Environmental Counsel

American Water is seeking an Environmental Counsel in Camden, NJ, responsible for ensuring compliance with environmental policies and regulations, addressing risks from emerging contaminants, and developing compliance programs. The role involves collaboration with environmental and operations teams and managing litigation strategies related to environmental issues. American Water values diversity and offers competitive benefits, focusing on health, wellness, and career development.
Requisition ID: 106822

Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued.

People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals.

We are Beautifully Different. We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey.

About American Water
American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing® by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 regulated jurisdictions and 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $40 to $42 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.

American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Primary Role

This new role will be responsible for ensuring compliance with existing and new environmental policy, legislation, and regulation at the federal and state levels, identifying and mitigating potential risks and challenges associated with emerging contaminants, and for developing a compliance program to address these issues. Specifically, this role will work closely with the AW environmental and operations functional teams to proactively address environmental risks associated with impacted source water as well as the regulatory and permit requirements related to treatment, distribution, and disposal of residuals across our footprint. In addition, this role will work closely with Litigation Counsel to manage American Water’s litigation strategy for all pending and new environmental litigation.

#LI-JS1

Key Accountabilities
• Work with the American Water environmental and operations functional teams and the Compliance team to proactively address environmental risks and develop a sustainable program to ensure compliance.
• Work with Litigation Counsel to develop litigation strategy related to environmental litigation matters, including existing PFAS MDL cases.
• Meet internal customer’s legal needs.
• Be a source of high caliber legal resources for the business.
• Perform other projects as assigned by the Chief Compliance Officer.

Knowledge/Skills
• Ability to successfully interact with and be responsive to other management, professional and non-professional employees of the Corporation and its affiliates.
• Ability to successfully represent corporate interests before courts of competent jurisdiction and to interact in a professional and persuasive manner with the appropriate stakeholders.
• Ability to professionally and successfully interact with governmental, legislative or law enforcement entities/representatives.
• Appropriate and successful interaction with other attorneys and professionals, including management of outside legal counsel. Ability to provide successful interaction with customers, contractors, vendors and the general public.
• Expertise in environmental regulations in the manufacturing or utility industry. Experience in remediation or compliance programs a plus. Experience in environmental-related litigation or administrative actions.

Experience/Education
• At least 7 years of experience as a licensed, practicing attorney. Regulatory (EPA, state regulators) experience and/or experience before federal or state agencies required.
• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school.
• More experience may be consdiered for a Sr. level position as well..

Work Environment
• Professional office environment.

Travel Requirements
• 20%
• Overnight and extended periods of travel may be necessary

Competencies

Champions safety

Customer obsessed

Cultivates innovation

Nimble learning

Drives Results

Collaborates

Join American Water...We Keep Life Flowing™

American Water is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because they are an individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.