Assistant Consumers' Counsel

State of Ohio; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Coverage

Dental & Vision Insurance

Paid time off

11 paid holidays per year

Education & Development Opportunities

Job summary

Ohio Consumers' Counsel seeks an Assistant Consumers' Counsel in its Legal Department to advocate for Ohio residential utility consumers and provide legal advice to senior leadership. The role involves litigating and negotiating consumer protection issues, with forums including PUCO, the Ohio Supreme Court, and FERC.

Applicants must be licensed in Ohio, with at least three years in public utility regulation, and strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• License to practice law in Ohio.
• Minimum of three years in public utility regulation or equivalent.
• Strong oral and written communication skills and ability to explain complex issues.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice to management and the agency director on consumer protection matters.
• Advocate in forums such as PUCO, Ohio Supreme Court, and FERC; participate in legislative advocacy.

Skills

Attorney/Legal

Education

Juris Doctor / Ohio bar license

Job description

All job postings will expire at 11:59 PM Eastern Time on the application deadline.

Organization: Ohio Consumers' Counsel

Agency Contact Name and Information: 614.387.1522

Work Location: United States

Compensation: $90,000 - $110,000

Schedule: Permanent - Full Time

Work Hours: 830a - 530p M-F

Classified Indicator: Unclassified

Union: Exempt from union

Primary Job Skill: Attorney/Legal

Who We Are

The Ohio Consumers' Counsel advocates and educates to secure for Ohioans affordable, reliable, and equitable residential utility services that are essential to their well-being.

The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, the State's voice for millions of Ohio residential utility consumers, seeks an employee with a passion for public service to serve as an Assistant Consumers' Counsel in its Legal Department. This position is an opportunity to help consumers, including at-risk and low-income Ohioans, regarding justice for their electric, natural gas, telephone, and water utility services. Since the legislature created the agency in 1976, we have sought lower utility bills and reliable utility service for residential consumers. At OCC, we put Consumers First.

What You'll Do

The attorney will provide legal advice to management and the agency director (the Consumers' Counsel) for leading the Agency's consumer protection role. The attorney will advocate (litigate and negotiate) the Agency's consumer protection issues in forums that principally include the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Other forums for consumer advocacy can include the Ohio Supreme Court, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Services also can include legislative advocacy, where utility regulation and consumer protection are set forth in Ohio law.

The attorney will need an understanding of utility regulations - that broadly involves rate-setting, service quality issues and policy matters such as the agency's favoring of effective competitive markets over monopolies for providing services to consumers. The attorney will assist with retaining and functionally supervising consultants for this work. The attorney will need to work within agency teams and be adept at independent work requiring personal initiative to achieve agency objectives for consumers.

Additional Information

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check and a drug test. Per the Ohio Revised Code 124.151(B), all newly hired employees will be required to have their compensation deposited directly to a financial institution. The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs, and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws. To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability please contact Laurie Knight at [e-mail].

Why Work For The State Of Ohio

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website ! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems ( such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS ) & Optional Deferred Compensation ( Ohio Deferred Compensation )
• Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

Qualifications

The Assistant Consumers' Counsel must have a license to practice law in the State of Ohio. A minimum of three years or equivalent experience in public utility regulation, with a working knowledge of utility regulation and utility consumer issues is required. Applicants should demonstrate excellence in oral and written communications, including persuasive writing and making technical issues understandable. Familiarity with word processing programs, online research and other technology used in legal advocacy is expected. Applicants should have a willingness to work more than forty hours per week, as needed for consumer advocacy, and a commitment to public service.

ADA Statement

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

Drug-Free Workplace

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.