Regulatory Counsel

Who are We?

The Utility Regulation and Competition Office (URCO, the Office) is the independent multi sector regulatory body with responsibility for the Energy and Electricity, Fuels, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and Water and Wastewater sectors. The Office maintains regulatory oversight for all utilities providers in the Cayman Islands.

The Office has wide powers for consumer protection and is particularly mandated to facilitate innovation in the sectors for which it has responsibility for the promotion of economic development. URCO enforces compliance for all licensees through the administration of penalties and fines as dictated by the Utility Regulation and Competition (URC) Act and the relevant sector acts and licenses.

Job Purpose

The Regulatory Counsel serves as the Office’s principal legal adviser, providing decisive and authoritative counsel to the Chief Executive Officer, Board, and executive and senior management across all regulated sectors including electricity/energy, fuels, water, and ICT. This executive leadership role combines strategic legal guidance with active legal practice, focused primarily on regulatory law and its application to multi-sector utility oversight.

While the Director of Economics & Regulatory Affairs handles economic policy and compliance functions, the Regulatory Counsel leads all legal matters impacting the Office, including regulatory and administrative law, litigation, statutory interpretation, corporate governance, and contractual issues.

The post-holder is expected to draft legal opinions, prepare determinations, and manage complex disputes, while also advising on legislative reform, regulatory risk, and governance matters.

The Regulatory Counsel will manage and mentor the Associate Regulatory Counsel and foster a culture of excellence, integrity, and continuous development within the Office’s legal function.

Principal Accountabilities

The principal accountabilities of the position include:

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Legal Advisory

• Serve as the chief legal adviser to the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, and senior management on all legal matters affecting the Office’s regulated sectors.

• Provide authoritative, timely, and practical legal opinions on regulatory, administrative, corporate governance, contractual, and compliance issues.

• Interpret and advise on the application of the Utility Regulation and Competition (URC) Act, ICT Act, and all other relevant sector-specific legislation.

• Advise the Board and executive management to ensure proper understanding and discharge of statutory duties, regulatory obligations, and governance requirements.

• Monitor and advise on legal risks, regulatory developments, and emerging issues to support the Office’s decision-making and risk mitigation.

30%

Regulatory & Policy Development

• Lead and oversee the drafting, review, and legal vetting of primary and secondary legislation, regulatory instruments, policies, determinations, enforcement notices, and public consultation documents.

• Ensure legal integrity, procedural fairness, and enforceability of regulatory measures in alignment with legislative mandates and best administrative law practices.

• Collaborate with policy, economic, and sectoral experts to embed legal perspectives effectively within regulatory frameworks and reforms.

• Manage the legal review of consultation processes, ensuring compliance with principles of natural justice and stakeholder engagement obligations.

20%

Litigation & Dispute Management

· Manage all aspects of litigation and dispute resolution involving the Office, including strategy development, drafting pleadings, overseeing external counsel, and courtroom representation as required.

· Provide leadership in negotiating settlements, alternative dispute resolutions, and regulatory enforcement hearings to protect the Office’s statutory interests.

· Develop robust legal responses and defence strategies to challenges against regulatory decisions or mandates.

· Maintain oversight of ongoing legal cases to ensure timely progress and effective resource allocation.

· Support sector teams and the Board by assisting in the drafting and finalisation of draft and final determinations.

· Draft enforcement notices

20%

Leadership & Management

· Lead, mentor, and supervise the Associate Regulatory Counsel and other legal personnel, fostering professional growth and a culture of legal excellence and accountability.

· Carry out performance assessments on all staff direct reports.

· Build and sustain legal capacity within the Office by identifying training needs, delivering development programs, and encouraging knowledge sharing.

· Promote adherence to best practices in corporate governance, transparency, ethical standards, and compliance within the legal team and the wider organisation.

· Coordinate cross-functional collaboration to integrate legal considerations seamlessly across operational, policy, and regulatory functions.

20%

Stakeholder Engagement

· Serve as the Office’s legal liaison with government entities, external counsel, licensees, and international regulatory bodies on complex legal and regulatory matters.

· Represent URCO at regional and international forums, conferences, and working groups to influence and contribute to regulatory policy development and best practice exchanges.

· Assist in maintaining productive relationships with industry stakeholders, balancing regulatory enforcement with constructive dialogue and cooperation.

· Contribute to public communication regarding legal and regulatory issues, ensuring clarity and consistency.

10%

All duties and requirements listed in this job description are essential functions of the role. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the person occupying this position. The RC will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties at the request of the CEO.

• Assignment & Planning of Work

The RC leads the Office’s Legal team, reporting directly to the CEO and responsible for advising the Board of Director’s on any URCO related legal and policy matters.

The work of the legal team is developing and expanding and is the subject of both external and internal pressures such as evolving international standards and volume of the business. Although its parameters are clean, the overall performance of its function is a dynamic process which in many aspects, will be subject to ongoing change and development often arising from changing technology.

• Decision-Making Authority & Controls

The Regulatory Counsel operates within a rigorously governed environment, guided by comprehensive statutory and regulatory frameworks that define the scope of authority and accountability. Expected to exercise independent judgment with a high degree of autonomy, the Regulatory Counsel ensures consistency, compliance, and integrity in legal recommendations and determinations.

When faced with novel, ambiguous, or complex issues that fall outside established policies or precedents, the Regulatory Counsel is expected to demonstrate resourcefulness, analytical rigour, and leadership to identify viable solutions and resolve matters in alignment with the Office’s objectives. This high-level accountability safeguards the Office’s decision-making process, balancing responsiveness with diligence, and reinforces our commitment to transparency, risk management, and quality assurance.

By employing a strategic escalation and problem-solving protocol, the Regulatory Counsel strengthens governance and ensures that the organisation consistently delivers exceptional regulatory outcomes while maintaining stakeholder trust.

Working Conditions

Normal office working conditions apply with a requirement to work beyond normal working hours. A considerable amount of time will be spent viewing a computer. Flexibility and being able to work outside normal working hours, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, maybe needed from time to time.

Local and overseas travel may be required.

Post Holder Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with a professional legal qualification; eligible to practise as an attorney-at-law in the Cayman Islands or a comparable common law jurisdiction.

• Minimum of twelve years’ post-qualification experience, including substantial experience in utility regulation and competition law across energy, fuels, water, and ICT sectors.
• At least five years in a leadership or supervisory role within a legal, regulatory, or administrative environment.
• At least five years’ demonstrated experience leading litigation, particularly in regulatory, administrative, or public law proceedings.
• Proven experience providing high-level legal advice to executives, regulatory authorities, or government bodies in complex multi-sector contexts.
• Demonstrated expertise in legislative drafting, regulatory determinations, and dispute resolution.
• Strong familiarity with international regulatory frameworks, standards, and best practices.
• Experience in administrative law, competition law, and regulatory compliance is required
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• Core Competencies

• Strategic Leadership: Able to set a clear legal vision aligned to the organisation’s regulatory mandate, anticipate sector trends, and influence policy direction at the executive and Board levels. Demonstrates effective strategic planning, sound judgment in complex situations, and the capacity to drive change through robust legal insights.

• Legal Mastery: Exhibits authoritative knowledge of regulatory, administrative, and public law, including statutory interpretation, case law analysis, and compliance management. Stays current on evolving regulatory frameworks, local legislation (URC Act, PA Act, sector-specific laws and regulations), and international best practices relevant to multi-sector utility regulation.

• Judgment: Makes balanced and defensible decisions, weighing legal risks, practical implications, and the broader strategic interests of the Office. Demonstrates discretion, decisiveness under pressure, and ethical reasoning in advice and recommendations.

• Mentorship: Fosters professional growth in junior legal staff, provides regular feedback, develops legal capacity through training, and contributes to a culture of continuous improvement, excellence, and integrity within the legal sector and wider office.

• Communication: Outstanding ability to draft clear, concise, and persuasive legal opinions, correspondence, and policy documents. Excels in advocacy, both oral and written, ensuring complex legal concepts are understood by non-legal audiences and stakeholders. Effectively represents the Office in regulatory and public forums.

• Integrity: Adheres to the highest standards of ethical conduct, impartiality, and confidentiality. Promotes transparency and accountability, serving as a role model for professional behaviour and public interest decision-making within the Office.

• Impartiality and Cultural Sensitivity: Exhibits strong political, social, and cultural awareness, ensuring decisions and advice are informed, respectful, and appropriate to the Cayman Islands context. Upholds absolute political neutrality in all regulatory functions and interactions.

• Resilience: Demonstrates adaptability, calmness, and professionalism under challenging or high-pressure circumstances. Manages sensitive matters with discretion, maintains performance when addressing urgent and evolving regulatory or legal issues, and delivers results on time.

• Legal Advice and Drafting: Demonstrates excellence in researching, analysing, and synthesising complex legal issues to produce clear, practical, and well-reasoned legal advice, opinions, and regulatory decisions. Consistently delivers work that is logically structured, evidence-based, free from bias, and tailored to diverse audiences including non-lawyers and executives. Upholds consistency, credibility, and independence in all written outputs, ensuring recommendations are actionable and withstand scrutiny from internal and external stakeholders.

Driving Impact and Strategic Value

As Regulatory Counsel, your leadership is pivotal to the Office’s mandate of credible, effective regulation and maintaining the confidence of stakeholders across all sectors. You are expected to leverage deep legal expertise and strategic vision to champion a regulatory framework that drives fair competition, spurs innovation, and safeguards consumer interests. Your advisory role directly shapes Board and executive decision-making, ensuring that URCO not only meets its legal obligations but positions itself as a forward-looking, trusted regulator in the Cayman Islands.

Leading Collaboration and Shaping the Future

You will serve as a principal architect in the Office’s legal strategy, working seamlessly with sector heads, executive leadership, and external partners to anticipate and address priority issues and legal risks. Your insights and advice will have direct, measurable impact on the development of sectoral policy, operational resilience, and the strategic direction of the Office. You foster a culture of legal and regulatory excellence, ensuring the Office’s decisions advance national priorities and adhere to the highest standards of good governance.

Navigating Complexities and Delivering Results

This is a dynamic, outcomes-driven role that operates at the intersection of regulatory change and sector innovation. You will anticipate emerging issues, interpret evolving legal frameworks, and proactively position URCO to respond and lead. The demands of this role require agility, endurance, and a results-focused mindset, including a willingness to operate beyond standard hours and represent the Office domestically and internationally. Your success will be measured by the Office’s ability to navigate industry complexities, protect the public interest, and deliver sustainable, value-driven outcomes for the Cayman Islands.

This job description and person specification is a guide to the minimum requirements of the role and is not intended to restrict activities that will contribute to the growth and success of the organisation. The duties and requirements contained within may be reviewed and amended, in with appropriate prior notice the post holder, considering any organisational development within the Office.

Closing Date: 19 June 2026