General Counsel

Alberta Utilities Commission; Calgary; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid office closure days

Flex day program

Work-life integration

Collaborative work environment

Job summary

The Alberta Utilities Commission is seeking an experienced General Counsel to lead its Law Division and provide strategic legal leadership across regulatory, adjudicative and organizational functions. This role focuses on complex administrative law, litigation oversight, and principled decision-making in service of Albertans.

The successful candidate will deliver clear, timely advice, manage a high-performing legal team, oversee appeals and ensure compliance with privacy and regulatory

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressively senior legal experience in administrative/regulatory/public law.
• Experience advising tribunals, boards, courts or regulators.
• Strong leadership and people management capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Oversee legal support to Commission panels and regulatory proceedings.
• Lead the Law Division and manage execution of legal services across the organization.
• Direct litigation, appeals and use of external counsel when needed.
• Provide legal input to regulatory policy changes and privacy obligations.

Skills

Administrative law

Regulatory law

Litigation

Leadership

Policy interpretation

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Law Society of Alberta membership

Job description

The Alberta Utilities Commission is an independent, quasi-judicial agency of the province of Alberta. The AUC is responsible for ensuring that the delivery of Alberta’s utility service takes place in a manner that is fair, responsible and in the public interest.

We regulate investor-owned natural gas, electric and water utilities and certain municipally owned electric utilities to ensure that customers receive safe and reliable service at just and reasonable rates. The AUC ensures that electric facilities are built, operated and decommissioned in an efficient and environmentally responsible way. The AUC also provides regulatory oversight of issues related to the development and operation of the wholesale electricity market in Alberta as well as the retail gas and electricity markets in the province.

The ideal candidate

The AUC is seeking an experienced and practical legal leader to serve as its General Counsel. This role offers a unique opportunity to lead an important legal function, support high-impact regulatory work, and contribute to decisions that affect Albertans while advancing the safe, reliable, and fair delivery of utility services across the province. You will work alongside talented professionals committed to principled decision-making, public service, and organizational excellence.

The General Counsel leads the Law Division and provides trusted legal advice to support the AUC’s adjudicative, regulatory and organizational functions. This role is focused on legal excellence, effective management of the legal team, litigation and appeal oversight, and high-quality legal support for Commission decision-making.

The successful candidate is an accomplished lawyer and people leader who can provide clear, timely and practical advice in a complex regulatory environment. They will bring strong judgment, sound administrative law expertise, and the ability to support principled, efficient and defensible regulatory decisions.

Key responsibilities

Counsel to the Commission

• Oversee legal support provided to Commission panels and regulatory proceedings.
• Advise on procedural fairness, natural justice, evidentiary matters, reasons for decision and statutory decision-making obligations.
• Support the development and interpretation of Commission rules, bulletins, procedures and regulatory instruments, as required.
• Work collaboratively with technical, regulatory and corporate colleagues to ensure legal advice is practical, timely and aligned with the AUC’s public interest mandate.
• Support legally sound, fair and efficient regulatory processes and Commission decision-making.
• Serve as the senior legal advisor on matters within the Law Division’s mandate.
• Identify and manage legal risks arising from proceedings, appeals, enforcement matters, contracts and other legal issues.

Leadership of the Law Division

• Lead, mentor and develop a high-performing team of lawyers and legal professionals.
• Set priorities, allocate legal resources and ensure the effective delivery of legal services across the organization.
• Promote a collaborative, service-oriented and professional culture within the Law Division.
• Support workload management, professional development, succession planning and continuous improvement within the legal team.

Litigation, Appeals and External Counsel

• Oversee the AUC’s participation in judicial reviews, appeals and other litigation matters.
• Direct litigation strategy and ensure court and tribunal matters are managed effectively.
• Determine when external counsel is required and provide oversight of external legal services.
• Ensure external legal advice is appropriately scoped, coordinated and integrated into the AUC’s legal work.

Legislative, Regulatory and Policy Support

• Provide legal advice on proposed legislative, regulatory and policy changes affecting the AUC’s mandate.
• Support internal analysis of legal and regulatory developments relevant to Alberta’s utilities sector.
• Assist with legal input to government, where appropriate, on matters affecting utility regulation and the AUC’s statutory responsibilities.
• Oversee and manage the AUC’s privacy obligations.

Qualifications

As the ideal candidate you will possess:

Education

• Juris Doctor (JD) or Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from a recognized law school.
• Active membership in good standing with the Law Society of Alberta, or eligibility for membership.

Experience

• Minimum 10 years of progressively senior legal experience in administrative law, regulatory law, public law, litigation or a related field.
• Significant management experience leading lawyers or legal professionals and overseeing legal work in a complex environment.
• Experience advising tribunals, boards, courts, regulators, public-sector decision makers or senior organizational leaders.
• Utility, energy, public-sector, Crown agency or regulatory experience is considered a strong asset.
• Legal judgment: You bring sound judgment, analytical rigour and the ability to assess complex legal issues quickly and practically.
• Leadership: You are a credible, supportive and accountable leader who develops people and builds strong teams.
• Communication: You write and speak clearly, and can translate complex legal issues into concise, practical advice.
• Collaboration: You build trusted relationships across disciplines while maintaining the independence and objectivity expected of senior legal counsel.
• Public service orientation: You understand the importance of fairness, integrity, transparency and the public interest in regulatory decision-making.

Why the AUC is a great place to work

• Paid office closure days.
• Flex day program.
• Work-life integration.
• Collaborative work environment.

We thank everyone who applies for their interest in the AUC. Please be advised that we will only be contacting those applicants who we will be scheduling for an interview.

The AUC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer that celebrates diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone.

When you apply for a job with the AUC, you are providing the AUC with information, including personal informationsuch as contact information,workand educational history, and so forth, as part of an application for employment.

Any personal information you provide to the AUC is being collectedpursuant toSection 4(c) of theProtection of Privacy Actfor the purposeof evaluating your employment application. The collection, use, and disclosure of any personal information you provide to the AUC is managedin accordance withAlberta’s privacy laws andthe AUC’s External UserPrivacy Policy .

Personal information provided is accessible only to AUC personnel involved in the hiring process. The AUC does not sell or use that information for unrelated purposes.

If you have any questions about the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information by the AUC, please contact the AUC’s PrivacyCoordinatorat [e-mail] .