Investigative Counsel Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Division of Petroleum Market Oversight (DPMO or the Division) at the California Energy Commission seeks an Investigative Counsel (Attorney III / Attorney). The Division is the first-in-the-nation petroleum market oversight agency and Division attorneys have an opportunity to work directly and closely with the state's principal energy policymakers.
Under the general direction of the Assistant Division Chief, the Investigative Counsel will be responsible for advising the Division, which operates as an independent statutory authority with the administrative support of the California Energy Commission. The Division conducts independent oversight and analysis of the transportation fuels markets for the protection of consumers by identifying market design flaws, market power abuses, and any other manner by which market participants act to harm competition or act contrary to the best interests of consumers. The Division also provides guidance and recommendations to the Governor, members of the Energy Commission, and the Legislature on issues related to transportation fuels markets.
The Investigative Counsel will provide legal advice and support to DPMO on implementation of Senate Bill X1-2 (Stats. 2023, 1st Ex. Sess. 2023), which added chapter 4.6, Article 3, to Division 15, of the Public Resources Code, and perform a variety of functions, including:
• Provide legal advice concerning competition-related matters that impacts transportation fuels markets, including antitrust analyses and counseling.
• Perform difficult and complex legal work related to investigations, including drafting subpoenas to compel attendance, testimony, and obtain evidence and production of any documents concerning current and historical pricing and sales data and contracts with other petroleum industry participants, and refer potential violations to the Attorney General.
• Coordinate and facilitate communications with other state and federal agencies working on similar issues.
• Provide legal advice on a variety of related matters, including laws concerning confidential information, conflicts of interest, and transportation decarbonization policy issues.
Minimum Qualifications (MQs): The MQs for this classification can be found at Attorney Series - CalHR . The documents you submit in your application package must highlight how you meet the MQs. If the MQs are not met, you will not be considered for this position.
Education Information: If you are using education to meet the minimum qualifications for this classification, please provide your unofficial transcripts. Applicants who completed their education outside of the United States (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must provide evaluated transcripts. The transcript evaluation must state the number of units to which foreign coursework is equal. Foreign education evaluation services can be found at https://www.naces.org . Official transcripts and official foreign degree transcripts will be required prior to appointment. If you are not using education to qualify for this classification, you do not need to submit transcripts. To bypass the required document, select Choose/Upload and select Bypass File.
Please let us know how you heard about this position by taking a brief survey at CEC Recruitment Survey .
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement .
Working Conditions
The CEC supports a hybrid workplace model with office-based and remote-centered workers. Limited in-person attendance and occasional travel may be required based on the needs of the division. Regular and consistent attendance is essential to successful performance. This position is remote-centered, which means the incumbent works 50 percent or more of their time from an alternate work location.
Teleworking is only available for employees who reside in California. You must be located in California and provide your in-state address prior to your start date.
Minimum Requirements You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• ATTORNEY III
• ATTORNEY

Additional Documents

• Job Application Package Checklist
• Duty Statement

Position Details Job Code #:
JC-518157
Position #(s):
535-154-5795-001
Working Title:
Senior Counsel
Classification:
ATTORNEY III $10,852.00 - $15,325.00 A
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
Shall Consider:
ATTORNEY
$7,969.00 - $10,473.00 A
$8,969.00 - $12,026.00 B
# of Positions:
1
Work Location:
Sacramento County
Telework:
Hybrid
Job Type:
Permanent, Full Time
Department Information DPMO was created through a special legislative session in 2023 and is the first-in-the-nation government watchdog focused on transportation fuels. DPMO is housed administratively within the California Energy Commission (CEC). Serving all Californians, DPMO and the CEC embody diversity, equity, and inclusion, and have taken an active and meaningful role in creating an environment that enables each employee to thrive. DPMO and the CEC support a hybrid workplace and operate under the umbrella of the California Natural Resources Agency, sharing offices with the agency in a LEED Platinum Certified Building in downtown Sacramento.
DPMO seeks a/an Attorney III/I in the Investigations and Industry Analysis Branch.
This position is open to interested applicants who qualify. This can be a multi-step process. To be eligible to be hired:
1) Create an online CalCareers account. For a tutorial on the state application process, visit California State Hiring Process Instructional Video Series - YouTube or contact Careers@energy.ca.gov .
2) Complete and pass the Attorney III or Attorney exam to be eligible to be hired for available positions. See information on Energy Commission Assessments and Exams .
3) To apply for this position, submit an application package through your CalCareers account. An application package must include all items under the "Required Application Package Documents" section. Resumes will not be accepted in place of a State Examination and Employment Application (STD. 678). Applications must include "to" and "from" dates (month/day/year), time base (full-time/part-time/number of hours per week/month), and applicable civil service classifications.
State employees are subjected to a temporary reduction in pay in exchange of 2025 Personal Leave Program (PLP) accruals. The specific reduction rate and hours were negotiated and agreed upon by each bargaining unit agreement.
Department Website: https://www.energy.ca.gov
Special Requirements You must include the following if you are applying by mail or in person:
1) How you are eligible (list eligibility, transfer within state service, reinstatement, SROA/surplus, etc.) in the Explanations box on the first page of the STD. 678.
2) The Job Control number 518157 and the title of the position you are applying for in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) box on the first page of the STD. 678.
3) Request for Personnel Action Number RPA 154-249 in the Explanations box of the STD. 678.
4) Your original signature at the bottom of the first page of the STD. 678.
5) Include unofficial school transcripts with your application package if the position you are applying for has an educational requirement. You may be required to provide official transcripts if hired.
Application Instructions
Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.
Final Filing Date: 7/15/2026
Who May Apply
Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply. Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).
How To Apply
Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:
Address for Mailing Application Packages
You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:
California Energy Commission
Personnel Office - Postal
Attn: RPA 154-249|JC-518157
715 P Street, MS-3
Sacramento , CA 95814
Address for Drop-Off Application Packages
You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:
California Energy Commission
Personnel Office - Drop Off
RPA 154-249|JC-518157
715 P Street, MS-3
Sacramento , CA 95814
08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Required Application Package Documents
The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Other - Cover Letter - Include a cover letter of no more than one page in length describing why you are the best candidate for this position.
• Other -
  Proof of CA Bar Admission (Note: you are eligible to apply for this position prior to taking/passing the CA Bar exam however, you cannot be hired until passing the bar and are sworn in)
• Other - Writing Sample - Include a writing sample of approximately 5 pages in length containing a legal document (e.g., brief, memorandum, decision, or pleading) for which you were the primary author. You may edit or redact the writing sample to meet the page limit and to remove any privileged or confidential information.
• Other - School Transcripts - If you have been awarded a juris doctorate or another professional degree, include your unofficial school transcript(s) with your application package. If hired, you may be required to provide official transcripts.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.
Desirable Qualifications In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:
The successful applicant should have strong analytical and writing skills and have knowledge and experience, or demonstrated interest, in: (1) antitrust, economics, competition policy, or regulated utilities; (2) complex investigations and related discovery/hearings; (3) energy regulation in California; and (4) investigating market manipulation and forms of unfair competition or deceptive practices. All applicants must be a member of the State Bar of California.
Benefits Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.
Contact Information
The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.
Department Website: https://www.energy.ca.gov
Human Resources Contact:
Personnel Office
(916) 654-4309
personnel.services@energy.ca.gov
Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.
EEO Contact:
Equal Employment Opportunity Contact
(279) 226-1002
EEO@energy.ca.gov
California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.
It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.