General Counsel V

The ideal candidate will have the ability to highlight their strengths in the following functions:

Serves as general counsel to the agency; advises the executive director, the governing board and other state officials and staff on legal matters and issues; advises in the rule-making process on a variety of technical and other issues
Supervises agency attorneys; monitors attendance of employees under direct supervision; prepares or updates job descriptions; prepares annual evaluations for employees
Conducts general research, advises and represents the agency on issues related to intellectual property, information access, mediation adjudication, digital signatures, privacy, security, confidentiality, and federal IT legislation
Advises on legal, regulatory and technical aspects of information technology procurement, including contract terms and conditions for licensing agreements, outsourcing, leasing and seat management, professional services, shared risk arrangements, and other contracts as required
Advises the agency on and/or interprets legal and regulatory aspects of Texas state and federal law, policies, and regulations governing or affecting agency operations, responsibilities, and personnel issues
Researches and prepares legal documents; drafts and reviews bills, policies, and administrative rules; drafts form contracts, interagency contracts and memorandum of agreement implementing negotiated terms and standard conditions; reviews and approves all contracts and legally binding documents for the Executive Director’s signature
Renders opinions and interpretations or otherwise assists agency in complying with open meetings and open records laws and regulations
Works in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney General to represent the agency in civil action brought by or against the agency
Serves as the agency’s ethics officer;
Provides advice and counsel on ethical issues and guidelines to agency employees and board members.
Provides an internal review of other agency policies to ensure agency consistency and integration with the agency’s ethics philosophies. Integrates the agency ethics message throughout the agency’s culture.
Promptly conducts investigations pursuant to complaints and allegations of ethical wrongdoing or conflicts of interest. Prepares written investigative reports as necessary.
Develops and maintains procedures for the confidential handling and processing of complaints and allegations. Provide processes for the confidential hearing of employee issues related to the ethics or conflicts

Supports the agency’s efforts to comply with all applicable health and safety rules, and agency policies and procedures
 
Qualifications
 
EDUCATION

Graduation from an accredited law school with a LL.B. or J.D. degree
Must be licensed to practice law in the state of Texas
EXPERIENCE & TRAINING REQUIRED

Eight (8) to ten (10) years of experience as a licensed attorney
Six (6) to seven (7) years of experience negotiating, drafting, and revising state procurements and contracts, preferably information technology contracts
Four (4) to six (6) years of experience in a supervisory or leadership role
Four (4) to six (6) years of experience providing legal support for a state of Texas procurement function
EXPERIENCE & TRAINING PREFERRED

Experience working with legislative committees, subcommittees, and boards of director 
Experience in and familiarity with telecommunications law, regulation, rates, and tariffs
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Ability to actively attend to, convey, and understand the comments and questions of others
Ability to act in a self-confident manner to facilitate completion of a work assignment or to defend a position or idea
Ability to work with limited supervision and to schedule workload to meet requirements and deadlines of the position
Excellent skill in communicating both verbally and in writing in a clear and concise manner
Ability to consult and provide sound advice and recommendations that enable others to make business decisions in the best interests of the relevant stakeholders
Ability to serve internal agency customers by focusing effort on meeting their needs, understanding their concerns, and effectively resolving issues
Ability to demonstrate conduct conforming to a set of values and accepted standards; ability to be truthful and be seen as credible in the workplace
Ability to effectively interpret and develop policies, procedures, and regulations
Ability to analyze voluminous facts and data, derive logical conclusions, and then make sound judgments and decisions in the best interests of the relevant stakeholders
Skill in legal research, writing and analysis; skill in accessing and obtaining information from computerized legislative and legal databases
Demonstrated management skills; includes the ability to train, assign, and/or oversee the work of others
Skill in finding solutions for or to deal proactively with work-related problems including personnel-related issues
Extensive specialized knowledge of federal and state laws affecting agency operations and administration of agency policies, regulations, and procedures; extensive knowledge of laws and regulations governing employment; knowledge of Texas state government, state legislative processes, and the state budget process; knowledge of Texas purchasing and procurement laws
Ability to exercise courtesy, tact, and diplomacy in all communications including the ability to exercise discretion when handling confidential information
Knowledge and experience in the application of IT in Texas state agencies; knowledge of standard terms and conditions for information and communications technology contracts; knowledge of computer technology and laws, including intellectual property aspects of software preferred; background in telecommunications regulation preferred
Ability to comply with all agency policies and applicable laws
Ability to comply with all applicable safety rules, regulations, and standards
Ability to work a flexible schedule to meet required deadlines
Ability to work under pressure and exacting schedules to complete assigned tasks
Ability to establish and maintain effective and cordial working relationships at all organizational levels, including agency management, direct supervisors, co-workers, internal, and external customers
Ability to understand, follow, and convey brief oral and/or written instructions
Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing in a clear and concise manner
Ability to work independently and as part of a team, and to support and contribute to a cohesive team environment
COMPUTER SKILLS
Proficiency in the use of a personal computer and applicable software necessary to perform work assignments e.g. word processing, spreadsheets (Microsoft Office preferred)

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Regular and punctual attendance
Criminal background check
WORK ENVIRONMENT

Frequent use of a personal computer, copiers, printers and telephones
Frequent work under stress, as a team member, and in direct contact with others
Frequent standing, walking, sitting, listening and talking
Occasional bending and stooping
Occasional lifting and climbing