Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge, PUC –Administrative Law Judge Division

Job Opportunity Bulletin Number:  J610112156

2 Position are available.

1 Full Time / Permanent

1 Limited-Term position, not to exceed 24 months. 

This position is pending Department of Finance approval.

$9056 - $9984* monthly

*Assistant Chief ALJs who complete a qualified National Judicial College (NJC) certificated course related to administrative law adjudication or twenty (20) hours of judicial education or certification as approved by the employee’s department shall receive a monthly differential of five percent (5%) of their salary.  Equivalency shall be determined by the Department of Personnel Administration based on recommendations from the employee’s department.

Until Filled

California Public Utilities Commission

Administrative Law Judge Division

505 Van Ness Avenue

Interested applicants should submit an ONLINE JOB APPLICATION along with a Statement of Qualifications.

If you need assistance completing the application, you may ask the Human Resources staff, or e-mail pucjobop@cpuc.ca.gov or call (855) 663-0222. 

Questions concerning this position should be directed to Jacqueline Dandridge (jd2@cpuc.ca.gov) or (415) 703-1793. 

The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) shall be in 12 pt., Times New Roman font and not to exceed three (3) typewritten pages.  Beyond the page limit and font size stated above, the format and organization of the information presented in the SOQ is at the discretion of the candidate.  The SOQ should include a detailed explanation relating to the two areas listed below in order to allow a reviewer to easily discern the candidate’s knowledge, experiences and abilities.  Each candidate’s SOQ will be rated on their written communication skills, as well as the content of the abilities and experiences presented using standardized rating criteria to select the most qualified candidate for the position.  Hiring interviews may be conducted for the most highly qualified candidates.

Please observe the page limit.  If a candidate’s SOQ exceeds the three-page limit, only the first three pages will be evaluated.  Applicants who do not submit a completed SOQ with their application will not be given further consideration.

Please note that all information provided is subject to verification. For each of the topic areas discussed in the SOQ, please include the name(s) and phone number(s) of supervisor(s) and/or manager(s) who are knowledgeable about your work and may be contacted for verification.

1.  Explain how your background and experience will enable you to accomplish the duties of an Assistant Chief Administrative Law Judge at the California Public Utilities Commission. What skills and experience do you possess that make you the right fit for the job?

2.   From your work experience in the past three years, provide examples that demonstrate your ability to remain productive and meet competing deadlines despite having multiple assignments.

Who May Apply:

Applicants eligible for lateral transfer (defined in SPB Rules 430-433*), list appointment, voluntary demotion, reinstatement or other State Civil Service eligibility under SPB rules will be considered.  To become “list eligible” for consideration, interested candidates must successfully pass a civil service exam.  To be eligible for list appointment, candidates must take the applicable exam and be listed in the first three ranks. Those applicants currently on an SROA list or employed by a surplus department in a specific classification designated as surplus will be given primary consideration.

Duties/Responsibilities:

The Commission's formal proceedings can involve ratemaking, environmental, consumer, financial, and other administrative regulatory issues, and Commission decisions can adjudicate complaints or enforcement matters, resolve rate setting matters, and establish policy germane to the Commission's regulation of public utilities. Many proceedings are resolved using alternative dispute resolution techniques. Under the direction of the Chief Administrative Law Judge, Assistant Chief ALJs are responsible for supervision of ALJs to ensure that assigned matters are processed timely, that hearings are conducted in a fair and impartial manner, and that decision drafts are well-written, explain Commission policy, rely on the record, and contain adequate findings of fact, conclusions of law, and ordering paragraphs. Assistant Chief ALJs are also responsible for facilitating interaction between ALJs and Commissioners, advisors, other Commission divisions, and support personnel within the ALJ Division.  Assistant Chief ALJs may undertake specific management and supervisory responsibilities regarding other activities needed to support the Commission's decision-making process, such as document filing, agenda preparation, maintenance of the record of formal proceedings, publication of rulings and decisions, and other related work.  Assistant Chief ALJs may also cover the duties of ALJs in the event of illness or other unexpected absences, or if unexpected events occur during an ALJ’s planned absence.

Required Experience/Qualifications:

A successful candidate will have experience managing complex, multi-party proceedings or cases which involve contentious issue and set or change policy.  Candidate will have knowledge and experience with ratesetting, policy, finance, environmental issues, consumer issues and other administrative regulatory issues; experience with alternative dispute resolution techniques; experience planning, organizing and directing the work of multi-disciplinary professional and administrative staff; and experience building consensus and agreement among a diverse group of staff and decision-makers to resolve a variety of issues.