General Law Counsel / Senior Counsel - Environmental, Safety, and Health, Hybrid

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

• Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
• Extraordinary co-workers
• Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
• Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
• Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov

*These benefits vary by job classification.

Are you a licensed Attorney who has Environmental, Safety, and Health legal experience?  Do you want to join a diverse team that advises on challenging issues of national interest? Then please apply!

At Sandia National Laboratories (Sandia) you will provide environmental, safety, health, and other regulatory legal advice to enable Sandia to comply with laws and regulations while addressing the nation's most pressing national security needs.   You will work for National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC (NTESS), which operates Sandia National Laboratories for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).   Sandia has facilities in multiple states, a budget of approximately $5B, and numerous complex operational test sites.  As a federally funded research and development center, NTESS operates under a Management and Operating (M&O) Contract with NNSA.

A successful candidate will be called upon in any given day to ensure Sandia can meet its national security mission by:

• Providing legal advice and counsel on environmental, safety and health law matters, including compliance, permitting, enforcement actions and litigation. Matters may cover Department of Energy nuclear or non-nuclear safety and health requirements; federal environmental requirements (e.g., National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act, Toxic Substances and Control Act) as well as state and local equivalents; emergency management requirements; and related internal policies
• Interacting with technical program staff, subject matter experts, management at all levels, DOE/NNSA oversight, and other regulatory bodies
• Providing review of environmental, safety and health regulatory deliverables for legal sufficiency, including permits, policies, and responses to enforcement actions and other court actions
• Providing analyses of proposed environmental, safety and health legislation or regulations for impacts to operations and advise on mitigation of risks
• Handling administrative permit or rulemaking hearings, appeals and other legal proceedings, and managing and working with outside counsel as appropriate
• Learning and providing legal advice and counsel in other administrative law areas
• Drafting legal analyses, including memoranda, as appropriate

The selected applicant can work a combination of onsite and offsite work. The selected applicant must live within a reasonable distance for commuting to the assigned work location when necessary and is expected to work on-site a minimum of 2-3 days/week. This position may be filled at the Counsel or Senior Counsel level depending upon the experience and qualifications of the selected applicant.

$163,700 - $278,000

*Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

• Law degree from an ABA accredited law school and active bar membership
• Three or more years of experience at in-house legal department(s), government and/or law firm(s) specializing in environmental, safety and health matters
• Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to communicate environmental, health and safety requirements
• Demonstrated experience in advocacy or negotiation with regulatory agencies and citizen organizations to settle or resolve matters
• Demonstrated ability to apply legal knowledge and judgment to clients, which may include experience in or demonstrated aptitude for in-house counseling, e.g., triage and issue spot quickly and competently, communicate complex legal challenges clearly, help inform and advise in a practical manner
• Demonstrated ability to work with legal research tools (e.g., Westlaw), legal matter management and document systems (e.g. ServiceNow), litigation databases (e.g., Relativity), and collaboration platforms (e.g., Teams)
• Ability to obtain and maintain a required DOE-Q level security clearance

• Scientific or technical degree or experience
• Administrative or other litigation experience, including administrative hearings and enforcement proceedings
• Experience with compliance programs
• Demonstrated legal project management skills or other complex project management skills
• Demonstrated strong writing, communication, and organizational skills
• Flexibility and ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks/projects

The Regulatory and Contract Law Center provides legal support to NTESS across a wide range of areas, including procurement, corporate law, environmental and safety regulations, FOIA, privacy, taxation, and government contracting. The Center is part of the Legal and Prime Contract Division, which includes 17 attorneys and a total staff of 63 engaged in compliance and regulatory functions.

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.  

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.