Applications/Index/northcarolina. If multiple applications are submitted to an individual posting, only the most recent application received prior to the posting close date will be evaluated for consideration.

Applications for positions requiring specific coursework must be accompanied by a copy of the applicant's transcript. If applicants earned college credit hours but did not complete a degree program, they must attach an unofficial transcript to each application to receive credit for this education. If applicants earned college credit hours but did not complete a degree program, they must attach an unofficial transcript to each application to receive credit for this education.

***INCLUDE ALL RELEVANT EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE IN THE DESIGNATED EDUCATION AND WORK HISTORY SECTION ON THE FORMAL APPLICATION***

If you have student loans, becoming a state employee includes eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Visit www.studentaid.gov to learn more.
  • Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a DD-214 Member-4 Form (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) to their applications.
  • Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach a NGB 23A (RPAS) if they are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing. If a former member of the NC National Guard who served for at least 6 years and was discharged under honorable conditions, they must attach either a DD256 or NGB 22.
  • Applicants requesting and receiving an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are eligible to submit paper applications via mail or by fax.
Re-Entry for Formerly Incarcerated Individuals
Our Agency supports the Governors Executive Order 303 which seeks to re-employ individuals that were previously incarcerated. Formerly incarcerated individuals are invited to apply for any vacant Commerce position(s) in which they believe they are qualified.

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of your application over the phone. To check the status of your application, please log in to your account and click "Application Status." If you are selected for an interview, you will be contacted by management. If you are no longer under consideration, you will receive an email notification.

For technical issues with your application, please call the GovernmentJobs.com Applicant Support Help Line at 855.524.5627.

Denise Roberts
HR Consultant
North Carolina Department of Commerce
(984) 302-6421


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