Closing Date: 31st July, 2026
Description:
Job Details:- Working Title: Deputy General Counsel
- Job Class: Staff Attorney 3
- Agency: Minnesota Department of Agriculture
Job ID: 95610
- Location: St. Paul
- Telework Eligible: Yes
- Full/Part Time: Full-Time
- Regular/Temporary: Unlimited
- Who May Apply: This vacancy is open to all qualified job seekers.
- Date Posted: 07/22/2026
- Closing Date: 07/31/2026
- Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit: Minnesota Department of Agriculture
- Division/Unit: Commissioner's Office / Legal Services Staff
- Work Shift/Work Hours: Day Shift
- Days of Work: Monday - Friday
- Travel Required: No
- Salary Range: $43.69 - $64.80 / hourly; $91,224 - $135,302 / annually
- Classified Status: Classified
- Bargaining Unit/Union: 217 - Nonrepresented Employees Compensation Plan
- FLSA Status: Exempt - Professional
- Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities (https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/people-with-disabilities/connect700/): Yes
At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.
Job Summary:
This position in located in St. Paul and may have the ability to telework part of the time.
In this role, the attorney is responsible for providing the Department with legal expertise to ensure the Department's compliance with state and federal laws, providing legal advice on agencywide and division-specific issues, assisting the General Counsel with coordinating the Department's litigation and provision of a wide array of legal services, rulemaking and legislative submissions, and collaborating in the development and implementation of Department legal policies and best practices. The individual in this position will conduct legal and policy research, perform analysis on diverse and complex matters, provide risk analysis and legal advice, and produce written products for a variety of audiences and purposes.
The position is responsible for regularly providing direct advice to agency leadership and routinely handling legal issues that are complex, novel, and/or require understanding of how multiple areas of legal practice interact.
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
To facilitate proper years of service crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held.
Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an ABA accredited law school.
License in good standing from Minnesota or another state with the ability to be admitted to Minnesota without examination within six months of hire and current with continuing legal education requirements.
Four (4) years of experience working as a licensed attorney, practicing in Minnesota. This work experience must include conducting legal research, writing, and analysis (judicial clerkship experience will count toward this criteria).
Previous experience providing legal advice, litigation, or support in one or more of the following areas: litigation management, data practices and privacy, rulemaking, human resources, labor and employment law, contracts and grants, and administrative cases.
Preferred Qualifications:
Knowledge and experience in one (1) or more of the following areas:
- The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and/or other privacy laws.
- Experience planning and delivering complex legal training to non-legal audiences.
- Experience working with or at the Minnesota Attorney General's Office.
- Experience working with or at another State government agency.
- Government grants/contracts/acquisitions.
- Knowledge and experience handling issues related to state and federal laws as they relate to state agency programs and services.
Additional Requirements:
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will not sponsor applicants for work visas, including STEM OPT extensions. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the US.
A job offer will be contingent upon successfully passing a background check. It is the policy of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, as part of its hiring procedures, to conduct background checks on the finalist(s) for positions within the agency. The background check may consist of the following components:
- SEMA4 Records Check (applies to current and former state employees only)
- Employment Reference Check
- Driver's License Check
- Conflict of Interest Review
- Application Details
How to Apply:
Select “Apply for Job” at the top of this page. If you have questions about applying for jobs, contact the Careers Help Desk at 651-259-3637 or email careers@state.mn.us. For additional information about the application process, go to http://www.mn.gov/careers.
Contact:
If you have questions about this position, contact Doug Spanier at douglas.spanier@state.mn.us
To receive consideration as a Connect 700 Program applicant, apply online, email the Job ID#, the Working Title and your valid Proof of Eligibility Certificate by the closing date to Becky Hierlinger at becky.hierlinger@state.mn.us.
About Minnesota Department of Agriculture
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has served our state for more than 125 years. The work we do touches every Minnesota citizen every day.
Our mission is to enhance all Minnesotans' quality of life by equitably ensuring the integrity of our food supply, the health of our environment, and the strength and resilience of our agricultural economy.
Our three general areas of responsibility include:
- Protecting our food supply;
- Protecting our natural resources; and,
- Cultivating our agricultural economy.
What do Minnesota's State employees have in common?
- A sense of purpose in their work
- Connection with their coworkers and communities
- Opportunities for personal and professional growth