Assistant General Counsel (103914)

Employees Retirement System of Texas; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work schedules

Job summary

Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) seeks an Assistant General Counsel to provide advanced legal services on tax matters and employee benefit programs, with advisory duties on regulatory compliance and policy development.

The role includes drafting and negotiating complex private fund documents, reviewing related orders, conducting in-depth legal research, and supporting legislative analysis. A JD and Texas bar, plus 4–5 years in tax/employee benefits law, are required.

Qualifications

• Must have JD, bar license in Texas or eligibility for Texas licensure.
• Four to five years of practice in law, including tax law related to pensions and employee benefits.
• Experience researching complex legal issues and drafting memoranda and opinions.

Responsibilities

• Advises agency staff and trustees regarding tax matters pertaining to retirement and other benefit programs, including Texa$aver 401(k)/457; drafts related rules and amendments.
• Drafts, negotiates, interprets, and reviews legal documents related to private-fund investments, including investment agreements and related documents.
• Reviews domestic relations orders and prepares related correspondence.
• Conducts legal research and provides advice on employee benefits, retirement systems, and tax-qualified plan issues; analyzes pending legislation and drafts bills.
• Assists with investment-related legal matters and with policy development and implementation.

Skills

Legal drafting

Regulatory compliance

Tax law

Employee benefits

Policy development

Education

Juris Doctor

Job description

Our mission is simply stated: ERS offers competitive benefits to enhance the lives of its members. Each team member across the agency contributes to our ongoing success. ERS is open for business five days a week, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, to meet customers where they need us: in person, on the phone, in their communities, and online. ERS currently offers opportunities that include flexible work schedules.

ERS is seeking an Assistant General Counsel to perform advanced and/or managerial to highly advanced and/or managerial (senior level) legal work. Provides legal expertise on tax matters and employee benefit programs. Work includes advising on regulatory compliance and policy development, analyzing legislation, and negotiating complex legal documents. Work is performed under limited to minimal supervision of the General Counsel with considerable to extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Essential Responsibilities include, but are not limited to

• Advises agency staff and trustees regarding tax matters that pertain to the retirement and other benefit programs administered by the agency, including state retirement plans, health insurance and other group benefits plans, and the Texa$aver 401(k)/457 program. Drafts related rules and rule amendments.
• Drafts, negotiates, interprets, and reviews legal documents related to private-fund investments, including Alternative Investment Vehicles; term extensions; waiver requests; amendments to limited partnership agreements, investment management agreements, side letters, and other similar documents; consents; redemptions; elections; notifications; lender letters; know-your-client documents; terminations; and other documents related to investments in private funds.
• Reviews domestic relations orders and similar documents and prepares related correspondence.
• Conducts legal research and provides advice regarding complex legal questions presented to the Office of the General Counsel on employee benefits, retirement systems, and tax-qualified plan issues. Reviews and analyzes pending legislation and drafts bills for legislative consideration.
• Assists with other investment-related legal matters.
• Assists in developing, writing, and implementing policies and procedures.
• Attends work regularly in accordance with agency leave and attendance policies.
• Complies with all applicable agency policies and procedures, including policies and procedures related to safety and standards of conduct.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

A General Counsel IV will perform the above duties in a highly advanced (senior-level) manner. Greater skill and responsibilities with higher performance standards will be expected.

Required Minimum Qualifications:

Your application for employment must reflect how you meet each of the following minimum qualifications:

1. Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree, licensure to practice law, and either active membership in good standing with the State Bar of Texas or the ability to obtain Texas licensure as soon as practicable.
2. Four (4) to five (5) years of experience in the practice of law, including experience in tax law related to pensions and other employee benefits.
3. Experience researching complicated legal issues and drafting memoranda and opinions analyzing and explaining them.

Preferred Qualifications:

Your application for employment should reflect how you meet the following preferred qualifications:

1. Experience with tax matters related to governmental retirement plans, insurance and other group benefits plans, and deferred compensation plans.
2. Experience drafting, negotiating, and reviewing documents related to institutional investing in private equity, real estate, and hedge fund investments.
3. C.P.A. or L.L.M. in tax.

PLEASE NOTE

All submissions should contain complete job history entries, which includes job title, dates of employment, name of employer, and a description of duties performed as related to the position you are applying for. Resumes lacking sufficient detail, such as a summary of experience in lieu of progression of work history may not meet minimum qualifications.

Other Information:

In accordance with state law, authorization for telework may not be awarded to an employee as a condition of hiring. As an agency process, new employees complete a 30 day fully onsite period before evaluation for a telework agreement. This position may require access to privileged, confidential, or sensitive data. ERS will conduct either a TXDPS or FBI criminal history check on all new hires. For more information about this policy inquiries can be made to [e-mail]. Please note: Internal applicants in the same salary group and classification as the posted position are eligible to receive an increase in salary where applicable up to the posted maximum.

ERS does not sponsor or assume sponsorship of an employment visa at any time.

Military Occupational Specialty Codes:

Veterans, Reservists or Guardsmen with experience in the Military Occupational Specialty (https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_Legal.pdf) along with the minimum qualifications listed above may meet the minimum requirements and are highly encouraged to apply. Please contact Human Resources at [e-mail] with questions or for additional information.