Associate Regulatory Counsel

The Utility Regulation and Competition Office (“URCO” or “Office”) is an independent, multi-sector regulatory body responsible for regulating information and communications technology, energy and electricity, water, and fuels in the Cayman Islands. Our mandate is to protect consumers, ensure fair competition, and promote innovation, investment, and development in all regulated sectors. The sectors are regulated by the Utility Regulation and Competition Act (URCA) and the sector-specific acts and regulations. The Associate Regulatory Counsel (ARC) is a senior professional legal role within the Office's Legal function, reporting to the Regulatory Counsel (RC). While the RC serves as the Office's principal legal adviser and sets overall legal strategy, the ARC is expected to operate with a meaningful degree of professional autonomy, exercising independent legal judgment and taking ownership of defined categories of legal advice on matters through to conclusion.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide independent legal advice and interpretation on the URC Act, related sector acts and regulations, subsidiary legislation, and sector-specific legislation, escalating novel or high-risk issues to the Regulatory Counsel.
• Serve as a trusted internal legal adviser to CEO, Executive Directors, Senior Management, and sector teams on regulatory, compliance, and governance matters, providing final sign-off on lower-risk or routine advice within parameters agreed with the RC.
• Provide general corporate legal advice on internal operational matters, including the review, drafting, and negotiation of contracts for goods and services, procurement arrangements, and vendor agreements.
• Provide legal advice and support to the Director of HR & Operations and senior management on Human Resources matters, including employment contracts, disciplinary and grievance processes, and employment-related legal risk.
• Advice on Data Protection queries and disputes, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and related specialised statutory processes, taking ownership of these areas as a designated subject-matter lead.
• Advise on, draft, and finalise regulations, rules, determinations, enforcement notices, and administrative measures pursuant to the URC Act and sector-specific acts, taking primary drafting responsibility on assigned matters.
• Support the review of laws under which the Office operates, advising on potential amendments and drafting legislative instruments and regulations under the enabling laws.
• Advise on the regulatory implications of market developments, including mergers, joint ventures, and licensing transactions involving licensees or third parties.
• Contribute legal perspective to the development of URCO's policy and practice on competition law matters, working collaboratively with policy and economic teams.
• Take carriage of assigned litigation and alternative dispute resolution matters relating to URCO, including case strategy, drafting pleadings, and managing external counsel, under the general oversight of the Regulatory Counsel.
• Assist in negotiating settlements and regulatory enforcement outcomes to protect the Office's statutory interests.
• Draft and finalise consultations, determinations, statements, enforcement notices, and legal documents, and prepare papers for URCO's Board and committees.
• Provide investigatory support and legal analysis in own-motion and complaint-driven infrastructure and licensing disputes across sectors.
• Representing URCO in legal and regulatory forums, conferences, and working groups, contributing to best practice exchange.

Qualifications and Experience

Applicants should meet the following minimum requirements

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB), with admission (or immediate eligibility for admission) to the Bar in the Cayman Islands as a member in good standing, or a comparable common law jurisdiction.
• Minimum of ten (10) years post-qualification experience in the practice of law.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in regulatory law, preferably across utilities, energy, fuels, water, or ICT sectors.
• Minimum of three (3) years of litigation experience.
• Demonstrated experience providing legal advice on commercial contracts and/or employment and Human Resources matters, in addition to regulatory law.
• Expertise in administrative law, utility regulation, competition law, and dispute resolution.
• Experience with international regulatory frameworks and standards is an asset.
• Knowledge of the Grand Court Rules, litigation, and Alternative Dispute Resolution processes in the Cayman Islands.
• Working knowledge of commercial contract law and employment law principles as applied in the Cayman Islands.
• A demonstrable interest in and an understanding of regulatory, competition, and consumer issues.
• Detailed understanding of corporate governance.

Benefits

• 25 days’ vacation per annum
• Non-contributory premier health insurance coverage and non-contributory 12% pension contribution.

How to apply

• All applications must include the following: (1) a cover letter, (2) curriculum vitae, (3) application form, (4) two professional character references. Incomplete applications, including those missing required supporting documents, will not be considered.
• A detailed job description, application form and application notes are available online at: www.ofreg.ky/job-opportunities
• A resume, application form and cover letter should be sent to: https://ofreg.bamboohr.com/jobs
• Please submit application form together with your resume as one (1) PDF.
• Preference will be given to suitably qualified and experienced Caymanians or legal residents.