Deputy General Counsel – Administration
Reports to the General Counsel in Jefferson City
Desired Location: Truman State Office Building, Jefferson City
(flexibility on work location in other State office space locations)
Salary Range $75,000 - $95,000
Scheduled Hours: M-F, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (flexible)
Full-time, Benefit Eligible

Why You’ll Love This Position:
The Missouri Department of Economic Development creates greater opportunities for all Missourians to prosper, and our people make it possible. We are CUSTOMER CENTRIC with every aspect of the organization designed around the businesses and communities we serve. We are ONE TEAM focused on recruiting, retaining and developing team members to better serve our customers. And we are DATA DRIVEN by using forward-looking insights to continuously inform our decisions and improve our programs. Everything we do encourages economic growth by supporting Missouri’s businesses and diverse industries, strengthening our communities, developing a talented and skilled workforce, and maintaining a high quality of life. Come join the team that strives to be the best economic development department in the Midwest!

What You’ll Do:

• Provide legal advice (oral and written) on numerous issues affecting the day-to-day operations and activities of the Department of Economic Development, with a focus on economic and community development incentive programs (e.g., tax credits, tax increment financing, grants, and other tax incentives) drawing upon many areas of the law, including:
  • Interpreting statutes and regulations
  • Administrative law
  • Contract law
  • Interpreting and applying constitutional provisions
• Draft legislation and amendments to legislation affecting the Department.
• Draft administrative rules.
• Advise team members on implementation of new programs, including reviewing and editing guidelines.
• Draft program agreements for new programs and review existing agreements for necessary or helpful changes.
• Draft portions of procurement documents, review and approve procurement documents, and advise team members about the varying procurement requirements under state law.
• Respond to or assist in responding to Sunshine Law requests, including reviewing and redacting records.
• Advise team members about record retention laws and assist in interpreting applicable retention schedules.
• Analyze potential program agreement violations for action by the Department, repayment demands, and possible referral for litigation.
• Backup to the General Counsel on employment matters, including ethics laws, and litigation liaison to the Attorney General’s Office.
• Backup to General Counsel and Federal Initiatives Counsel on legal issues unique to the various federal grant programs administered by the Department.

Note: The General Counsel shares several of these duties and the actual responsibilities will depend on the experience, skills, and interests of the successful candidate.

Required Competencies:

• Ability to clearly communicate complex legal theories (oral and written) to team members with varying levels of experience working with attorneys and legal principles.
• Ability to work well under pressure and provide quality results in limited time frames.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and deadlines and timely complete tasks.
• Attention to detail in a fast‑paced environment.
• Good problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of Missouri constitution and statutes.
• Basic familiarity with types of business entities and taxation.
• Basic understanding of administrative law.
• Has a team mentality and likes collaboration, but also able to focus on transactional work.

Qualifications:
Required:

• Possess a juris doctor from an accredited university and be a member in good standing of The Missouri Bar.
• Minimum of three years’ experience practicing law.

Preferred:

• Previous in-house counsel to a government entity, or other government experience.
• Experience in legislative and regulatory drafting, or public or private finance.
• A passion for civil service and for learning.
• A desire to help our clients through the provision of legal services.

More reasons to love this position:

• The Department pays annual bar dues and although free continuing legal education is encouraged, will pay for reasonable CLE expenses.
• If the successful candidate is in Jefferson City, travel is not required. If locating in another city with state office space available, occasional travel to Jefferson City is expected (a few times a year).
• The State of Missouri offers an excellent benefits package that includes a defined pension plan, generous amounts of leave and holiday time, and eligibility for health insurance coverage. Your total compensation would be more than the dollars you’d receive in your paycheck. To help demonstrate the value of working for the State of Missouri, we have created an interactive Total Compensation Calculator. This tool provides a comprehensive view of benefits and more that are offered to prospective employees. The Total Compensation Calculator and other applicant resources can be found here at the last link under the “Resources” heading.

If you have questions about this position please contact DED Human Resources at HRHelpdesk@ded.mo.gov.
The State of Missouri is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.