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Director, Associate General Counsel

Type: Direct Hire

Location: San Jose, CA (Hybrid) – Relocation required if not a commutable distance from San Jose

Salary: $185K – $343K annually (DOE)

About the Role

We are partnered with California’s largest investor-owned water utility — the third-largest publicly traded water utility in the United States — to recruit a Director, Associate General Counsel for their Legal Department. The selected candidate will be hired as a full-time employee directly with our client.

The Legal Department is a lean, high-impact team of attorneys providing full-service legal support across a multi-state, CPUC-regulated enterprise. The Director, Associate General Counsel will serve as a senior legal advisor across a broad practice portfolio, with primary emphasis on real property law and real estate transactions, supported by meaningful responsibility in commercial procurement, M&A transaction support, litigation and claims management, environmental compliance, land use and entitlements, and corporate governance. This is a true generalist ALC role with a defined real estate center of gravity — not a narrow specialty position.

The ideal candidate is an experienced in-house attorney or senior associate from a real estate and transactions practice who is ready to step into a high-autonomy role from day one. You will work directly with business unit leaders, outside counsel, and executive leadership on a consequential and varied docket — supporting a company that has delivered 59 consecutive years of annual dividend increases, is investing over $600 million in infrastructure in 2026, and is actively expanding its regulated utility footprint through acquisition. If you bring deep transactional real estate experience, comfort with regulated-industry legal frameworks, and the judgment to operate independently in a small department, this role is built for you.

Key Responsibilities

Real Estate & Transactions (Primary Focus)

•     Draft, review, and negotiate real property instruments including Easements, Rights of Entry, Licenses, Leases, and Deeds across a multi-state service territory

•     Lead real estate due diligence, title and survey review, and risk analysis for acquisitions, dispositions, and infrastructure-related transactions

•     Manage escrow processes and coordinate transaction closings for real property matters

•     Draft and negotiate commercial agreements including MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, and procurement contracts

•     Support M&A diligence and transaction execution as the company actively expands its regulated utility portfolio through acquisition, including utility system purchases and public-private partnerships

•     Advise on land use, entitlements, and permitting matters related to infrastructure development and capital projects

Regulatory, Environmental & Litigation

•     Advise on CPUC regulatory matters, rate case proceedings, and compliance obligations applicable to a regulated investor-owned water utility

•     Provide legal support on environmental compliance matters including water quality regulations, EPA and state environmental standards, PFAS-related requirements, and environmental permitting for infrastructure projects

•     Manage litigation and claims dockets, including oversight of outside counsel in civil, administrative, and regulatory proceedings

•     Draft demand letters, litigation holds, and preservation notices; coordinate discovery responses and document productions

•     Monitor federal and state legislative and regulatory developments and assess legal risk and operational impact

Corporate Governance & Legal Operations

•     Support SEC reporting, corporate governance filings, and entity maintenance across multiple states as a NYSE-listed public company

•     Advise on privacy compliance, data governance, and labor and employment matters as needed

•     Manage outside counsel relationships, billing oversight, and legal spend

•     Contribute to development and refinement of internal legal policies, procedures, and legal operations initiatives

Qualifications

Required

•     J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school

•     Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar, or eligibility to register as California in-house counsel

•     10+ years of progressive experience as legal counsel at a publicly held company, law firm, or regulatory agency, including 5+ years of senior-level responsibility for real estate transactions and land use matters such as purchase and sale agreements, easements, licenses, leases, title review, and real estate closings

•     Experience drafting and negotiating real property instruments: Easements, Rights of Entry, Licenses, Leases, Deeds

•     In-depth knowledge of one or more of the following: utility regulation, corporate governance, litigation, or contract law

•     Demonstrated ability to manage a broad, high-volume docket independently with minimal supervision

•     Experience negotiating complex commercial transactions including multiyear goods and services contracts and major construction contracts, with fluency in indemnity clauses and other risk-shifting terms

•     Exceptional negotiation, written, and verbal communication skills, with strong legal research and analytical ability

•     Exceptional judgment, discretion, and ability to manage confidential matters in a public company environment

Preferred

•     Experience in a CPUC-regulated, energy, water, or infrastructure-sector legal environment, including familiarity with formal and informal commission proceedings

•     Background combining experience across two or more of: private law firm, government or regulatory agency, and corporate in-house environments

•     Background in environmental law, water quality compliance, or EPA/state environmental regulatory matters

•     Experience supporting M&A diligence, utility system acquisitions, or public-private partnership transactions

•     Background in land use, entitlements, or permitting for infrastructure or capital projects

•     Experience supporting SEC filings, public company governance, or investor relations documentation

•     Multi-state real property research and transaction experience

•     Utility industry experience at a company with revenue of at least $300 million

•     Experience with inverse condemnation and direct condemnation matters involving public utilities

•     Bar admission in Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington, or Texas

Compensation & Employment

Employment Type: Direct Hire – Full-Time Employee of our client

Salary: $185K – $343K annually (DOE)

Work Schedule: Hybrid

Benefits: Full employee benefits package including medical, dental, vision, retirement, and paid time off

This is a rare opportunity to join the legal department of one of the most financially stable regulated utilities in the country as a senior attorney with immediate impact. If you bring deep real estate transactional experience, comfort operating across a broad legal docket, and the judgment to work autonomously at the highest level, we want to hear from you. Innovation Consulting is partnered directly with this client — candidates placed through this search are hired as full-time employees of the utility with no staffing intermediary in the employment relationship.

Innovation Consulting LLC is an equal opportunity employer and recruiter. We review candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic.