Deputy General Counsel

REQUIRED SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:

Candidates must demonstrate the ability to:

• Leadership and people management: Lead and develop professional staff set clear expectations provide coaching and feedback and build a positive high-performing team culture.
• Strategic litigation leadership: Guide case strategy across a varied litigation portfolio balancing legal risk policy objectives operational needs and practical outcomes.
• Regulatory analysis and application: Interpret and apply administrative law civil procedure and related legal authorities to complex and evolving situations.
• Program and workload management: Plan prioritize and adjust work to meet deadlines maintain quality and support equitable workload distribution.
• Collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Build effective working relationships across divisions and with external partners to promote consistent legal positions and service-focused outcomes.
• Communication and influence: Communicate clearly and persuasively in writing and verbally including advising leadership and explaining complex legal issues to diverse audiences.
• Continuous improvement and problem solving: Evaluate processes identify opportunities for improvement and implement practical solutions that strengthen legal operations.
• Ethical judgment and professionalism: Handle sensitive matters with discretion sound judgment and a strong commitment to integrity and public service.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (Education and Experience)

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in Montana or demonstrated ability to obtain licensure.
• Demonstrated experience litigating administrative or civil matters in a setting where legal analysis written advocacy and case management are central responsibilities.
• Experience leading teams or supervising attorneys legal support staff or other professionals in an environment that values accountability development and collaboration.
• Experience interpreting and applying laws rules policies or procedures and advising others on complex legal or regulatory matters.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with experience presenting legal issues clearly to leadership colleagues and other stakeholders.
• Ability to use Microsoft Outlook Word and other office software and to learn case management or electronic records systems used in legal practice.
• A degree in a relevant field may supplement professional experience but is not a substitute for demonstrated skills and competencies in the areas noted above. Equivalent combinations of education and directly related experience will be considered.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY:

A complete state application is not required; however you will need to initiate the application and attach the resume cover letter or other required documents at time of application to be considered for this position. Resume will auto fill the application but the application will not be scored or reviewed.

Failure to attach the cover letter and resume will result in your application being considered incomplete and will not be considered further. Materials submitted but not requested will not be considered in the selection process.

Tip: When attaching your resume cover letter or other required documents you must mark the attachments as RELEVANT or we will be unable to view your documents.

Required application materials:

• Cover Letter - Your Cover Letter should explain how your experience and education meet the identified required skills and competencies with examples that demonstrate your qualifications.
• Resume - include all work experience you have held that would help you qualify for this position including duties dates of employment.

Only online applications will be accepted. By applying online you can receive updates and monitor the status of your application.

All documents for Veteran or Disability preference must be received or date stamped by the closing date. You will receive an application confirmation email with instructions on acceptable preference documents and how to submit such documents.

If you need an accommodation with the application process please contact the HR office.

BENEFITS:

Being able to enjoy the quality of life in the beautiful state of Montana is one of the benefits you will love about this opportunity! Our mountains waterways and open spaces provide not only beautiful scenery but year-round recreational opportunities including hiking camping biking fishing boating hunting skiing and snowmobiling. Montana boasts a high-quality education system and a variety of entertainment including fairs rodeos and theaters. Read more about our great state here.

See our other incredible benefits here. These are some of our benefits just to name a few:

• Work/life balance with hybrid schedules or partial telework may be available within the state of Montana.
• 38 paid days off a year including vacation sick leave and holidays.
• Military leave: Youll get up to 15 days of military leave with full pay.
• Longevity raises with continuous service as well as any negotiated market increases and state statutory raises.
• Health dental vision life insurance coverage flexible spending accounts EAP - clickhere to learn more.
• Free telehealth and access to free employee medical clinics through our medical plan - click here to learn more.
• Choice between two retirement plans with an employer contribution between 8.73% - 9.07% of your annual salary. A third optional 457(b) deferred compensation plan is also available. Click here to learn more.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness- Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive loan forgiveness- clickhere to learn more!
• Career progression training opportunities and room for professional growth.
• State employee discounts at various businesses across the state.

This position may be eligible for a statutory $1.00 an hour base pay increase effective on July 1 2026.

*This position may be covered by aVoluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA)

E-Verify: This agency is participating in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. After accepting a job offer and completing Form I-9 your information will be submitted to the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration for verification. For more information about E-Verify please visit the E-Verify website found here State of Montana has a decentralized human resources (HR) system. Each agency is responsible for its own recruitment and selection. Anyone who needs a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the agencys HR staff identified on the job listing or by dialing the Montana Relay at 711. Montana Job Service Offices also offer services including assistance with submitting an online application.

State government does not discriminate based on race color national origin religion sex sexual orientation gender identity or expression pregnancy childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth age physical or mental disability genetic information marital status creed political beliefs or affiliation veteran status military service retaliation or any other factor not related to merit and qualifications of an employee or applicant.

Note: Employees for the State of Montana must reside within Montana. All applications and required application documents must be submitted through the MT Careers site at: into a legal leadership role that directly supports fair lawful and efficient outcomes for Montanas workers businesses and communities. The DLI Office of Legal Services is seeking a Deputy General Counsel to lead the agencys litigation team and help ensure legal services are delivered with consistency integrity and strategic focus. This role offers the opportunity to guide experienced legal professionals strengthen systems and processes and contribute to meaningful public service in a professional growth-oriented environment.

MISSION STATEMENT:

Empowering all Montanans through work and opportunity.

Its about the people and the impact we make in our communities every day. We are proud of our open team-based supportive and collaborative work environments. Learn more about DLIhere.

POSITION OVERVIEW:

Within the Office of Legal Services the Deputy General Counsel provides strategic leadership and day-to-day management for the agencys litigation team. Reporting to the General Counsel this position oversees attorneys and paralegals handling a diverse portfolio of administrative and civil litigation including occupational licensing disciplinary actions wage and hour enforcement workers compensation independent contractor misclassification subpoena enforcement and unemployment insurance matters. The role ensures timely consistent and effective case handling while supporting division goals related to legal quality operational excellence and responsive service. This position also partners with agency leadership to align litigation strategy workload management and continuous improvement efforts.

WHATS IN IT FOR YOU:

• Make a meaningful impact on legal matters that affect workers businesses and the public across Montana.
• Lead an experienced team of attorneys and paralegals in a collaborative professional environment.
• Shape litigation strategy and contribute to decisions that support fair lawful and efficient agency operations.
• Help improve legal systems workflows and communication practices that strengthen public service delivery.
• Build leadership experience through close partnership with senior legal and executive leadership.
• Work in an environment that values accountability integrity professional growth and continuous improvement.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Lead and develop staff by coaching mentoring and evaluating attorneys and paralegals to support high performance accountability and professional growth.
• Direct litigation strategy by overseeing all stages of administrative and civil litigation to ensure sound legal analysis consistent positions and timely resolution of cases.
• Manage caseloads and workflow by assigning and balancing work in a manner that promotes fairness efficiency service quality and staff development.
• Advise on complex matters by providing guidance on high-impact cases including legal strategy settlement evaluation and review of significant filings.
• Coordinate with stakeholders by partnering with the General Counsel agency divisions and external entities to support aligned legal approaches and effective outcomes.
• Improve processes and systems by reviewing litigation practices and identifying practical changes that strengthen communication timeliness and operational effectiveness.
• Monitor performance and trends by tracking workload case activity and outcomes and providing clear strategic updates to agency leadership.
• Model public service values by demonstrating integrity accountability professionalism and sound judgment in representing the agencys legal interests.