Closing Date: 19th December, 2025
Description:
Salary$44.98 - $71.96 Hourly
$93,552 - $149,683 Annually
This position is a Pay Band C12
Posting Details
Interviews are anticipated to be conducted within two weeks of closing date.
This position is located in the Litigation and Adjudication Program, Bureau for Pueblos/Tribes/Nations (PTN) in Santa Fe, NM. The Bureau works with the Tribal Liaison to manage and coordinate legal issues related to New Mexico's Pueblos, Tribes, and Nations. This includes negotiating water rights settlements; implementing water rights settlements; legislative activities related to tribal water rights; and assisting with water rights administration, adjudication, and enforcement issues related to tribal water rights.
To learn more about the Office of the State Engineer, please visit our website: https://www.ose.nm.gov/
Why does the job exist?
This purpose of this position is to oversee the OSE's legal work regarding the water rights of New Mexico's Pueblos, Tribes, and Nations. It requires coordinating interdisciplinary teams composed of legal and technical experts who are engaged in the negotiation and implementation of tribal water rights settlements, as well as working with legal and technical staff across the agency on other issues that intersect with tribal water rights, including water rights administration, adjudications, and enforcement.
This position also involves high-visibility external engagement with representatives from Pueblos, Tribes, and Nations, as well as state and federal legislative staff, and non-tribal parties to water rights negotiations (including acequias and municipalities).
This position requires a deep knowledge of the law of tribal water rights, and familiarity with existing water rights settlements and New Mexico water issues is a major plus.
This position coordinates and manages the complex, specialized and highly varied work by the technical and legal professionals of the Pueblos/Tribes/Nations (PTN) Adjudication Bureau.
This purpose of this position is to oversee the OSE's legal work regarding the water rights of New Mexico's Pueblos, Tribes, and Nations. It requires coordinating interdisciplinary teams composed of legal and technical experts who are engaged in the negotiation and implementation of tribal water rights settlements, as well as working with legal and technical staff across the agency on other issues that intersect with tribal water rights, including water rights administration, adjudications, and enforcement.
This position also involves high-visibility external engagement with representatives from Pueblos, Tribes, and Nations, as well as state and federal legislative staff, and non-tribal parties to water rights negotiations (including acequias and municipalities).
This position requires a deep knowledge of the law of tribal water rights, and familiarity with existing water rights settlements and New Mexico water issues is a major plus.
This position coordinates and manages the complex, specialized and highly varied work by the technical and legal professionals of the Pueblos/Tribes/Nations (PTN) Adjudication Bureau.
How does it get done?
Who are the customers?
Attorneys will represent the State of New Mexico. This involves working with client agency staff with the Office of the State Engineer and the Interstate Stream Commission.
Ideal Candidate:
The ideal candidate will have experience with:
Minimum Qualification:
Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law and five (5) years of experience in the practice of law. Must be licensed as an attorney by the Supreme Court of New Mexico or qualified to apply for limited practice license (Rules 15-301.1 and 15-301.2 NMRA). For more information on limited practice licenses, please visit http://nmexam.org/limited- license/.
Employment Requirements:
All Attorney classifications must be and remain licensed as an attorney, in good standing, by the Supreme Court of New Mexico, or licensed as an attorney and in good standing by the highest court of another state and eligible pursuant to the limited license provisions (See Rules 15-301.1 and 15-301.2 NMRA).
Working Conditions:
Work is performed in an office setting with extensive computer and telephone usage to include working with faxes, copiers and printers. May be required to travel with constant deadlines, ability to handle the pressures, multiple demands and stress associated with work requirements.
Supplemental Information:
Do you know what Total Compensation is? Click here (http://www.spo.state.nm.us/total-compensation.aspx)
Agency Contact Information: Nat Chakeres, General Counsel & LAP Director (505) 231-4459. Email (nathaniel chakeres@ose.nm.gov)
For information on Statutory Requirements for this position, click the Classification Description link on the job advertisement.
Bargaining Unit Position:
This position is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
- Manage the day to day operations of the Pueblos/Tribes/Nations (PTN) Bureau. This involves active management of the legal and technical staff to ensure they have the necessary support to perform their job and that they are performing the tasks necessary to advance the state's objectives.
- Conduct, in close communication with relevant OSE/ISC leadership, negotiation and implementation tasks regarding tribal water rights.
- In coordination with the OSE General Counsel, develop and maintain the state's position on outstanding legal issues relating to tribal water rights.
- Assist the Tribal Liaison in responding to inquiries regarding tribal water rights, including water rights administration and enforcement issues, to ensure that the appropriate parts of the agency respond accordingly.
- Work with state and federal legislative teams to ensure passage of the appropriate legislation to implement tribal water rights settlements.
Attorneys will represent the State of New Mexico. This involves working with client agency staff with the Office of the State Engineer and the Interstate Stream Commission.
Ideal Candidate:
The ideal candidate will have experience with:
- Supervising and mentoring legal personnel;
- Water rights and natural resource issues, especially New Mexico's constitutional prior appropriation system;
- Representing agencies and clients before administrative tribunals, in trials and/or in judicial proceedings;
- Drafting and editing legal documents such as motions, interrogatories, and briefs, including performing needed legal research and analysis;
- Working in cooperation with lawyers and non-lawyers to understand, articulate and implement pubic agency policy; and
- Working with technical, engineering, hydrological and other scientific experts.
Minimum Qualification:
Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law and five (5) years of experience in the practice of law. Must be licensed as an attorney by the Supreme Court of New Mexico or qualified to apply for limited practice license (Rules 15-301.1 and 15-301.2 NMRA). For more information on limited practice licenses, please visit http://nmexam.org/limited- license/.
Employment Requirements:
All Attorney classifications must be and remain licensed as an attorney, in good standing, by the Supreme Court of New Mexico, or licensed as an attorney and in good standing by the highest court of another state and eligible pursuant to the limited license provisions (See Rules 15-301.1 and 15-301.2 NMRA).
Working Conditions:
Work is performed in an office setting with extensive computer and telephone usage to include working with faxes, copiers and printers. May be required to travel with constant deadlines, ability to handle the pressures, multiple demands and stress associated with work requirements.
Supplemental Information:
Do you know what Total Compensation is? Click here (http://www.spo.state.nm.us/total-compensation.aspx)
Agency Contact Information: Nat Chakeres, General Counsel & LAP Director (505) 231-4459. Email (nathaniel chakeres@ose.nm.gov)
For information on Statutory Requirements for this position, click the Classification Description link on the job advertisement.
Bargaining Unit Position:
This position is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
