Legal Executive Assistant

San Diego County Water Authority; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Excellent benefits

Equal opportunity employer

Job summary

The San Diego County Water Authority is seeking a Legal Executive Assistant to support the General Counsel and office staff. You will manage office activities, calendars, records, and compliance with Brown Act procedures, Public Records Act responses, contracts administration, and board governance support for a public utility in California.

Equipped with extensive legal support experience, you will supervise administrative staff, maintain confidentiality, coordinate with attorneys and

Qualifications

• Extensive legal office support experience across varied tasks.
• Supervisory experience with administrative staff.
• Strong communication with attorneys, executives & the public.
• Excellent organization and time-management abilities.
• Discretion, confidentiality and high accuracy in documents.

Responsibilities

• Types, formats, edits, revises and prints legal documents for review.
• Researches and compiles information for records and reports; performs calculations.
• Supervises admin staff; provides coaching and performance feedback.

Skills

Legal support experience

Supervisory experience

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail and Confidential

Education

High school diploma + 6 years admin/legal experience (3 in law)

Bachelor's degree desirable

Job description

JOIN THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY!

The San Diego County Water Authority is an independent public agency established in 1944 that serves as San Diego County's regional water wholesaler. Our mission is to provide a safe and reliable water supply to 22 retail water providers, including cities, special districts and a military base.

For jobseekers, the Water Authority offers the opportunity to contribute to meaningful, high-impact work. Our team supports a $267 billion regional economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents through a multi-decade water supply diversification plan, maintaining major infrastructure, and forward-thinking policies that promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. We’re also exploring new ways to strengthen regional water security, support strategic water resource management across Southern California, and deliver cost savings for local families. Learn more at www.sdcwa.org.

We welcome veteran or transitioning military to apply. Are you a former service member with experience in providing legal assistance, document preparation, and records management, and have you supported agencies like the U.S. Attorney’s Office or other government legal offices? Your strong organizational and communication skills and legal office experience may translate directly into success in this position. Applicants may also explore how their military experience aligns with civilian roles by using the Military Skills Translator at https://www.military.com/mst/military-iframe/mos-translator.

The San Diego County Water Authority offers excellent benefits, a supportive work/life balance, and the opportunity to contribute to an industry leading organization.

The General Counsel's Department

The General Counsel’s Office is responsible for the efficient and effective administration of all legal affairs, including but not limited to, advising the Board, Board Committees, and Water Authority management, making recommendations for procedures affecting the legal position of the Water Authority, preparing contracts, ordinances, and resolutions for legality, and representing or supervising the representation of the Water Authority in judicial, administrative, and legislative proceedings.

The Position:

The position serves as a key executive support to the General Counsel and office staff, managing office activities and staff, and helping to ensure the agency’s legal processes, including Board governance support, Brown Act-compliant meeting procedures, Public Records Act responses, contracts administration, recordkeeping, and general legal office management are carried out efficiently and in compliance with laws, regulations and policies governing the administration of a public utility in the State of California.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Extensive legal support experience, with deep knowledge of law office practices and legal procedures, including familiarity with legal terminology, documents, research (both internal and external) and court/administrative filing requirements.

• Demonstrated supervisory experienc e, with history of experience in supervising other legal support staff and independently overseeing complicated legal affairs.

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to interact tactfully and effectively with a variety of stakeholders, including attorneys, executives, Board members, colleagues, outside counsel, and the general public, while providing outstanding customer service and demonstrating diplomacy and professionalism at all times.

• Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple responsibilities, calendars, and deadlines in a fast-paced legal environment.

• Meticulous attention to detail and confidentiality, with the ability to prepare clear, error-free documents and records, spotting and correcting inconsistencies, and maintaining strict confidentiality with sensitive legal information.

Distinguishing Characteristics:

A Legal Executive Assistant provides highly responsible and confidential secretarial, administrative, supervisory, and office management services in the Office of the General Counsel that requires thorough knowledge of office functions, procedures, and practices. This position requires in-depth knowledge of and experience with legal terminology, court procedures, procedures for conducting legal and historical research, preparing legal documents, and following system and legal protocols. An incumbent is expected to perform difficult, diverse, and sensitive duties in support of the General Counsel and legal staff with a significant degree of independence, judgment, and accountability for results.

Legal Executive Assistant is distinguished from Administrative Assistant and other administrative and office support classes in that an incumbent in the former class performs a variety of complex and difficult secretarial and legal functions and supervises the work of administrative and clerical support staff, in addition to providing general secretarial and office management services.

Representative Duties:

• Types, formats, edits, revises, proofreads and prints a variety of legal analyses, opinion letters, ordinances, resolutions, board letters, correspondence, memoranda, agreements, contracts and amendments, deeds, easements, overheads and presentation materials and other business and legal documents and materials ranging from routine to complex; types from rough notes, drafts, dictation, modified standard formats and brief oral instructions; creates forms, charts, tables and spreadsheets involving limited data manipulation; edits and revises materials; reviews documents for clerical accuracy, completeness and compliance with Water Authority requirements; develops, revises and maintains standardized and master forms and documents; composes correspondence and compiles reports; copies and binds reports for internal and external distribution.
• Researches and assembles information from a variety of sources for the preparation of records and reports; makes arithmetic or statistical calculations; conducts special studies and recommends organizational, procedural or other changes.
• Supervises the performance of assigned administrative and clerical staff; establishes performance requirements and personal development targets; monitors performance and provides coaching; recommends compensation adjustments and provides other rewards to recognize performance; participates in disciplinary action up to and including termination to address performance deficiencies in accordance with Authority policies and procedures.

Review the Legal Executive Assistant Classification Specification for more information on the essential duties assigned to the position.

Optional Hybrid Work Schedule:

The Water Authority has embraced a hybrid work schedule to offer employees flexibility and work-life balance. An option to telework up to 1 day per week and work onsite 3-4 days per week is available for this position. Employees authorized to telework must be able to report to Water Authority facilities as needed, depending on the operational needs of the department and/or area of assignment. Additionally, employees assigned to work at the Kearny Mesa office work a 9/80 schedule, where the entire facility is closed every other Friday. While onboarding and training, the successful candidate may be required to work primarily onsite before establishing a hybrid work schedule.

The qualification guidelines generally describe the knowledge and ability required to enter the job in order to successfully perform the assigned duties. Any combination of experience and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities will be considered.

Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade supplemented by six years of increasingly responsible office administrative, or secretarial, and supervisory experience, including three years in a law office or legal department and two years of supervision. A bachelors degree and experience in a government or utility setting are highly desirable.

Examination Process

Applicants considered most qualified after the application review process will be invited to participate in an oral panel interview (in-person). The oral panel interview is anticipated to be scheduled the week of November 2, 2026 or November 9, 2026.

Department Interview

The top candidates will be invited to a department interview following the oral panel interview. The Department interview is anticipated to be scheduled the week of November 9, 2026 or November 16, 2026.

If you have questions regarding the position, please contact Cristina Lever-Santos, Principal Human Resources Analyst at 858-522-6661 or [e-mail].

The San Diego County Water Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy status), gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, genetic information, mental or physical disability (whether perceived or actual), ancestry, military or veteran status, citizenship status, medical condition, and/or national origin. The San Diego County Water Authority welcomes veterans or transitioning military. If you have questions whether your Military Occupational Specialties or rating qualifies you for a job opening, please visit TIPS & RESOURCES FOR VETERANS APPLYING FOR JOBS IN WATER, on the Water Authority’s regional workforce development website, SanDiegoWaterWorks.org. Applicants may also explore how their military experience aligns with civilian roles by using the Military Skills Translator at https://www.military.com/mst/military-iframe/mos-translator.

Should you have any questions regarding the recruitment process or require accommodations pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact Cristina Lever-Santos, Principal Human Resources Analyst at 858-522-6661 or [e-mail].