Attorney Manager (Private Property Blight Czar)

City of St. Louis; Dublin; On-site; EUR 101,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

City of St. Louis seeks an Attorney Manager to lead the City's vacancy enforcement strategy and to oversee the most blighted privately owned properties citywide. This executive role directs enforcement efforts and builds institutional capacity for property revitalization.

The position requires a Missouri Bar license and at least seven years in municipal law or related fields, with a track record of cross-team leadership and complex policy initiatives.

Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in Missouri and ABA-approved law school graduate.
• Seven years of legal practice in municipal law, real estate litigation or code enforcement.

Responsibilities

• Direct strategic code enforcement and receivership program management.
• Supervise vacant property inspectors and coordinate cross-department operations.
• Lead the top 100 privately owned blighted properties citywide with focus on Northern St. Louis.
• Convene a cross-agency task force with City departments, the Board of Aldermen, Legal Services and SLDC.

Skills

Data Utilization

Human Interaction

Verbal Aptitude

Mathematical Aptitude

Functional Reasoning

Situational Reasoning

Environmental Factors

Physical Requirements

Sensory Requirements

Equipment/Machinery Use

Education

Juris Doctor / Law Degree

Missouri Bar License

Job description

Attorney Manager (Private Property Blight Czar) - (260000NZ)

Description

Salary: $114,114 - $171,158

Position Grade: 226M

Department: City Counselor’s Office

Job Type: Full-Time (Permanent)

Examination Number: EX798

Location: Downtown - St. Louis, MO

The City Counselor’s Office is seeking a highly qualified Attorney and operational leader to serve as Special Counsel to the Mayor for Vacancy (Private Property Blight Czar). This leadership role directs the City’s comprehensive vacant property enforcement strategy, serves as the single accountable leader for high priority blighted private properties citywide, and builds permanent institutional capacity to return vacant properties to productive use.

Essential Functions And Responsibilities

• Strategic Legal Enforcement: Direct strategic code enforcement, implement the City's receivership program, coordinate tax foreclosures, collections, and secondary legal remedies.
• Team Supervision and Operations: Supervise dedicated vacant property inspectors and coordinate operations with legal, inspection, paralegal, and data staff.
• Blight Czar Oversight: Serve as the single accountable leader focused on the top 100 privately owned blighted properties citywide, with a strategic emphasis on Northern St. Louis while addressing priorities across all wards.
• Cross-Agency Leadership: Convene and lead a cross-agency task force comprising key City departments, the Board of Aldermen, and essential partners, specifically Legal Services and the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC).
• Fund and Program Management: Oversee implementation of the Vacant Property Remediation Fund and establish long-term sustainable funding models for citywide vacancy reduction, including collaboration with the Land Reutilization Authority (LRA).
• Data Integration: Utilize Neighborhood Stat profiles, Citizens' Service Bureau (CSB) complaint volumes, CityStat metrics, and Neighborhood Improvement Specialist (NIS) field assessments to drive targeted case selection and portfolio enforcement.
• Other Duties as Assigned: Collateral and related duties will be assigned as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Data Utilization: Requires the ability to perform mid to upper-level data analysis including the ability to coordinate, strategize, systematize and correlate, using discretion in determining time, place and/or sequence of operations within an organizational framework. Requires the ability to implement decisions based on such data, and oversee the execution of these decisions.
• Human Interaction: Requires the ability to apply principles of negotiation within the context of legal guidelines.
• Equipment, Machinery, Tools and Materials Use: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or provide simple but continuous adjustment on equipment, machinery and tools such as a computer, calculator, copy and fax machines, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.
• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize reference, descriptive, consulting, design and advisory data and information such as legal briefs and opinions, statutes and ordinances, contracts, and legal research materials.
• Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; calculate percentages and decimals and may use basic algebra.
• Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or synthesis functions involving planning and directing of interrelated activities or multiple departments. Ability to deal with several concrete and abstract variables in working out approaches to major problems.
• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the direction, control and planning of an entire program or multiple programs.
• Environmental Factors: Work is normally performed in an office environment under generally safe and comfortable conditions where exposure to irate individuals poses a very limited risk of injury.
• Physical Requirements: Tasks require the ability to exert light physical effort in sedentary to light work. Tasks may involve extended periods of visual concentration at a keyboard or workstation.
• Sensory Requirements: Requires the ability to recognize and identify individual characteristics of colors, shapes, and sounds, associated with job-related objects, materials and tasks.

Qualifications

Graduation from a school of law approved by the American Bar Association; current membership in the Missouri Bar in good standing or licensure in another state with eligibility for reciprocity in Missouri; plus seven years of legal practice in municipal law, real estate litigation, code enforcement, receivership or municipal redevelopment. Qualifying experience must include proven ability to lead cross-departmental teams, convene external stakeholders and manage complex municipal policy initiatives.

Preferences

Previous supervisory/management experience in a legal practice setting.

Scoring Components and Their Weights

Experience and Training: 100%

May Be Subject To

Background Investigation: Pass/Fail

Medical Examination: Pass/Fail

Documentation of Academic Credentials must be Submitted Upon Request

Veterans Preference Points

To be eligible for veteran's preference points, the applicant must submit a copy of their DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty with the Employment Application or upon request. The Director of Personnel may, in their discretion, accept alternate documentation.

City Residence Preference Points

City residents who pass an examination for a position in the classified service and do not receive any other preference will receive a five (5) point preference on a scale of 100 points on the exam. An additional one (1) point shall be added to the passing score of City residents who receive any other preference on a scale of 100 points. City residents must have resided in the City for at least one (1) year at the time of filing their application to be eligible for the preference points.

Accommodations

If assistance with the job application is necessary based on a physical impairment, mental impairment, or otherwise, they should reach out to the Office on the Disabled with contact information. This office will not disclose any information that an applicant or employee has a disability or has discussed possible accommodations without the applicant's or employee's prior consent.