Deputy General Counsel Position Available In Wake, North Carolina

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Deputy General Counsel – INTERNAL to State Government

Salary $87,849.00 – $126,587.00 Annually Location Wake County, NC Job Type Permanent Full-Time Remote Employment Flexible/Hybrid Job Number 25-06482 Department Dept of Public Safety Division Chief of Staff Opening Date 05/21/2025 Closing Date 5/31/2025 5:00 PM Eastern Job Class Title Assistant Agency General Counsel II Position Number 60056968 Section General Counsel Salary Grade

LG08 DESCRIPTION

BENEFITS
QUESTIONS
Description of Work Are you looking for a rewarding legal position in a multi-faceted state agency? Consider this Deputy General Counsel position with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. This position is an Assistant Agency General Counsel II which performs advanced legal support work and independently and routinely provides legal counsel and advice to senior management on liability prevention strategies and risk management services for the Department, particularly related to employment law. Job duties of this position include:
Resolving complex legal issues and providing legal guidance to agency supervisors and leadership on real-time employment matters, legal aspects of policy questions, and operating problems
Rendering legal opinions on important statutory and constitutional issues for which there is no defined legal precedent
Serving as liaison to the Attorney General’s Office, including the Public Safety Section, the Tort Claims Section, and the Workers’ Compensation Section
Providing opinions in cases involving novel or complex facts or issues, and assisting NCDOJ in developing effective litigation strategies
Appearing as the Departmental representative at mediations, including settlements and cases involving issues of first impression with a lack of precedent-setting case law and untried statutory or regulatory law on which to base strategies or arguments
Evaluating the merits of a case, developing strategies for a case, and researching points of law in the case and assisting the Attorney General’s Office in preparing for litigation
Playing a critical role in liability reduction by assisting in formulation of policies, procedures, and rules and ensuring compliance with constitutional and statutory constraints and accepted procedures in human resources
Identifying training needs and providing training and presentations to senior managers across DPS related to emerging issues and other risk-reduction strategies
Providing legal guidance to assist in the development of operating and training materials and evaluation of current programs, to include making revisions to programs or resources when needed
Monitoring pending litigation involving DPS and providing technical assistance to relevant stakeholders, especially in matters pending before the NC Industrial Commission, the Office of Administrative Hearings, Federal or Superior Court
Acting as the Department’s point of contact for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Office of Administrative Hearings, the North Carolina Department of Labor, and other governmental entities with authority to investigate employment-related complaints made against the Agency
Reviewing and evaluating the merits of employment-related complaints made against the Department or its employees and producing written and verbal responses to the investigating agency
Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of pre-litigation complaints and determining strategies that reduce risk to the agency, including analyzing previously litigated cases to develop and execute effective litigation strategy and arguments
Participating and reviewing departmental policies and procedures to ensure compliance with constitutional and statutory constraints and current generally accepted practices and procedures in high liability areas
Reviewing critical incidents and departmental investigations to determine potential liability and recommend appropriate policy changes or corrective actions
Coordinating with the Office of Special Investigations (OSI) and the DPS Equal Employment Opportunity Office to review investigations and determine liability, defensibility, and sufficiency of the investigation
Determining settlement authority within pre-set limits and coordinating with management to ensure budgetary needs are complied with Negotiating with private attorneys in an effort to control employment-related litigation costs and proactively manage complaints made against the agency
Drafting and reviewing legal documents, including making negotiations with potential vendors and incorporating changes into proposals
Reviewing and drafting rules which incorporate policies and enforceable standards recognized as mandatory by the Office of Administrative Hearings and the State and Federal Court System
Supervise at least one subordinate attorney, including providing leadership, training, task assignment, and monitoring of work performed Special assignments may be assigned to this position by the Secretary, Chief of Staff, General Counsel, or Chief Deputy General Counsel. Since these projects are usually sensitive and of an urgent nature, this position is required to complete these assignments in an expedited manner, utilizing all the knowledge and skills necessary. This position requires the ability to:
Function independently with little supervision while accomplishing a variety of high-level tasks
Communicate with a with a wide variety of state, federal, and local officials, including legislators, judicial personnel, agency personnel, colleagues, clients, and the public
Oversee complex civil litigation in trial and appellate courts
Interpret and apply laws, constitutional provisions, administrative regulations, and court decisions
Analyze facts, evidence, legal problems, and legal instruments and render formal opinions
Express conclusions and arguments clearly and logically in oral and written form
Develop creative solutions, strategize for best legal outcomes, and draft settlement agreements in complex cases
Maintain current knowledge of employment law including the North Carolina Human Resources Act, Title VII, ADA, ADAAA, FMLA, and workers’ compensation
Understand and utilize legal jurisprudence and theory, judicial proceedings, and differing court structure requirements in the development of case strategy and tactics Maintain and apply an in-depth knowledge of departmental programs and operations in order to provide experienced legal analysis and advice especially with respect to employment laws applicable to state agencies
This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) with State Benefits, including paid vacation, paid sick leave, paid holidays, retirement, and health insurance. To view an example of total compensation, please click here 

NC OSHR:

Total Compensation Calculator. About the Office of the

General Counsel:

The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) provides to executive management and managers oral and formal written legal opinions on laws, constitutional provisions, administrative rules and regulations, court decisions, and other precedents impacting the department’s policies and operational procedures. This section drafts departmental rules and regulations, operational guidelines, contracts, department-sponsored legislation, and other legal documents. Attorneys in the OGC provide oral and written responses to inquiries by federal, state, and local officials including legislators, judicial officials, law enforcement personnel, and citizens about the department’s policies and practices and the statutes and regulations it enforces. The OGC advises the Secretary and executive management on the merits of litigation against or on behalf of the department. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Competencies DPS uses the Merit-Based Recruitment and Selection Plan to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act with the most qualified individuals. The Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) listed below, along with the Minimum Education and Experience (E&E)are

REQUIRED

to qualify for this position.? All work history and education (including accurate dates of employment/attendance)must be documented on the application. Supplemental Questions are also a required part of the application: answers must reference education or work experience listed on the application. A complete, all-inclusive application maximizes an applicant’s potential to qualify for the position, as well as the highest possible salary. Salary will be based on relevant qualifications, internal equity, and budgetary considerations pertinent to the advertised position. Click here for more information and application resources. [Resumes may be attached as a supplement to the application but are not a substitution for a complete application.] To qualify for this position, applicants must demonstrate ALL of the following 

KSAs:

Experience utilizing case, statutory, regulatory, and/or common law in the development of a legal argument Experience litigating/representing a State agency in a judicial or quasi judicial case related to employment law Management Preferences (Optional):

These skills are not required but managers may choose to interview/select applicants who demonstrate Management Preferences. Experience supervising attorneys Minimum Education and Experience Requirements Some state job postings say you can qualify by an “equivalent combination of education and experience.” If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for details. Licensed to practice law by the North Carolina State Bar and three years of progressively responsible professional legal experience.