Senior Assistant District Counsel (Labor Relations and Employment Law)

Overview:

Valley Water’s Office of District Counsel seeks a senior-level attorney to be the primary attorney on all labor and employment functions, draft and negotiate inter-agency agreements, and advise the Board, its committees, and staff on broad, agency-level policies and procedures. The Senior Assistant District Counsel will be one of three senior assistant counsels reporting to the District Counsel and will be designated as unclassified/at-will. This attorney role offers ongoing, time-sensitive legal support to Valley Water operations and its long-term strategic goals. This position is vital for addressing Valley Water's labor and employment law requirements. The incumbent also carries significant responsibility for public agency financing matters, making experience in that field a huge plus.

Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Day-to-day support of Valley Water's labor and employment law matters, including but not limited to employee discipline, grievances, internal investigations, and compliance matters as well as first-chair representation in labor arbitrations and administrative hearings.
• Second-chair management of employment litigation matters (“first-chair” experience is a plus).
• Assisting management with labor negotiations, including service on “second table” negotiating teams (“first table” experience is a plus). 
• Other operational support to the Valley Water business includes contract reviews, real estate transactions, and agreements with other government entities.
• Support to District Counsel, such as support on broad, agency-level policy matters, confidential Board matters, and filling in for District counsel during absences.

About Valley Water:

Valley Water’s (Santa Clara Valley Water District) mission is to ensure that Santa Clara County and Silicon Valley have access to safe, clean water to support a healthy life, environment, and economy.
 
Headquartered in San José, California, Valley Water operates with a Fiscal Year 2024-2025 budget of $1.1 billion and employs over 900 professionals. Their integrated water resources system encompasses clean water supply, flood protection, and environmental stewardship of streams.

Ideal Candidate's Background Includes:

Applicants whose experience and background best match the ideal experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and education are considered ideal candidates for the position. To determine the top candidates, each applicant will be assessed based on the ideal candidate criteria as listed below.

Ideal Experience for Senior Assistant District Counsel:

• Fifteen years of recent experience in the active practice of law in the State of California, including at least six years representing public agency employers in labor and employment matters.  
• Experience with real estate transactions, inter-agency agreements, and agency-level policies and procedures is also desired.   
• Experience with public agency financing is a huge plus. 

Ideal Skills and Abilities:

• A can-do, solutions-oriented mindset is a must, as is a sense of humor. 
• A high degree of political acumen and the ability to think strategically and see the big picture.
• Maintain effective relationships with federal, state, regional, municipal, and local agencies, and with Silicon Valley’s major stakeholders. 
• Comfortable operating in complex legal and regulatory environments,
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues and adversaries.
• Analyze and apply principles of law, particularly with respect to highly sensitive labor and employment matters.
• Advise on the legal aspects of labor negotiations, including “second table” experience (“first table” experience is highly desired).   
• Provide significant first-line and strategic support to Valley Water's Finance team on debt issuances, refinancing, and Public Facilities Financing Corporation work. 
• Present statements of law and fact clearly, succinctly, and logically, both orally and in writing.
• Prepare legally sufficient transactional documents.
• Prepare a variety of reports, correspondence, and other written materials.
• Collect, interpret, and evaluate varied information and data and provide recommendations.

Ideal Knowledge:

• Principles and practices of law, particularly as related to public agency activities.
• Advanced principles of law related to labor and employment matters
• Judicial and administrative procedures and the rules of evidence
• Principles of legal research and writing
• Pleadings and practices and effective techniques in the presentation of judicial cases, administrative hearing cases, and labor arbitration cases
• Principles of governmental organization
• State and federal laws and constitutional provisions affecting Valley Water operations, particularly the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, the Fair Employment and Housing Act, Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  
• Knowledge of the laws governing public agency financing transactions is a plus.

 Ideal Training and Education: 

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university, and graduation from an accredited law school plus a minimum of six years in the active practice of public agency-labor and employment laws and fifteen years of practice of law overall.

• Must be a current member, in good standing, of the California State Bar Association. 
• Must have pledged to comply or be willing to pledge to comply to the Santa Clara Bar County Association Code of Professional Conduct.

Please submit your application along with cover letter and resume by the application deadline. In your cover letter, please provide your CA State Bar Association number and address the following three prompts:

• Who is the client of an attorney for a public entity? How would that influence the performance of your duties as the Senior Assistant District Counsel for the Santa Clara Valley Water District? 
• Please describe the top three achievements of your professional legal career and why you are proud of them.
• Tell us about your experience representing public agency employers in labor and employment matters 
• Tell us about your experience with real estate transactions, inter-agency agreements, agency-level policies and procedures, and public agency financing matters.  

Following the closing date, resumes and cover letters will be screened according to the qualifications outlined above. The most qualified candidates will be invited to Zoom panel interviews with a Valley Water-appointed interview panel. A select group of candidates will be asked to provide references once they are anticipated to be recommended as finalists. References will be contacted only following candidate approval. Finalist interviews will be held with a Valley Water executive interview panel.

Salary : $273,885 - $347,776