Chief Counsel, Tax

Requisition ID # 165297 

Job Category: Legal 

Job Level: Attorney

Business Unit: Gen Counsel, Ethics, Risk & Compliance

Work Type: Hybrid

Job Location: Oakland; Washington D.C.

Department Overview

The Law Department provides timely, efficient and business-focused legal services to the company. The Regulatory, Environment and Land legal teamprovides both regulatory and transactional support across a broad spectrum of matters pertaining to rates, rate design, the environment, land and real estate.   

Position Summary

The Chief Counsel (Tax) Attorney will report to the Managing Counsel for Regulatory, Environment and Land and will work primarily in the area of corporate tax.  The Chief Counsel will be responsible for providing legal advice and representation to clients in various aspects of corporate tax matters, including the impact of and relationship to taxes on customer rates.  The Chief Counsel (Tax) will be expected to have substantive experience in tax matters such as normalization, depreciation, method changes, entity formation, transactional structuring.  The Chief Counsel (Tax) will be expected to provide guidance and assist in developing strategies supporting tax project teams in audit, regulatory and appellate proceedings before agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Tax Court, the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB), the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). 

This position is hybrid, working from your remote office and the Oakland General Office(OGO) or Washington DC Office based on business need. 

Reporting Relationship

Reports to the Managing Counsel -- Regulatory, Environment and Land.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and implement beneficial and regulatorily appropriate tax strategies as part of a team that includes our Tax Department, regulatory affairs and client representatives from policy and operational organizations.
• Provide support to Functional Areas and assist project teams consisting of lawyers, both internal and external and client representatives on tax and regulatory matters, including state and local taxes.
• Represent PG&E in proceedings before the IRS, FTB, CPUC, FERC, as well as other federal, state and local agencies, which will include hearings, workshops, written submissions and filings.
• Provide advice and counsel to senior management and project teams on legal tax issues and strategy.
• Prepare legal documents, including complex pleadings and Board materials.
• Efficiently manage and coordinate outside counsel in coordination with Tax Department, regulatory affairs and other relevant organizations, including outside counsel budget.

Leadership Qualities

PG&E expects its leaders to conduct themselves with the highest ethics and integrity and to embody specific leadership qualities.

Strategic Mindset

• Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
• Operating effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear.

A Leader in the Community and Industry

• Effectively building formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization.
• Anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders.

Demonstrates Safety Leadership

• A safety champion in words and deeds with respect to both employee and public safety.
• Maintaining an environment of open dialog and free of retaliation.

Influences and Inspires

• Using various communications that convey a clear understanding of the needs of different audiences.
• Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related dynamics.

Optimizes Team Performance

• Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Creating a climate where people are developed and motivated to do their best to help the organization.

Values Diversity and Creates Inclusion

• Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.

Fiscally Responsible

• Interpreting and applying understanding of key financial indicators to make better business decisions.
• Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.

Leads Ethically and in a Compliant Manner

• Sponsoring and sustaining a high integrity speak-up corporate culture which prioritizes ethics, safety and compliance.
• Building on necessary level of industry, company and subject-matter expertise, including laws and regulations.

Provides a High Level of Customer Service

• Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.

Compensation

PG&E is providing the salary range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job.  The actual salary paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, and internal equity.  Although we estimate the successful candidate hired into this role will be placed towards the middle of the range ($256,000), the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis related to these factors.​

A reasonable salary range is:

Bay Area Minimum: $209,000

Bay Area Maximum:$355,000

Background Qualifications

Minimum

• Juris Doctor degree, L.L.M. in taxation preferred
• Experience as Attorney, 10 years
• Legal experience, post-JD-Juris Doctor, or other job-related, 13 years
• Law Bar admission, US

Desired

• Experience in legal matters, complex
• Law Bar admission, CA or, alternatively, Registered In-House Counsel permit, CA
• Previous tax leadership experience – industry or bar associations
• Previous corporate finance experience is a plus