Senior Legal Counsel

About MCE

At MCE, we tackle the climate crisis with a shared commitment to innovation, community, and equity. Together, we foster an inclusive, collaborative, and flexible work environment where creativity thrives, work-life balance is prioritized, and every voice is valued.

MCE is a not-for-profit public agency that has set the standard for clean energy in our communities since 2010. We provide more renewable power at stable rates, and deliver cutting-edge energy programs to residents and businesses across four Bay Area counties: Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, and Solano. Our team, drawn from all walks of life, embodies a shared passion for environmental stewardship and community service. You’ll work alongside dedicated professionals innovating and collaborating to make our communities more energy-efficient, resilient, and sustainable.

We value a range of experience. Even if you feel that you do not meet all of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply. Application materials will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

About The Legal Team

The Legal team supports the general operations of MCE, including contract management, and is responsible for navigating the agency’s governing documents, responding to California Public Records Act requests, managing compliance with open and public meetings under the Brown Act, and all other compliance obligations of the agency.

As a Senior Legal Counsel

You will be an integral part of a collaborative legal team. Under the guidance of the General Counsel, you will be responsible for a wide range of transactional matters, with a particular emphasis on contracts and areas of municipal and state law. Your role will involve evaluating and finalizing MCE contracts and related policies to ensure compliance with municipal and state law, and performing other duties as assigned. Your close collaboration with the General Counsel will be important in ensuring that all legal matters are effectively addressed and monitored, thereby guaranteeing agency compliance.

As a Senior Legal Counsel, you will work cross-departmentally, building a strong relationship with MCE leadership, along with external vendors and counsel. This position has significantly higher expectations and capabilities than the Legal Counsel II, in terms of the level of autonomy, experience, and leadership that is required at the start of the role. In this role, you will provide mentorship and guidance to other legal team members

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playing a key role in their training and development.

This is a supervisory position. Key Responsibilities (Illustrative Only)

- Review, evaluate, and finalize contracts terms and conditions, and non-disclosure agreements for ongoing energy management technology pilots and programs.

- Respond to Public Records Act requests, including review and necessary redaction of documents related to Public Records Act requests.

- Develop policies, terms and conditions, and other materials supporting MCE functions.

- Address questions related to the applicability of municipal, state and federal laws and regulations impacting MCE, including the Brown Act.

- As necessary, support on litigation matters or support managing litigation matters for MCE.

- Improve and oversee MCE’s contract management processes.

- Supervise and provide lead work direction to other staff, both cross departmentally and within the legal department.

- Effectively work cross departmentally to ensure clear communication of legal guidance.

- Provide support and guidance on inquiries from internal stakeholders and MCE Board of Directors as it relates to legal matters.

- Provide support by overseeing MCE’s contract and solicitation management processes, including reviewing, evaluating, negotiating, and finalizing various contracts and solicitation materials.

- Address questions related to laws and regulations impacting MCE, including the Brown Act, the California Public Records Act, and customer privacy law including regulations established by the California Public Utilities Commission around customer data and data aggregation.

- Be available to attend MCE Board and Committee meetings in person to provide legal support to the Board of Directors and the Board team during meetings.

- MCE Board and Committee meetings currently take place: the third Thursday of each month at 6:30pm, the first Monday of each month at noon and the first Friday of each month at 10:00am.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience/Education

- Law degree from an ABA-approved law school.

- Active member and in good standing with the State Bar of California.

- Demonstrated experience in managing and communicating legal risk associated with regulatory compliance obligations contract term negotiations and open meeting support in a highly regulated environment.

- At least six (6) years of progressively responsible legal experience.

- Strong preference for candidates with experience in public agencies, municipal law, or transactional law, particularly in matters involving in electric utilities, electric service, load serving entities, and/or a JPA for electric service.

Additional Requirements

- In-person attendance at Board and Committee meetings and other required MCE meetings is expected. Candidates should live within commuting distance of either the MCE San Rafael or Concord office.

- Proficient Level using Microsoft Office Suite (including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat.

Knowledge Of

- MCE and its mission and purpose.

- California laws governing the operation of electric utilities, in particular, Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs, including data privacy requirements.

- Terminology typically used in the electric utility industry.

- Federal, State and municipal laws governing public agencies.

- Contract and procurement law, employment law, and privacy law regulations.

- Principles and practices of supervision and/or providing lead work direction in a public agency.

Ability To

- Communicate effectively in written and oral form, distilling complex legal concepts into actionable guidance for non-legal audiences while appropriately assessing risks.

- Quickly adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

- Take responsibility and work independently, as well as coordinate team efforts.

- Be thorough and detail oriented.

- Demonstrate patience, tact, and courtesy.

- Establish and maintain collaborative and effective working relationships with persons encountered during the performance of duties, including staff, external consultants, agencies, and member communities.

- Understand business needs while managing legal risks.

- Exercise good judgement and spot issues when responding to legal inquiries; exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality in all legal matters.

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive compensation package offered, based on candidate experience along with generous benefits and perks, including fully paid premiums for health insurance, parental leave, dependent care subsidies, student loan repayment, and employee wellness program.

Starting Salary Range: Senior Legal Counsel $159,533- $214,319 Application Process

By clicking on the link candidates will complete a brief online application and are prompted to submit:

- A cover letter not to exceed one page focusing on how your experience has prepared you for an in house Senior Legal Counsel position at MCE.

- A current resume.

- A current writing sample (3-5 pages). (Candidates will be asked to include a link in the application).

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and initial interviews scheduled when a qualified applicant has been selected.

As we narrow down our top pool of applicants, candidates moving through the recruitment process may participate in an initial all-in-one interview, a Face-to-Face Cross-Team Panel Interview, and a Face-to-Face Executive Interview. During the interview process, we may also request additional skills assessments to fully evaluate how a candidate’s skills align with the position requirements. Reach out to Carol at cdorsett@mcecleanenergy.org with any questions.

MCE Culture

At MCE, we are committed to fostering a workplace rooted in equity, inclusion, and belonging. As part of this effort, we’ve included a few optional questions to help us better understand your background, experiences, and how we can create a respectful and inclusive candidate experience.

MCE is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

MCE Work Environment

MCE offices support an environment that is accessible to those with reduced mobility. We are happy to provide more details if asked.

MCE makes reasonable accommodations of any known physical or intellectual limitations for qualified applicants with disabilities, sincerely held religious beliefs, and other conditions protected by applicable law.

MCE strives to maintain a COVID-free workplace. To that end, being fully vaccinated is a condition of employment for all employees.