Senior Attorney - Regulatory Law Unit - Water Division

City of Philadelphia•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact. As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here. What we offer Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs. Benefits - We care about your well-being. The City of Philadelphia Law Department acts as general counsel for the entire City government structure. We provide legal advice to all City officials, employees, departments, agencies, boards, and commissions concerning any matters related to the exercise of their official powers. The Law Department's civil practice includes unique issues involving public interest in business, health, safety, commerce, civil rights, taxation, and community development. We employ more than 220 attorneys and 100 professional staff to support seamless operations, reduce legal liability for the City, and challenge threats to quality of life impacting the taxpayers of Philadelphia. We are an ever-evolving Department where all are empowered to reach their full potential, to collaborate with clients as true partners, and to see their work have real impact on the city of Philadelphia. We celebrate the diversity of our staff, the City’s workforce, and the residents whom we serve and promote an environment of comradery, accountability, and inclusiveness. The Corporate and Tax Group includes the Commercial Law Unit, Tax & Revenue Unit, Property Assessment Unit, Regulatory Law Unit, and Real Estate & Development Unit. The Regulatory Law Unit of the Law Department represents the City and its officials in commercial, utility, transportation, environmental, development, regulatory and sustainability matters. The Unit has four divisions – Airport, Water, Environmental and Right-of-Way and Utilities. The Water Division of the Regulatory Law Unit provides in-house legal services to the Water Department and represents the City and the Water Department in all transactional and regulatory matters relating to the City’s water, sewer and stormwater utility. The Regulatory Law Unit’s Water Division is currently seeking a licensed Pennsylvania attorney to fill an open position as a Senior Attorney. The attorney will work on a wide range of transactional, regulatory compliance, and litigation matters handled by the Water Division, as described above in the Agency Description.

Requirements

Knowledge of Philadelphia municipal laws, environmental laws, and administrative procedures
Knowledge/Experience with municipal owned utility business
Knowledge/Experience with legislative and regulatory processes
Knowledge/Experience with contracts, real estate, government procurement and complex commercial transactions
Knowledge/Experience with public utility law and utility rate making
Ability to communicate information and ideas in writing and orally for both lawyers and clients
Ability to independently manage a large volume of complex regulatory and transactional matters
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion goals of the Law Department
Excellent judgment and critical thinking
This is a senior level position, with nine (9) plus years of legal experience relevant to the subject matter and/or responsibilities of your unit required.
Candidates must have a law degree from an ABA accredited law school and must either be a member in good standing of the Pennsylvania Bar, or currently eligible to be admitted by reciprocity to practice in Pennsylvania (Pa.B.A.R. 204).
Continued employment of attorneys not admitted to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania within six (6) months of hire is at the discretion of the Law Department.
The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Responsibilities

Advising City officials including the Water Commissioner, the Water Department’s Executive Staff and project managers on all legal matters arising in the operations and policies of the utility.
Coordinate and facilitate on matters with other City agencies on high profile projects.
Drafting and negotiating Water Department agreements, including professional services agreements, wholesale customer agreements, grant agreements, asset purchase agreements, public-private partnership agreements, development agreements
Handle environmental law matters, including negotiation of Clean Water Act permits with regulatory agencies, enforcement of Pretreatment program, advising on Safe Drinking Water Act, Lead and Copper Rule, Clean Water Act, and various other environmental regulations.
Perform real estate transactions, including property purchase, easement and license agreements, condemnation matters.
Representing the Water Department in administrative board hearings and appeals and provide support on other litigation matters involving the Water Department.
Assisting the Water Department with responses to Right-to-Know Law requests.
Representing the Water Department in water, sewer and stormwater rate proceedings.
Advising the Water Department on new legislation and proposed regulations.
Drafting of regulations, policies and procedures.
Providing legal advice on customer assistance programs.
Interfacing with other City departments, including Risk, Tax, Finance, the Office of Sustainability, and the Office of Economic Opportunity.
Fostering and maintaining a collegial, inclusive, and professional environment that recognizes and values all forms of diversity.

Benefits

City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
The City offers its employees 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents. Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
Generous retirement savings options are available
As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships.
Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

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