Senior Attorney – Environmental Law

Denver Water proudly serves high-quality water and promotes its efficient use to 1.5 million people in the city of Denver and many surrounding suburbs. Denver Water aspires to be the best water utility in the nation. The organization is a responsible steward of the resources, assets, and natural environment entrusted to us to provide a high-quality water supply, a resilient and reliable system, and excellent customer service.

Position Overview

Denver Water’s Office of General Counsel seeks a Senior-level attorney with expertise in environmental law and litigation to join our team. The Office of General Counsel provides full service legal representation and advice to the Board of Water Commissioners, executive team, and Denver Water employees in the areas of water law environmental law, real estate, contracting and procurement, employment law, local government law, and litigation.

The successful candidate will be part of the team representing Denver Water in federal environmental litigation as well as advise Denver Water regarding NEPA, the Clean Water Act, the Federal Power Act, the Endangered Species Act, and other related laws. They will also provide leadership when working in team as well as support and mentoring to less experienced attorneys.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Independently prepare legal documents of all descriptions including legal opinions, contracts, motions, briefs, pleadings, real property documents, policies, correspondence, and memoranda.
• Provide legal advice and counsel on environmental laws and regulatory issues.
• Perform legal research and analysis in complex matters. Support less experienced attorneys in completing complex research and analytical assignments.
• Conduct litigation in state, federal courts, and before administrative agencies. Function in a lead attorney role in complex cases.
• Represent the Board in its relations with state and federal agencies as well as other stakeholders.
• Negotiate transactions and/or settlements in litigation matters.
• Provide counsel to Denver Water and those acting on its behalf on policy matters.
• Prepare and deliver presentations.
• Seek ways to improve the Office of General Counsel’s delivery of legal services.
• Serve in a leadership role within the Office of General Counsel.
• Participate in Denver Water organizational activities.
• Perform related work as assigned.

Qualifications

Skills/Competencies

• Mastery of litigation process sufficient to be able to prepare even the most complex cases for litigation.
• Expertise in adapting, interpreting and applying written guidelines, precedents and standardized work practices to a variety of unprecedented or problematic situations.
• Mastery of research techniques sufficient to be able to perform legal research efficiently with regard to both routine and novel legal issues.
• Ability to produce clear, well-organized, and persuasive written work product, even in novel or complex matters.
• Skill in utilizing the principles and practices of effective and persuasive oral communication to elicit and/or present explanatory or interpretive information.
• Skill in negotiating complex transactions and cases to successful resolution.
• Organizes and appropriately prioritizes own work as well as work of team.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, various representatives of public or private entities, policy making bodies, and the public.
• Initiative, judgment, and decision making in solving problems and meeting organizational objectives.
• Ability to anticipate challenges and solve them in a proactive manner.
• Skill in developing innovative solutions and new approaches or methods where established methods and procedures are inapplicable or unavailable.
• Utilizes standard and advanced continuous improvement systems, tools, techniques, mindsets and behaviors in order to improve processes and drive results.
• Ability to develop and execute strategy in complex matters, taking into consideration both short-term and long-term organizational goals.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school.
• Minimum 7 years practice of law in relevant subject matter areas.
• Any equivalent combination of training and experience that provides the required skills, knowledge, and abilities.

Licenses, Registration, and Certifications

• Admission to the practice of law in Colorado.
• Must complete required HIPAA training within the first 6 months of hire.

Compensation

• Hiring Range: $157,098 - $192,008 annually
• Pay Range: $134,263 - $214,843 annually

Benefits

• Denver Water offers excellent benefits that include a pension plan, 401K Plan with a 3% match, 457 Deferred Compensation Plan, Health and Dental coverage, Life Insurance, and Paid Time Off.
• A background check will be conducted to verify the information submitted on the application. Please be sure that all information on the application is correct and complete, do not say ""see resume"". If the application is not fully completed, we (Denver Water), will not accept your application.

Denver Water is committed to creating a diverse work environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.