Closing Date: 24th July, 2026
Description:
The State of New Hampshire, Public Utilities Commission has a full-time vacancy for Senior Advisor (Attorney).Summary:
This dynamic role provides direct exposure to regulatory decision-making and offers meaningful opportunities to apply professional legal expertise in a fast-paced, supportive, and collaborative environment.
As a Senior Advisor, you will provide expert legal counsel on complex, novel, and significant utility dockets, including, without limitation, Utility Rate Proceedings, Electric Default Service Proceedings, Community Power Aggregation Plans, Rate Adjustment Proceedings, Prudency Reviews, Corporate Finance Proceedings, Facility Siting Proceedings, Special Investigations, and Commission rulemaking. You will advise the Commissioners on the interpretation of federal and state statutes, regulations, judicial precedents, and FERC and ISO/RTO procedures, rules, and tariffs. You will review, evaluate, analyze, and summarize complex legal documents and pleadings, and prepare written memoranda for the Commissioners regarding them, identifying and discussing relevant factual and legal issues, and making appropriate recommendations for their resolution. You will prepare the Chairman and Commissioners for adjudicative and non-adjudicative proceedings, assist them in formulating decisions, draft proposed orders for Commissioner review and approval, and provide frank, candid, and confidential legal advice to individual Commissioners. You will work with federal, state, and local government officials, their staff, and ISO/RTO staff. You will analyze and summarize proposed federal and state legislation and regulations. You will be expected to plan and proceed with work on your own initiative and to exercise sound professional judgment in your advice and recommendations to the Commissioners. You will also perform other legal and office duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education: An LL.B. or J.D. from a recognized law school.
Experience: At least five (5) years of relevant legal experience, preferably in utility, energy, or administrative law. Attorneys with experience in civil or administrative litigation, federal or state rulemaking, or as judicial law clerks are encouraged to apply.
License/Certification: You must be admitted to practice law in New Hampshire and be in “active status” and good standing with the New Hampshire Bar Association. Attorneys admitted and in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction who are eligible to be admitted in New Hampshire by motion or examination are also welcome to apply. As conditions of continued employment, all Senior Advisors must be admitted to New Hampshire no later than the first anniversary of their hire date, and, thereafter, continuously maintain “active status” and good standing with the New Hampshire Bar Association.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Demonstrated experience handling utility commission proceedings.
- Strong research, writing, time management, and problem-solving skills.
- The ability to tactfully and effectively communicate complex concepts to lawyers and laypeople.
- The desire to work independently on complicated legal matters in a supportive environment.
- An interest in evolving state, regional, and national energy, environmental, and utility policies, regulatory requirements, market trends, and industry standards.
- An unshakable but deserved confidence in your professional abilities.
Example Work Product:
After an evidentiary hearing and preliminary Commission deliberations on the contested issues in a pending matter, a Senior Advisor will be asked to prepare a proposed Order reciting the applicable evidence, the positions of the parties, a proposed Commission decision and the exceptions thereto, the decisional precedents if any, and after appropriate written analysis and discussion, reaches factually supported and well-reasoned conclusions as to each of the issues to be adjudicated, in accordance with New Hampshire law, sound regulatory practices and policy, and the expressed views of the majority of the Commissioners.
Disclaimer Statement: The supplemental job description lists the essential functions of the position and is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. An employee may be required to perform other related duties not listed on the supplemental job description provided that such duties are characteristic of that classification.
For further information please contact Chairman Christopher Ellms, Jr. at employment@puc.nh.gov or 603-271-2437.