Hours: Full-Time – 35 Hours
Work Location: 30-30 Thomson Avenue, NY, 11101
The NYC Department of Design and Construction, Law Division seeks a full-time Associate General Counsel. Under the supervision and direction of the General Counsel, First Deputy General Counsel, and DDC’s management team, the Associate General Counsel will be expected to conduct a broad scope of duties to support DDC Law Division in all aspects of its practice. DDC’s Law Division specifically serves as in-house counsel to the agency in relation to the agency’s procurement and construction management duties on behalf of a variety of sponsor New York City agencies to work on the City’s infrastructure systems, as well as the construction and renovation of City-owned buildings (such as museums, libraries, correction facilities, police precincts, homeless shelters, court buildings, etc.).
The scope of work for the position will include a wide variety of in-house legal counsel duties that may include, but are not limited to:
- The review and revision of professional, construction, and design-build contract documents and communicate contract approval and public procurement requirements to the agency’s construction and design divisions;
- The review and management of litigation matters, legal disputes, and commercial claims for cases pending with the agency, the NYC Law Department, and the NYC Comptroller’s Office;
- The review of agency responses to the public pursuant to the Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”) and the coordination of agency responses to the public in coordination with the agency’s public relations office;
- The evaluation and provision of legal guidance on conflicts of interest related and equal employment law matters to agency staff and management;
- Assistance with the review of real property issues that impact the agency’s construction efforts, including the oversight of real property condemnation proceedings pursuant to the New York State (NYS) Eminent Domain Procedure Law (“EDPL”), the review of various types of leases, title reports, surveys, as well as the review and preparation of various types of license agreements, restrictive covenants, easements, and land use actions;
- The preparation of funding and security agreements for secured transactions under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) with discretionary funded projects with not-for-profit organizations and hospitals;
- The provision of legal assistance to the Agency Chief Contracting Officer (ACCO) and agency procurement staff in relation to procurement appeals and decision processes, including drafting opinions and the presentation of facts and decisions;
- Assistance to the agency’s Director of Labor Relations, Human Resources, and agency management on issues pertaining to agency employees, locals representing employees, grievances, and any other issues that arise regarding the collective bargaining agreement;
- Research for the recommendation and interpretation of various laws, rules, regulations, and programs.
As in-house counsel, successful candidates must be organized and able to multi-task. The attorney will also need to routinely track and report their work to DDC Law management.
Authorization to work in the United States is required for this position. NYC Department of Design and Construction does not provide sponsorship for international employees for visa applications, extensions, or status changes, including STEM/OPT visas. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that they meet all qualifying requirements for this position at the time of application.
Minimum Qualifications:
1. Admission to the New York State Bar; and either 2 or 3 below.
2. One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or
3. Six months of satisfactory service as an Agency Attorney Interne (30086).
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
In addition to meeting the minimum Qualification Requirements:
To be assigned to Assignment Level (AL) II, candidates must have one year of experience at Assignment Level I or two years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment. To be assigned to AL III candidates must have two years of experience in Assignment Levels I and/or II or three years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment.
Preferred Skills:
Qualified candidates should have experience or a demonstrated interest in public service, contracts, real estate, construction, and/or procurement. In addition, qualified candidates must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. Candidates must provide satisfactory references and recent writing samples.
Residency Requirement:
New York City Residency is not required for this position.
Additional Information:
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy. #J-18808-Ljbffr