Corporate Counsel

Company: American Water
Location: Saint Louis
Posted on: November 1, 2024

Job Description:

Requisition ID: 107116

Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued.

People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals.

We are Beautifully Different . We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey.

About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing - by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 regulated jurisdictions and 18 military installations. American Water's 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company's national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $30 to $34 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.

American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron's 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense - Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

Primary Role

To provide legal counsel and representation to the Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa state leadership teams in a variety of areas, including real estate (purchase and sale, easements, rights of way, etc), contracts, litigation, customer complaints, investigations, utility regulation issues, acquisitions and business development, environmental law, and day-to-day operational issues as they arise.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide advice and counsel on a pro-active basis to executives, senior managers and employees in respect to legal issues affecting the business.
• Meet internal customers' legal needs.
• Assist in the maximization of quality, cost-control and efficiency of acquired outside legal services.
• Serve as a member of the Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois Legal Team.
• Support the states' Senior Director Corporate Counsel and the Vice President and General Counsel in building the capabilities of the legal team.
• Be a source of high caliber legal resources for the business.
• Contribute to effective communication by listening and providing constructive feedback.
• Participate in and support an open and honest work environment.
• Cascade and share knowledge and information relevant to other members of the team and colleagues across the business.
• Perform other projects as assigned.
  
  
  Knowledge/Skills
  
  Expertise in practice areas relevant to the business, such as real estate, contracts, litigation, environmental, business development and acquisitions, public utility law, and administrative law.
  
  Experience/Education
  
  
  • Minimum 5 years of in-depth experience in several of the legal areas listed above obtained with a law firm or combination of firm and in-house experience.
  • Experience effectively handling a variety of matters displaying strong business acumen.
  • Proven ability to successfully support the business and legal needs of clients.
  • Experience in providing timely and effective practical legal advice and services.
  • Able to effectively spot legal issues and determine practical, workable options for resolving them.
  • Results-focused experience, has worked in fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.
  • Detail-oriented and able to effectively provide client-oriented service while protecting the organization.
  • Experience before a state utility commission or other state administrative agency desirable.
  • Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
  • Member of the Missouri, Illinois, and/or Iowa state bar, and able to meet all requirements to obtain in-house license in the other states within one year of hire date.
    
    
    Travel Requirements
    
    Occasional travel, primarily in MO, IL, and IA.
    
    Other
    
    
    • Able to handle a variety of ongoing projects simultaneously.
    • Able to work effectively with minimal supervision.
    • Excellent judgment in determining when and how to elevate matters.
    • Strong verbal and written communication skills.
    • Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.
    • Self-starter, takes initiative to respond to and address legal issues.
    • Functions effectively both in individual and team environments.
    • Able to work collaboratively with strong interpersonal skills.
      
      
      Competencies
      
      Champions safety
      
      Customer obsessed
      
      Cultivates innovation
      
      Nimble learning
      
      Drives Results
      
      Collaborates
      
      Join American Water... We Keep Life Flowing ---
      
      American Water is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because they are an individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.
      
      Nearest Major Market: St Louis

Keywords: American Water, Florissant , Corporate Counsel, Legal , Saint Louis, Missouri