Deputy General Counsel-Life & Annuity Products/Health Products/Consumer Education & Protection/FOIA

Position Overview

The Illinois Department of Insurance is seeking to hire an attorney to serve as a Deputy General Counsel for the Department. The Deputy General Counsel will serve as a principal legal advisor for Life and Annuity Insurance Products, Health Insurance Products, and the Consumer Education and Protection Division. The Health Insurance portion of this position's portfolio includes the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange, also known as Get Covered Illinois. The Deputy General Counsel also will supervise the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program for the Department, as well as the Department's Ethics Officer. The Deputy General Counsel participates in the formulation and implementation of Department policy regarding all of the above matters and helps to ensure the quality of legal work product related to such matters. This position will serve as spokesperson for the Department on various technical and confidential legal matters and will review, draft, or consult on legislation, rulemakings, and regulatory guidance; coordinate within the Office of Legal Affairs, with Department stakeholders, and with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General on litigation and administrative hearings; coordinate special investigations; and review reports prepared by Department managers and regulators.
The Office of Legal Affairs consists of attorneys who provide legal counsel to all areas within the Department. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership and organizational qualities, critical thinking skills, experience with insurance laws, and the ability to work independently and/or as a team member to complete assigned projects. We invite all qualified candidates to apply.

Essential Functions

• As Deputy General Counsel, serves as the principle legal policy advisor for the statewide Life and Annuity Insurance Products, Health Insurance Products, Market Conduct, Consumer Education and Protection and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) programs.
• Serves as spokesperson for the Director and the Department to various internal and external entities, i.e., Illinois Attorney General’s Office, legislators, private attorneys, Department attorneys, general public, etc., on all statewide Life and Annuity Insurance Products, Health Insurance Products, Consumer Education and Protection and FOIA related matters, some of which may be technical or complex in nature.
• Coordinates special investigations and reviews reports.
• Serves as full-line Supervisor. Supervises the legal activities of subordinate technical staff and advises staff regarding legal policy and regulatory affairs.
• Assigns and reviews work.
• Coordinates legal activities requiring conferences with attorneys, legislators, organizations, and governmental officials of various government levels to resolve matters of statutory interpretation and compliance.
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires graduation from a recognized law school and possession of a license to practice law in Illinois.
• Requires four years of progressively responsible administrative experience in the practice of law with an extensive knowledge of the legislative and rulemaking process.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers experience with insurance laws.
• Prefers thorough knowledge of judicial and quasi-judicial procedures at all levels.
• Prefers thorough knowledge of common law, Federal and State laws, and regulations.
• Prefers working with management and procedural problems.
• Prefers ability to plan, layout and coordinate the work of a professional staff.
• Prefers ability to apply legal methods, practices, and procedures to the overall operations of a large department.
• Prefers ability to develop and maintain effective public contacts and satisfactory working relationships with others at all levels in State, Federal and local government.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires the ability to pass a background check.
• Requires ability to travel.
• Requires a valid & current driver's license.
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine.
• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.
• The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency

The Department of Insurance (DOI) regulates the insurance market in the State of Illinois including, but not limited to, licensing and educating insurance agents, investigating Workers Compensation fraud, and examining the operations and finances of insurance companies domiciled in the state. We are committed to protecting consumers and regulating the insurance industry with innovation and efficiency. DOI has approximately 220 employees who are split between our Chicago and Springfield offices.

State of Illinois employees enjoy a robust benefit package, including:

• Health, Life, Vision, and Dental Insurance
• 13 Paid Holidays annually, 14 on even numbered years
• 10-25 days of Paid Vacation time annually - (10 days in year one of employment)
• 12 Paid Sick Days annually (sick days carry over from year to year)
• 12 Weeks Paid Maternity/Paternity Leave
• 3 Paid Personal Days annually
• Pension Plan
• Deferred Compensation Program and other pre-tax benefit programs (Medical/Daycare)
• Flexible work schedules may be available, dependent upon position
• Tuition Reimbursement Program and Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility

Visit https://www2.illinois.gov/cms/benefits/Pages/default.aspx for more information about our benefits.