The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) is looking for an enthusiastic and forward-thinking individual to become our Chief Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). This position serves as part of the agency's Executive Management team and manages the conduct of fair and impartial agency proceedings addressing legal, technical, and policy issues related to the rapidly evolving utility industries.
If you are looking for a challenging, rewarding career where you can make a difference, then the PUC is the place for you.
Questions regarding this position should be referred to Stacy Wren, Human Resource Analyst, at (503) 373-1368 or stacy.m.wren@state.or.us.
The PUC is responsible for the regulation of investor-owned energy utilities, large water companies, and telecommunications utilities, and has exclusive jurisdiction over matters related to utility rates and services. The PUC's mission is "To ensure Oregon utility customers have access to safe, reliable and high quality utility services at just and reasonable rates. This is done through robust and thorough analysis and independent decision-making conducted in an open and fair process."
The Chief ALJ reports directly to the Executive Director providing overall administrative and operational leadership to the Commission's decision-making functions and responsibilities. The Chief ALJ serves on the agency's Executive Management team and manages the Administrative Hearings Division (AHD), which is an independent division within the agency that consists of five Administrative Law Judges and four legal support staff. The PUC's ALJs preside over highly complex cases involving utilities, industrial customers, consumer groups and competitors, and other stakeholders.
This an executive service position and is not eligible for overtime. The PUC is an other funds agency, funded through fees paid by the utilities we regulate. This recruitment will be used to establish a list of qualified candidates; this list will be used to fill the current vacancy and may be used to fill other vacancies as they occur.
The Chief ALJ is directly responsible for oversight of all PUC regulatory processes, including ensuring proper processing of legal filings, fairness and transparency of proceedings, evaluating the legal adequacy of orders and recommendations submitted to the Commissioner, and that the Commissioners receive a broad range of legally acceptable policy opinions on a variety of complex issues.
Major duties include:
Minimum Qualifications
Graduation from an accredited law school with a LL.B. or J.D. degree and admission in good standing to the Bar of any state or federal jurisdiction.
AND
Six years of management experience in a public or private organization which included responsibility for each of the following: (a) development of program rules and policies, (b) development of long- and short-range goals and plans, (c) program evaluation, and (d) budget preparation.
The Commission recognizes that work in the legal field often does not explicitly use management work titles to describe duties and experience that would qualify under these requirements. We will evaluate all prior work history and experience to determine whether a candidate has performed duties to meet the minimum qualifications, and encourage potential applicants with any questions about management experience to contact Stacy Wren, Human Resource Analyst, at (503) 373-1368 or stacy.m.wren@state.or.us.
Successful candidates will possess all or most of the following skills:
To learn more about this opportunity or to apply for this position, please visit the PUC website: www.puc.state.or.us and click on “Jobs at PUC.”
The Oregon Public Utility Commission is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer Committed to Workforce Diversity.