Director & Associate General Counsel - Regulatory

Spire is hiring a Director & Associate General Counselfor its Regulatory practice; this position will work out of the Downtown St. Louis location.  This Director is primarily responsible for providing legal representation of Spire Missouri Inc. in regulatory matters before the Missouri Public Service Commission.  This position may also oversee legal regulatory matters for Spire Mississippi Inc. before the Mississippi public service commissions.  This position is additionally responsible for providing, when requested, representation of the gas utilities before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, including interstate pipeline rate and certificate cases, and associated appellate litigation in the federal courts of appeals.    

• This position will be responsible for representing Spire Missouri in regulatory matters including general rate cases, ISRS filings, purchased gas adjustments, financing authority, accounting authority, certificates of convenience & necessity, complaint cases, Staff investigations and workshops. Successful candidates are expected to own these cases and prosecute them independently, with the assistance of the Regulatory and Legal teams.
• Managing or providing direct legal representation of Spire gas utility entities, when requested, before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, including providing legal advice and counsel to the management of Spire's gas utilities regarding FERC matters, including representing Spire entities at the FERC, directly, or through outside counsel, in matters involving the gas utilities' interstate pipeline suppliers, including preparation and/or review of interventions in and protests of pipeline rate, tariff and certificate matters, managing the development and implementation of litigation and settlement strategy and tactics, supervising witness and expert testimony preparation; representing Spire entities or supervising the representation of Spire entities at evidentiary hearings, settlement conferences and technical conferences; preparing/supervising preparation of post-hearing briefs; preparing/filing rehearing requests and appeals of FERC orders; preparing/supervising preparation of appellate briefs and oral arguments on appeal. 
• Providing legal advice and counsel, as needed, to the management of Spire Mississippi regarding state regulatory matters, including: legal representation of Spire's gas utilities before the Mississippi Public Service Commission; supervising, when necessary, outside counsel for state commission proceedings; managing the development and implementation of litigation strategy and tactics; preparing or reviewing preparation of pleadings, protests, comments and other filings; researching statutory and case law as necessary, supervising witness and expert testimony preparation; developing settlement strategy and negotiating settlements when appropriate; representing Spire entities or supervising the representation of Spire entities at evidentiary hearings and settlement conferences; preparing or supervising the preparation of post-hearing briefs; and preparing or supervising preparation of appellate briefs and oral arguments on appeal. 
• Develop, supervise, consult, direct and/or perform legal services in other aspects of the corporation's legal needs.  
• Provide quality legal advice and counsel in a timely manner to business unit leadership and General Counsel, and to senior management and all departments as requested
• Regular attendance is considered an essential job function
• Keep abreast of federal and state regulatory policies affecting the gas and energy industry
• Participation, as time permits, in trade association committee and bar association activities related to FERC and state public utility commission regulation
• Perform research and continue legal education to stay current with statutes, case law and regulatory policies governing the energy industry.  
• Other duties as assigned.
   

• Ability to analyze the value of positions taken in administrative proceedings
• Ability to negotiate favorable settlements for the companies
• Ability to select appropriate expert witnesses
• Ability to prepare witnesses for deposition or hearing in an administrative setting
• Ability to analyze legal questions and produce legal documents, including trial and appellate briefs
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing
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• Ability to establish effective interpersonal business relationships with business partners, counter-parties, commission staff personnel and co-workers
• Ability to cooperate and foster an atmosphere of cooperation and team work
• Strong leadership skills
• Ability to think strategically, with strong business acumen
• Strong project management skills  

• Responsible for project management of other employees in the context of regulatory and court proceedings. 
• Ability to supervise more junior attorneys and non-attorney staff
   

• A law degree from an American Bar Association-accredited law school
• Experience working in the regulated energy business, and in particular working with regulated public utilities, is required
• At least eight (8) years' experience practicing before a state public service commission and/or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
• Strong legal advocacy and writing skills
• Experience supervising employees, particularly more junior attorneys, preferred
• License to practice law in the State of Missouri or an ability and willingness to become a member (or limited member) of the Missouri Bar. Willingness to become a full or limited member of the state bar of Mississippi as needed.

• Knowledge of public utility law
• Knowledge of energy law
• Knowledge of administrative law
• Strong writing and advocacy skills
• Strong problem solving and decision making skills
   

    Typically 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday
    Work required in office per corporate policy (3 days/week; other 2 days can be worked remotely), or as necessary per work demands
    May be required to work late one or two evenings per week
    May be required to work one weekend per month
    May be required to work on holidays several times a year
    Some additional night and weekend work may be required during periods of litigation, negotiation, or other the performance of other large projects
    Travel on a regular basis to Jefferson City, Missouri and, occasionally, Washington, DC or Jackson, MS, will be required
 

At Spire, we believe energy exists to help people. To enrich their lives, grow their businesses, advance their communities. It's a simple idea, but one that's at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to understanding the needs of the homes and businesses we serve. That's why we're always looking for driven, collaborative people to join our team. Because we believe that offering our customers the best service means bringing together the best people.

And we find the best by hiring those who share our values of drive, safety, inclusion and integrity, and demonstrate our four essential behaviors that bring the Spire vision, mission and culture to life:

• We make it happen: We are a company of go-getters, acting on every opportunity to help our company advance
• We collaborate: We put teamwork first, bringing in everyone's ideas, because our collective energy makes us stronger
• We seek out perspective: We challenge ourselves to be open to different ways of doing things, because learning from each other leads to breakthroughs
• We care: We treat people how we want to be treated, listening closely and doing what's right, even when it's hard

By living our values and behaviors every day, we strive to create an environment where every employee feels welcome, respected and valued.

Spire accepts online applications through our career site at jobs.spireenergy.com
 
Posting requirements: The above posting description is intended to describe the general nature of the level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty and responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 
 
Spire, Inc., and its subsidiaries are Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity employer. 
 
We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all areas, including but not necessarily limited to, recruitment, selection, training, education, compensation, benefits, promotion, job transfer, upgrading, separation and recall regardless of the individual's race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, and/or other protected categories under all Federal, State, and local laws. For more information, please view our Integrity and Inclusion pages of our career site.