Assistant County Attorney

Archuleta County is seeking a qualified Assistant County Attorney. The Assistant County Attorney earns a salaried wage of $84.903.31- $118,946.05/per year, depending on experience and qualifications. We also offer excellent benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(a) retirement plan, County will match employee contribution, up to 7%, 11 paid holidays, PTO, and $50,000 of life and AD&D insurance.

ABOUT ARCHULETA COUNTY

Pagosa Springs is the county seat for Archuleta County and is located in the Colorado Sunbelt, just 35 miles north of the New Mexico border along the western slope of the Continental Divide. The combination of a high desert plateau and the Rocky Mountains to the north and east of town creates an unusually mild mountain climate. As a portal to the nearly 3 million acres of the San Juan National Forest and Weminuche Wilderness Area, Archuleta County is a doorway to the four seasons of outdoor adventure which landed us in Outdoors Magazine's top 10 best Towns in American (2015) and Men's Journal's "20 Best Mountain Towns in America (2017).

In order to assemble and retain team members who share our core values of honesty, integrity, sound judgment, customer service, professionalism, and accountability, we work hard to be an employer of choice. We offer competitive pay, generous benefits, and a positive work culture.

JOB SUMMARY

Under general direction of the County Attorney, assist in providing legal advice, representation, and legal services to the Archuleta County Board of County Commissioners and other assigned County departments.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

Receives direct supervision from the County Attorney, at the direction of the Board of County Commissioners. The Assistant County Attorney must be capable of exercising independent judgment in determining objectives and approaches to critical situations and assignments.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED

May delegate tasks, instructions, and assignments to the Paralegal, as needed and if necessary, in consultation with the County Attorney.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Provide counsel and legal representation, supported by one Paralegal, for Archuleta County, which may include research, all aspects of litigation, policy review, and general legal advice regarding current issues under consideration by the County.
• Advise and represent the Archuleta County Department of Human Services on child welfare cases, delinquency cases, other legal matters, and various administrative matters. Approximately 50% of the Assistant County Attorney's time will be dedicated to the Archuleta County Department of Human Services.
• Assume responsibility for legal matters handled by the Attorney's Office, including but not limited to the following:
  • Matters and legal actions regarding child welfare, child support enforcement, dependency and neglect and adult protection;
  • Property tax appeals;
  • Building and land use code enforcement;
  • Responses to public records requests and litigation related to same;
  • Land use applications under the County's Land Use Regulations;
  • Review contracts, draft resolutions, ordinances, property transactions and other legal instruments for legal sufficiency, and;
  • Otherwise perform tasks related to providing legal advice and representation of the County and its elected and appointed officials.
• Draft and respond to motions; research legal issues; analyze cases; prepare cases for hearing and present evidence, including witness testimony at various hearings, adjudicatory trials and termination of parental right's hearings.
• Train and partner with Department of Human Services caseworkers.
• Participate as a colleague in a highly valued, well trained, respected, agile and responsive law office.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• A Juris Doctor from an accredited law school, with a record of strong academic performance.
• Three to five years of practice experience is preferred with county, municipal or other local government, including experience handling child welfare, child support enforcement, dependency and neglect and adult protection legal matters.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Exhibits the highest levels of independent professional judgment, ethics, and professionalism commensurate with a position of public trust.
• Desires and is motivated to work in a results-driven, mission-oriented, fast-paced professional environment.
• Has the ability to independently handle legal matters on behalf of the County.
• Has the ability to organize and express ideas through excellent oral and written communications to a wide variety of audiences, particularly a demonstrated proficiency with written and oral advocacy.
• Has the ability to focus proactively on risk management and problem avoidance.
• Has the ability to find workable solutions to problems either independently or in collaboration with the County Attorney.
• Has experience making timely analytical, unbiased and reasoned professional judgment, and the ability to accept and support decisions of the client in a positive manner, but at the same time provide candid advice and counsel to the client.
• Has the proven ability to be a good listener and communicator, both orally and in writing.
• Has the ability to provide timely, accurate and responsive work product.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED

• Multi-line central telephone and voice mail system
• Personal computer including Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WebEx, Westlaw and Nitro Pro software
• Printer
• Copier
• Automobile (normally a county vehicle)
• Web camera and microphone

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

Admission to practice and active member of the Bar of the State of Colorado in good standing, with the ability to maintain active admission during employment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physical demands include those that may add stress to the hands, wrists, forearms, eyes and back associated with ongoing computer work.
• The employee must be able to drive a motor vehicle and may be exposed to inclement weather and temperatures.
• The employee must be available and capable of effectively working in excess of a standard eight-hour workday and five-day work week.

COGNITIVE DEMANDS

• Requires the ability to listen to, read, understand, and communicate the English language so that others are able to understand. This must be done both orally and in writing at the level appropriate for the position held.
• Requires the ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules.
• Requires the ability to remember directions and processes for all essential duties; requires remembering facts; requires remembering the gist of past conversations, situations, and events.
• Requires focus for long periods of time; concentration on details and thoroughness in completing work tasks; filtering out distractions; ignoring irrelevant information.
• Requires the ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. Requires the ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Requires the ability to reflect on strategy, plan, adopt an approach, and change direction if not working.
• Requires the ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• Requires understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. Requires selecting and using training/instruction appropriate for the situation.
• Requires employee to manage and track his/her own time and the time of others effectively so that tasks get done in an efficient matter and deadlines are met.
• Requires being dependable, honest, willing to take on responsibilities and challenges, exerting maximum effort toward completing essential duties, persistent in problem solving, adaptable to change (positive or negative), and being pleasant to others.
• Requires being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
• Requires assessing the performance of oneself, other individuals, and/or the organization to make improvements or take corrective action.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.
• This job may require you to work from a remote location.