The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, the state’s voice for millions of Ohio residential utility consumers, seeks an employee with a passion for public service to serve as an Assistant Consumers’ Counsel in its Legal Department. This position is an opportunity to help consumers, including at-risk and low-income Ohioans, regarding justice for their electric, natural gas, telephone, and water utility services. Since the legislature created the agency in 1976, we have sought lower utility bills and reliable utility service for residential consumers. At OCC, we put Consumers First.
This position is hybrid. Employees will be required to report to the Columbus office two assigned days each week.
The attorney will provide legal advice to management and the Agency director (the Consumers’ Counsel) for leading the Agency’s consumer protection role. The attorney will advocate (litigate and negotiate) the Agency’s consumer protection issues in forums that principally include the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Other forums for consumer advocacy can include the Ohio Supreme Court, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Services also can include legislative advocacy, where utility regulation and consumer protection are set forth in Ohio law.
The attorney will need an understanding of utility regulation – that broadly involves rate-setting, service quality issues and policy matters such as the agency’s favoring of effective competitive markets over monopolies for providing services to consumers. The attorney will assist with retaining and functionally supervising consultants for this work. The attorney will need to work well within Agency teams and also be adept at independent work requiring personal initiative to achieve Agency objectives for consumers.
Salary negotiable within state government standards, commensurate with experience. The State of Ohio offers a competitive benefits package; to learn more about our benefits, click here Benefits Overview (ohio.gov).
Minimum Qualifications:
The Assistant Consumers’ Counsel must have a license to practice law in the State of Ohio. A minimum of three years or equivalent experience in public utility regulation, with a working knowledge of utility regulation and utility consumer issues is required. Applicants should demonstrate excellence in oral and written communications, including with persuasive writing and with making technical issues understandable. Familiarity with word processing programs, online research and other technology used in legal advocacy is expected. Applicants should have a willingness to work more than forty hours per week, as needed for consumer advocacy, and a commitment to public service.
Please apply for this position using the Ohio Hiring Management System (OHMS) link: Assistant Consumers' Counsel Posting Please include your resume, cover letter and salary requirements with your application. Applications will only be accepted via OHMS.
