Assistant Attorney General - Environmental Grants, Contracts, and Procurement
About The Position
The Environment, Health, and Human Services Division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office seeks a highly motivated attorney to provide dedicated legal support to the Utah Division of Air Quality (DAQ) with a primary focus on program development, implementation, administration, and compliance oversight of federal and state air-quality-related grant programs. The position centers on legal counsel advising on grant program development, implementation, and operations with extensive contract review, drafting, and negotiation responsibilities for a large portfolio of federally funded programs administered by DAQ (including Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Grants, Clean Ports Program, Climate Pollution Reduction Grants, Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, Mitigating Emissions from Marginal Conventional Wells Grants, Targeted Airshed Grants, and related initiatives). This temporary position is grant funded through January 2029 and is designed to support DAQ’s rapidly expanding grants and incentives programs, including subawards, and implementation grants, which require continuous federal compliance and risk management review, timely deliverables, and high-volume contract-related processing.
Requirements
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
- Admission to the Utah State Bar in good standing.
- Demonstrated ability to interpret complex federal regulations, grants guidance, and administrative law principles.
- Excellent legal writing, contract drafting, and analytical skills.
- Strong ability to manage high-volume workloads with strict deadlines.
- Must successfully complete a background investigation prior to final employment offer.
- Comfortable working in a typical office environment, including safe use of office equipment and adherence to fire regulations.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with administrative law, government contracting, federal grants, public procurement, or environmental law.
- Experience advising government agencies or working in the public sector.
- Familiarity with federal financial assistance programs, 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance), and federal grant frameworks.
Responsibilities
- Provide full-spectrum legal counsel to DAQ’s Grants & Incentives Section, including:
- Drafting, reviewing, and approving participant agreements, amendments, MOUs, MOAs, vendor contracts, subaward agreements, and grant program terms and conditions, and other grant-related legal documents.
- Ensuring compliance with federal requirements including 2 CFR 200, Build America Buy America (BABA), Davis-Bacon Act, and other federal conditions relevant to DAQ grant programs.
- Advise on legally defensible program requirements pre- and post- program launch. Conducting legal analyses regarding program eligibility, participant support costs, privacy/PII handling, and federal reporting expectations.
- Interpretation of federal governing documents and federal agency regulations and policies.
- Advising on data-sharing with partner agencies, utilities, federal entities, and contractors; evaluating legal risks and compliance under state and federal privacy and public records requirements.
- Supporting DAQ staff in managing high-volume contract-related queues, urgent deadlines, and complex multistakeholder grant frameworks.
- Provide legal guidance on state procurement requirements, including contract routing questions, vendor eligibility, purchasing thresholds, exemption analysis, and coordination with DAQ program staff when procurement issues arise.
- Advise DAQ on federal grant risk management, audit readiness, and ongoing monitoring to ensure compliance and minimize exposure to enforcement or funding risks.
Benefits
- Job Stability: Enjoy the security and reliability of employment within a well-established organization.
- Career Growth: Develop valuable skills and gain opportunities for leadership within a large organization.
- Meaningful Work: Contribute to an important service that benefits the community and supports organizational goals.
- Supportive Work Environment: Be part of a team that values cooperation, strong work ethics, and mutual support.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
