Assistant Chief Counsel

Job Description and Duties

Join the mission-driven team at the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) as we work to safeguard California's health and environment. As part of the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA), DTSC is dedicated to regulating hazardous waste and overseeing the safe handling, treatment, storage, transportation, and disposal of toxic substances statewide, and taking enforcement against violators of hazardous waste laws.

In this role, under the direction of the Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief Counsel of DTSC's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), the Assistant Chief Counsel (ACC) will serve as the lead subject matter expert in OLC regarding DTSC's regulation of metal shredding facilities in California. You will act as a strategic legal partner to DTSC program leadership and provide hands-on counsel and legal advice in interpreting new and existing statutory and regulatory provisions regarding metal shredding facilities, developing and adopting regulations implementing new statutes, and enforcing those laws. You will navigate novel legal issues and provide consultative guidance to help program staff resolve implementation and enforcement challenges, ensuring programmatic goals are met within the framework of state laws and policies. You will supervise a team of talented and dedicated attorneys within OLC and provide administrative oversight of those attorneys, while working collaboratively with other program areas within OLC including the ACCs assigned to those areas.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Effective July 1, 2025, specific Bargaining Units and associated Excluded State employees are subject to a salary reduction between 2% - 4.62% in exchange for hours in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) per month. For more details, please click here .

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment. The Department of Toxic Substances Control does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes.

A hybrid telework schedule may be available for this position.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Experience as an attorney with federal or state environmental law
• Experience recruiting, supervising, or mentoring practicing attorneys
• Experience as an attorney in senior management or advising on legal policy issues
• Federal and state court litigation experience

• Experience with California's administrative laws, including rulemaking and enforcement, preferred

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Additional Application Instructions

For experience/education to qualify during the application screening process, and to ensure that minimum qualifications can be determined, applicants should include all employment history on the Employment Application (STD 678), including detailed job descriptions, hours worked per week, and start/end dates (MM/DD/YYYY). Application packages without this information may experience delayed processing times and your eligibility for this position may be impacted.

Electronic applications submitted through your CalCareer Account are highly recommended . If you are unable to apply electronically through your CalCareer account, please mail a completed and signed STD. 678 and application package to the mailing address provided above in the “Application Instructions” section. Applications must be postmarked on or before the final filing date.

For mail-in or drop-off applications, please include JC# 534037  and indicate the basis of your eligibility in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) section. SROA and surplus candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application.

Pending Budget Approval - DTSC will obtain all necessary approvals prior to extending a job offer.

Applicants who completed their education outside the United States (with foreign degree/ transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of United States course/degree equivalency.

Foreign education credential evaluation services can be found at and .

DO NOT include any confidential information in your application or supporting documents (i.e., Social Security Number, birthdate, marital status, medical information, examination results, method of eligibility, etc.).

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.