Administrative General Counsel

Arizona Department of Administration•Phoenix, AZ

23d•$125,000 - $135,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic and experienced legal professional to serve as our Administrative General Counsel. The Administrative General Counsel leads the Office of Administrative Counsel (OAC) which oversees and conducts administrative legal functions for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. The position reports to the Department Director and is a member of the Executive Leadership Team. The position also supervises the separate unit of the Records Management Center. This pivotal role supports the Department’s mission to protect public health and the environment and also ensures the Department operates with legal integrity. This position may be available for remote work within Arizona (3 days per week in the office/hoteling). The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

Requirements

Comprehensive knowledge of Arizona and federal environmental statutes, administrative procedures, and the state rulemaking process.
Proficiency in Arizona administrative hearing procedures, the Arizona Rules of Evidence and Discovery, and Arizona public record laws.
An understanding of Arizona’s legislative and executive processes, as well as state government and departmental organizational structures.
Knowledge of the Arizona Management System (AMS) and LEAN methodologies to drive efficiency.
Proficiency in Adobe software, Microsoft Office, and G-Suite/Google Workspace.
Skilled in negotiation, persuasiveness and interpersonal collaboration with diverse stakeholders.
Skilled at being leading departmental operations, managing diverse teams, and fostering professional growth through mentoring, training, and performance coaching.
Skilled at identifying problems, gathering facts, and performing logical interpretations to develop solutions—even when working with partial or incomplete evidence.
Skilled in verbal and written communication with a high degree of persuasiveness and tact when collaborating with federal and state officials, the regulated community, the public, and other stakeholders.
Proficient in project management, effective time management, and establishing meaningful metrics to track core business processes.
Skilled at reviewing and interpreting complex statutes, rules, regulations, and case law.
Capable of working independently with minimal supervision, exhibiting sound judgment and resourcefulness in organizing and prioritizing departmental needs.
Ability to analyze and solve complex legal matters, providing sound recommendations to leadership by staying current with emerging legal trends and applying relevant laws.
Proven capacity to exercise sound judgment in critical decision-making processes and handle work of considerable difficulty across diverse regulatory areas.
Expert at organizing, prioritizing, and performing multiple tasks independently to meet deadlines; report work status, issues, and inquiries timely.
Ability to work within a management team to accomplish departmental missions, collaborating across divisions, and maintaining positive relationships with staff and the public, to maintain high standards of customer service and interpersonal collaboration.
A professional and analytical problem-solver who can adapt to changing priorities and respond to inquiries with tact and diplomacy.
Ability to manage daily operations with minimal supervision.
Ability to travel, if applicable.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in a related field and a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
Must be in good standing with the State Bar of Arizona.
5-10 years of experience in the practice of law.
Relevant experience serving as counsel to a government department.
Experience with Arizona environmental and administrative law.

Responsibilities

Execute departmental legal functions, including: drafting and filing contracts, delegations, and policies; reviewing and drafting legislation; tracking statutory and regulatory compliance; overseeing and conducting rulemaking; managing Title 41 administrative appeals; serving as the Department’s database module owner for licensing, compliance, and permitting; acting as the primary liaison to the AGO to request and implement legal advice; and providing mission-critical legal support to various departmental units.
Lead a team of 15, including attorneys and support staff within the OAC. Oversee the Records Management Center, a separate unit with its own unit manager. Serve as a core member of the executive leadership team to support the Department Director’s objectives.
Implement the Department’s Compliance and Enforcement Policy by designing standard work and metrics, and assisting staff in the implementation of law and policy. Oversee and assist with executing the compliance pipeline for complaints, inspections, violations, administrative orders, and case referrals and litigation at the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).
Direct the ADEQ Records Management Center in processing approximately 5,000 annual requests, ensuring high-level legal review for subpoenas, media inquiries, and public records requests.
Lead knowledge transfer initiatives and the execution of a substantial training regimen for staff regarding permitting, compliance and enforcement, public records, databases, and the execution of the various departmental legal functions.
Other duties as assigned as related to the position (typically 5% - 10%)

Benefits

10 paid holidays per year
Accrual of sick and annual leave beginning at 12 and 13 days per year respectively for full-time employees
Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
A top-ranked retirement program with lifetime pension benefits
A robust and affordable insurance plan to include medical, dental, life, short-term and long-term disability
An incentivized commuter club and public transportation subsidy program
We promote the importance of work/life balance by offering workplace flexibility
We offer a variety of learning and career development opportunities
By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive.
Retirement: ASRS Lifetime Benefits