General Counsel/Deputy Commissioner

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Boston, MA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Division of Occupational Licensure (DOL), an agency within the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (OCABR), protects consumers by ensuring that professionals comply with state licensing laws. DOL oversees 26 boards of registration, licensing and regulating over 500,000 individuals and businesses in more than 100 trades and professions. DOL also licenses and regulates the Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI) and the Office of Private Occupational Schools. The mission of DOL is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare by licensing qualified individuals and businesses. The agency is committed to a work culture that is welcoming, inclusive, and mutually respectful, striving to reflect diversity in all facets and levels. The General Counsel and Deputy Commissioner (GCDC) assists the DOL Commissioner in public policy development and coordination. The GCDC acts as a liaison with other agencies on legal matters, represents DOL to industry and consumers, and manages the day-to-day legal operations. This includes supervising Deputy General Counsels and the Director of Background Checks. The role provides legal services, handles correspondence, ensures agency compliance with legal obligations, advises on consumer issues, drafts legislation and regulations, and coordinates responses to public records requests. The GCDC also serves as a liaison with the Attorney General's Office regarding suits against the agency.

Requirements

• Lawyer licensed in Massachusetts
• Deep understanding of MA administrative law
• Deep understanding of consumer protection laws (state and federal)
• Working knowledge of the legislative process in Massachusetts
• Familiarity with applicable substantive and procedural law, both civil and criminal
• Excellent demonstrated communications skills in all areas, both written and oral
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Experience dealing directly with the public, including both consumers and businesses
• Demonstrated ability to interact effectively with personnel at all levels of the organization, business leaders, legislators, and other government officials
• Strong ability to research and develop solutions for problem areas encountered
• Ability to complete assignments and reviews within strict timeframes
• Ability to prioritize responsibilities and successfully manage a multitude of assignments of varying complexity
• Experience with the principles and practices of management, planning, and organization
• Ability to develop ideas and arguments in a concise and logical sequence
• Ability to anticipate and analyze difficult situations and take corrective action to prevent problems from occurring
• Ability to adjust to changing situations to meet emergency or changing statutory and/or regulatory requirements
• Demonstrated skills in Microsoft Office Suite and software programs necessary to support the agency’s operations
• Minimum of 7 years of experience as a lawyer
• Minimum of 3 years in a managerial capacity
• Admitted to the bar of the Commonwealth
• Familiarity with state administrative procedures
• Familiarity with regulated industries
• Familiarity with interpretation and application of complex statutes and regulations
• Experience in public sector

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with Construction and Trade law

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the agency’s legal, enforcement, and regulatory functions through supervision of subordinate managers and legal staff.
• Establish agency-wide legal and operational priorities, expectations, standards, and practices; monitor workload, timeliness, quality, significant matters, and organizational risk; and ensure accountability across assigned units.
• Formulate and implement legal, enforcement, regulatory, and operational policies that support DOL’s mission, strategic priorities, and effective administration of the Agency’s statutory responsibilities.
• Serve as Chief Legal and Strategic Advisor to the Commissioner and Senior Management, providing counsel on significant legal, regulatory, policy, enforcement, organizational, and operational matters.
• Analyze applicable legal requirements, management discretion, available options, relative risks, operational implications, and agency-wide impacts, and recommend courses of action.
• Anticipate and identify emerging legal, regulatory, policy, operational, and reputational risks.
• Advise the Commissioner and Senior Management on the development and implementation of agency policy.
• Maintain a comprehensive understanding of DOL’s programs, boards, regulated professions, operations, and strategic priorities.
• Provide executive legal and operational oversight of DOL’s enforcement functions and promote fair, timely, effective, and consistent enforcement practices.
• Establish standards and common practices for enforcement and board legal support.
• Exercise independent judgment in evaluating significant enforcement, board governance, and regulatory issues.
• Direct and prioritize regulatory review and development, including identifying outdated, inconsistent, or operationally problematic requirements.
• Recommend statutory, regulatory, policy, or operational changes necessary to improve the effectiveness, consistency, and administration of DOL programs.
• Oversee and provide significant legal advice, written opinions, memoranda, and other legal analysis concerning DOL’s statutes, regulations, programs, licensing and enforcement activities, and Agency operations.
• Establish, approve, and recommend significant legal positions taken by DOL.
• Direct subordinate attorneys in legal research, analysis, drafting, and other legal work.
• Coordinate litigation involving DOL with the Office of the Attorney General.
• Direct the legal review and development of proposed legislation and regulations and advise on proposed legislation affecting DOL.
• Serve as DOL’s principal legal liaison with the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, the Executive Office of Economic Development, the Governor’s legal and legislative offices, other secretariats and state agencies, and other governmental partners.
• Participate in the formulation and coordination of legal, legislative, regulatory, and policy positions involving DOL and broader Administration priorities.
• Recommend and advocate for DOL positions on significant legal, legislative, regulatory, and policy matters.
• Represent DOL, as appropriate, before legislators and legislative staff, regulated industries, consumers, stakeholder organizations, and other external parties.
• Coordinate significant interagency legal and policy matters.

Benefits

• Outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package
• Work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager