Counsel

Energy Northwest • Richland, WA

5d • $126,362 - $208,928 • Onsite

About The Position

Counsel provides legal advice, counsel, and services to organizations throughout Energy Northwest across a broad range of activities, with limited day-to-day oversight. The role supports nuclear licensing and regulatory compliance, contracts and transactions, environmental, ethics, industrial safety, employment, public records compliance, and litigation. It reports directly to the Legal Services Supervisor.

The position also oversees procedural and legal compliance with Washington State’s Public Records Act, including supervision of a Paralegal’s work on requests and responsive records. Counsel advises staff and governing boards, manages significant transactional and litigation budgets, participates in strategic development of energy transactions, and serves on the Emergency Response team when designated. The role must support the biennial refueling outage and be performed onsite in Richland, Washington.

The posting describes three possible levels—Senior Counsel, Staff Counsel II, and Staff Counsel I—with different attorney experience requirements and salary ranges. The position is eligible for an annual at-risk compensation incentive plan.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
• Attorney experience requirements vary by level: two years aggregate experience for Staff Counsel I, five years for Staff Counsel II, and seven years for Senior Counsel.
• A record of continual learning and training.
• Ability to obtain a Washington State Bar Association license by Motion within one year.
• Meet and maintain nuclear requirements for Unescorted Plant Access.
• At least two years of previous legal experience in a law firm, municipality, or public utility district in one or more of employment, contracts, litigation, environmental matters, or energy transactions; for Staff Counsel I, the listed settings also include the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the listed practice areas include nuclear matters.
• Ability to work onsite in Richland, Washington.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and throughout employment; Energy Northwest does not provide employment visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal support and advice on nuclear licensing and nuclear regulatory compliance, including Nuclear Regulatory Commission investigations and enforcement matters.
• Negotiate, draft, and review contracts, leases, waivers, and other agreements on behalf of Energy Northwest with limited oversight or supervision.
• Provide legal support in environmental, ethics, industrial safety, and employment matters, including attending meetings and interfacing with staff at all levels.
• Establish and maintain programmatic and procedural guidance for Washington State Public Records Act implementation.
• Oversee the Paralegal’s analysis and evaluation of public records requests, identification of responsive records, and establishment of search criteria.
• Oversee timely communications with public records requesters and coordination with offices of records to obtain responsive records within commitment timeframes; provide legal review and support of responses.
• Protect Energy Northwest’s financial and legal interests by initiating or defending contract claims, requests for equitable adjustments, lawsuits, administrative hearings, and administrative investigations, or directing outside counsel.
• Provide ongoing legal advice to Energy Northwest staff and governing boards on policy and operational matters.
• Prepare budgets for significant transactional matters and litigation and, to the extent practicable, ensure matters are conducted within budget.
• Participate as a team member in strategic development of energy transactions.
• Participate on the Emergency Response team when designated.
• Support the biennial refueling outage.

Benefits

• Annual at-risk compensation incentive plan, based on agency performance against defined metrics and goals.
• Three retirement programs: Washington State Public Employees’ Retirement System pension plan, a 401(k) savings plan with employer match, and a 457(b) savings plan.
• Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage options.
• Voluntary benefits may include flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, childcare subsidies, health reimbursement arrangement, health savings account, supplemental life insurance, and credit monitoring/identity theft insurance.
• Qualifying employees typically accrue 160 hours of personal time per year, with accrual increasing at service intervals.
• Nine paid holidays per year.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree