General Counsel

The Public Power Council (PPC) is seeking a highly capable, versatile and professional attorney for a multidimensional role that not only serves as PPC’s chief legal advisor and manages the organization’s legal and regulatory affairs, but also functions as a key strategic partner to the CEO/Executive Director and the PPC Executive Committee (“Board”), aligns business and legal strategies, and advances the mission, core values, and policy objectives of the organization and its members.  The General Counsel must be an exceptional legal tactician and a strategic thinker helping to shape the business, policy, and advocacy direction of the organization on all substantive issues. As well, the PPC General Counsel is the guardian of the organization’s most sensitive information and, as such, must perform beyond reproach and have excellent skills and characteristics that lend to solid decision-making, fair compromise, collaboration for the long term interests of PPC, and trust,

In addition to executing the fundamental tasks of this position, the ideal PPC General Counsel candidate will add value to PPC and its members by bringing a combination of excellent judgment, deep expertise in electric utility matters, and the ability to offer pragmatic counsel regarding the issues facing consumer-owned utilities in the Pacific Northwest.

Responsibilities:

General Counsel:

• Develop sufficient expertise in each substantive issue affecting procurement and delivery of PPC members’ wholesale federal power supply to effectively advance the legal and business interests of PPC members in all forums.
• Represent PPC in all formal judicial, regulatory, and administrative proceedings and manage all aspects of litigation impacting the organization and its members, including the development of legal strategy, discovery, presentation of evidence, motion practice, and preparation of legal filings.
• Serve as lead counsel on designing, negotiating, and implementing rates, technical, and legislative policies impacting service to over 9,000 aMW of retail load.
• Advise diverse groups of utility executives and elected officials on legal and regulatory opportunities and risks, and guide development of common legal and business objectives.
• Devise and implement creative and successful strategies to further members’ business objectives while also managing their legal, regulatory, and operational risks.
• Assist subject-matter experts in developing defensible policy and technical positions amid competing member priorities and evolving regulatory and political environments, and defend those positions in regulatory, administrative, and judicial proceedings.
• Advise CEO & Executive Director and policy staff on all external filings to mitigate risk and ensure alignment of policy positions and advocacy across issues.

Corporate Duties:

• Serve as the chief legal adviser to the CEO & Executive Director and the Board on corporate compliance, governance, personnel, and all contractual matters.
• Advise CEO & Executive Director and the Board on corporate governance and enterprise risk management; develop and implement corporate governance and risk management practices.
• Prepare annual corporate compliance filings and maintain corporate records.
• Oversee financial and benefit compliance audits; develop and implement internal control practices and procedures; collaborate with CEO & Executive Director and Director of Finance and Benefits Compliance on day-to-day financial management of PPC.
• Advise the CEO & Executive Director on staffing priorities, strategies, and policies.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Doctor of Jurisprudence from an ABA accredited law school.
• Admitted to the practice of law in the States of Oregon and Washington and in good standing with the Oregon State Bar and Washington State Bar.
• Expertise in legal and policy matters pertaining to federal power procurement, transmission management, contracts, rates, and operations of electric utilities. Experience working on matters pertaining to the Bonneville Power Administration and/or for a Pacific Northwest electric utility is preferred.
• Eight years of progressively more responsible experience providing legal opinions and advice in the energy and/or electric utility industry, with at least three of those years performing in a lead counsel capacity (or similar equivalent or assistant general counsel roles will also be considered).  Experience in both a well-respected law firm and public corporation is preferred.
• Experience working with the Chief Executive Officer, executive teams, and corporate boards.
• Experience working with business goals and challenges, and how they impact and inform legal and regulatory strategies, risk management practices, and corporate governance policies.

Additional Competencies:

• Self-starter capable of rapidly learning new subjects and identifying high value projects;
• Team player who is capable of sharing responsibilities and recognition for work and other contributions;
• High level of achievement in dealing with complex problems and difficult business issues
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Ability to present in a high capable and compelling manner to audiences of all sizes, including PPC’s monthly Executive Committee and member meetings of 200+ attendees.
• Excellent listening and stakeholder management skills; and,
• Ability to travel on occasion and attend in-person engagements, primarily in Portland, Ore., -- as well as attend virtual meetings of PPC and others.

A combination of comparable skills and experience will be considered in lieu of some of the qualifications and experience/additional competencies.

Compensation and Probationary Period:

Initial salary for the position will be commensurate with the qualifications, background, and experience, but is expected to fall in the range of $190,000 to $220,000 annually for a candidate who meets the qualifications.  The Public Power Council provides an attractive benefits package.  There is an initial probationary period of six months.  Employment is “at-will.”  This is a hybrid position located in Portland, Oregon.

To Inquire:

Please send expression of interest and current resume to: jobs@ppcpdx.org.  First review of application materials will be on Monday, November 20, 2023.