The Assistant Staff Attorney is responsible for providing legal counsel and support to NBU.

NBU, as an agency of the City of New Braunfels, is subject to a wide-range of local, state, and federal rules and regulations.  The Assistant Staff Attorney must be knowledgeable in municipal law, procurement law, public finance, real estate, construction law, regulatory compliance, and city ordinances. The Assistant Staff Attorney should possess business and life experience for frame of reference in handling variety of problems with legal implications.  

The Assistant Staff Attorney is expected to give practical advice and recommendations to NBU management and staff.  

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintains the highest level of professional ethics.
• Provides legal counsel and support to NBU, engages in and assists in supervising the litigation process, and conducts legal research.
• Ensures that NBU operates within the appropriate legal governance framework, and takes ultimate responsibility for the identification and management of legal risks across all areas.
• Views issues and concerns through NBU's perspective and focuses on the right outcome for NBU at all times; determines core issues, identifies multiple possible solutions or resources needed to reach optimum solution for NBU; thinks first from principles rather than being solely guided by pre-established documents, procedures, processes, or historical practices.
• Understands and respects NBU's standards, policies, ordinances, and local, state, and federal regulations; reviews and/or provides legal direction for internal policies.
• Reads and reviews statutes, legal opinions, and other documents to maintain knowledge of local, state, and federal legislation and jurisprudence affecting municipal utility operations, programs, and activities.
• Investigates claims based upon applicable laws and in a timely manner.
• Assists General Counsel and Staff Attorney on contract and business negotiations; drafts agreements that minimize risks and maximize legal rights.
• Assists in handling ethics inquiries, conducting ethics investigations, developing department materials, and training.
• Assists with legislative matters, including tracking proposed federal and state bills, analyzing proposed legislation, and collaborating with NBU's legislative team.     
• Assists with overseeing all aspects of litigation, including directing outside counsel, coordinating responses to discovery requests, and contributing to NBU's litigation tracking system.
• Provides proactive advice in connection with areas such as purchasing, finance, contracts, real estate, labor and employment issues, litigation, government regulations, and technology agreements and licensing; anticipates issues and estimates risks strategically.
• Coordinates and collaborates with outside counsel on legal matters requiring specialized legal expertise, ensuring that delivery, quality and budgetary standards are maintained.
• Demonstrates legal and ethical stature, maturity, sound judgment, competence and confidence to operate with credibility at the Board and management levels.
• Possesses strong organizational, administrative, and time-management skills and excellent follow-up to ensure adherence to deadlines and efficient task completion.
• Possesses excellent writing and oral communication skills.
• Maintains objectivity while driving appropriate outcomes, manages multiple stakeholder agendas, and promotes high business and legal standards.
• Develops and utilizes peer group networks and external legal partners, ensures that all such relationships are effective, cost efficient, and foster constructive outcomes on behalf of NBU.
• Examines legal information to determine the advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits.
• Reviews agendas for public meetings to assure compliance with Open Meetings Act rules within legal guidelines for public and executive session meetings.
• Attends board meetings to stay informed about what is happening in the company.
• Attends significant committee meetings, evening meetings, conferences, workshops and other professional meetings including overnight travel as may be required.
• Uses safe work practices at all times and in all situations.
• Oversees the drafting and formalization of NBU resolutions.
• Answers questions and provides training regarding the Public Information Act.
• Prepares and submits requests for open records letter rulings and Attorney General opinions as needed.

 SUPERVISORY

• Supervises two legal assistants.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITY

• Positive energy, enthusiasm, flexibility, and confidence.
• Possesses a strong sense of teamwork; ability to work effectively on multidisciplinary teams.
• Prioritizes and organizes work effectively to meet deadlines and rapidly changing priorities; transaction intensive.
• Understands municipal codes and applicable state laws and federal statues; draws distinctions of municipal requirements and application in all situations.
• Possesses excellent writing and oral communication skills.
• Possesses knowledge of legal references and limitations.
• Demonstrates proficiency with technology.
• Highly developed skills including issue identification, analysis and resolution through supervision, coordination and use of internal and external staff and counsel.
• Self-directed with ability to quickly assimilate role, responsibilities and organization culture.
• Commitment and adherence to the mission of NBU.

 GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Maintain regular attendance; leave schedule should be managed so as not to interfere with ability to accomplish tasks, including special projects and assignments with deadlines or negatively affect direct reports' ability to do their jobs when applicable.
• Adhere to NBU safety guidelines and practices at all times and in all situations.
• Maintain a clean and safe work area, office, field site and vehicle as applicable.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of business, employee, and customer information in written and oral communications and safeguard sensitive documents.
• Develop and maintain effective customer service skills for communications with co-workers, customers, and the public in general.
• Adhere to NBU policies and procedures.
• Exemplifies NBU Core Values
• Participate in and support initiatives to reach annual priorities and NBU key performance measures.