Senior Legal Counsel

VELCO - Vermont Electric Power Company; Rutland (VT); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Counsel to join their innovative team. This role is pivotal in navigating the evolving landscape of energy regulation and policy. As part of a small legal department, you will engage in a variety of regulatory and transactional work, directly impacting the modernization of the energy grid. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in energy law, particularly with FERC and public utility commissions. This hybrid position offers a unique opportunity for professional growth and the chance to make a significant impact in a mission-driven environment.

Benefits

Paid Time Off

Sick Leave

Paid Holidays

Medical Plans

Dental & Vision

Wellness Program

Employee Assistance Program

401K with Employer Match

Short Term Incentive Bonus

Life Insurance

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience as an attorney with a focus on electric regulatory work.
• Experience with FERC and public utility commission matters is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counseling in state and federal regulatory proceedings.
• Collaborate with company leaders to develop advocacy strategies.

Skills

Energy Regulation Knowledge

Legal Counseling

Negotiation Skills

Analytical Skills

Communication Skills

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

Why you should join our team

The Vermont Electric Company, Inc. (VELCO) is looking for a Senior Counsel to join our team. If you have a growth-mindset, like to work collaboratively, enjoy challenge and learning, and want to play a meaningful part in the transformation of the energy grid, please read on!

How you will make an impact

The Senior Counsel plays a critical role in the Company, especially at this time of grid and regulatory transformation. As a core member of a small legal department, the Senior Counsel will serve, support, and collaborate with every business area and strategic effort. The Senior Counsel role embraces a wide range of regulatory and transactional work, primarily in the energy regulatory and policy arena, but also general counseling areas such as employment, tax, and real estate law. The Senior Counsel will work closely with the General Counsel to lead and support VELCO’s regulatory and compliance work, including FERC, NERC and ISO-NE requirements applicable to transmission companies. The Senior Counsel will directly support VELCO’s ventures with merchant transmission, data analytics, educational, and other entities in furtherance of modernizing the grid. The Senior Counsel will also have a significant hand in developing and advancing our state, regional and federal energy policy strategy. This position will be a great fit for those who love to learn, enjoy a diverse menu of work, are undaunted by new opportunities, and are seeking an in-house position with potential upward career and managerial growth opportunities.

• Provide legal counseling, including management of outside counsel, in state and federal regulatory proceedings and rulemakings. Develop mission-aligned legal strategies, build client consensus, draft, edit and file pleadings and public comments for regulatory proceedings and other entities. Represent VELCO in proceedings before Vermont and federal regulatory agencies, including FERC and the Vermont Public Utility Commission.

• Keep the legal department and other internal clients abreast of relevant energy regulatory developments, proposed rulemakings, and policy shifts at the state, regional and federal level, and advise on a course of action.

• Actively collaborate with other Company leaders in the development of advocacy strategy.

• Actively develop meaningful stakeholder relationships- working with state, regional and federal regulators, NGOs and other entities find common ground and advance VELCO’s interests and mission.

Who you are

A successful candidate will have at least eight (8) years of experience as an attorney with a law firm, regulatory agency or in-house position with a concentration electric regulatory work, preferably with experience in FERC and/or public utility commission matters.

VELCO’s commitment to our employees

• Paid Time Off – Everyone needs time off to recharge. New employees are frontloaded with prorated time off dependent upon date of hire

• Sick Leave – We advocate for staying home when you are sick

• Paid Holidays – We observe 11 paid company holidays

• Medical – Select from two comprehensive health plans. Employees have access to a Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account. We allow documented Domestic Partners on our plans

• Dental & Vision – Offers a wide range of covered services

• Wellness Program – Allows you to receive up to $100 per year for reimbursement of approved wellness expenses

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Aids with mental health, stress management, work-life balance, financial and legal matters, and much more

• 401K – We offer a very generous employer match and profit share contribution

• Short Term Incentive Bonus – VELCO proudly offers a yearly incentive bonus based on individual contributions and key performance indicators

• Life Insurance – VELCO paid life insurance and supplemental coverages are available

Important Considerations

• Starting pay will be determined at the time of offer based on the experience, education, and training of the successful candidate.

• Eligible applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.

• Any offer of employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background screening, drug test and pre-employment physical. Documentation of a Covid-19 vaccination is also required unless you qualify for an exemption.

• VELCO is an Equal Employment Opportunity & Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran

• This is a hybrid position with at least 2 days per week in the Rutland VT office

• This job posting does not list all responsibilities of the position. For the full job description, please make the request to Human Resources

The Fine Print

• Demonstrated, working acumen of state and federal energy regulation, with a preference for FERC experience. The ability to develop and execute strategies to advance energy policy with regulators and other stakeholders.

• Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing to all levels of the organization

• Solid analytical skills and the ability to write clearly, concisely and effectively.

• The abilities to: self-manage, manage one’s time effectively, prioritize competing work demands appropriately, and intentionally manage a work-life balance.

• Strong negotiating skills with both legal and commercial issues. Diplomatic sensibilities and the ability to apply common sense to drive matters to clear resolution. The proven ability to assess situations, assess risk, communicate advice and direction, and to bring matters to closure.

• Ability to work independently with little or no supervision

• The ability and aptitude to lead teams. The ability to work collaboratively with others.

• The ability and willingness to build the Company’s culture and support its diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging efforts.

Who VELCO is

Located in the heart of the Green Mountains, VELCO is the country’s first electric transmission-only company. We safely and reliably manage Vermont’s high voltage electric grid and continue to innovate in this space. VELCO is a tightly knit, nimble group of 200 mission-driven employees working collectively to advance our vision of creating a more sustainable Vermont. We pride ourselves in how we do our work: we strive to give life to our Trusted Partner mission—to be transparent, accurate, reliable, and accountable—in all our work and interactions, internally and externally.

VELCO is truly unique among investor-owned utilities. We are financially structured to benefit electric customers, not unlike a cooperative. Therefore, here, everyone’s work is driven equally by our duty to keep the lights on and our vision of delivering real, sustainable value to our fellow Vermonters.

We promote innovation, transparency, the importance of earning and building broad stakeholder trust, and transformational energy policy. If you are searching for an opportunity to make a big difference in a small company on course to accelerate electric grid transformation, come see what we have to offer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

VELCO is handling all aspects of talent acquisition internally and will not engage the services of third-party staffing agencies, recruiters, or headhunters. We kindly request that these entities refrain from contacting us.

Any offer of employment will be contingent upon successful reference check, background check (including social media check), physical examination, drug screening.

If you need an accommodation as part of the application or interview process please send a request to careers@velco