Assistant General Counsel

NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services seeks an agency attorney to join its Office of General Counsel. You will serve as counsel on procurement and contract issues, advising operating units and coordinating with the Office of Citywide Procurement to ensure bid responsiveness and contract compliance.

The role involves drafting and reviewing agency responses to bid protests and disputes, negotiating with vendors, drafting MOUs, and conducting legal research.

Qualifications

• Admission to the New York State Bar; in good standing.
• 1 year of satisfactory United States legal experience after admission; or
• 6 months of service as an Agency Attorney Intern (30086).

Responsibilities

• Acting as counsel to DCAS on complex legal issues involving procurement and contract interpretation and enforcement.
• Working closely with operating units to ensure the agency’s business needs are properly met.
• Providing advice to the Office of Citywide Procurement regarding bid responsiveness, vendor responsibility, bid protests, contract interpretation, and other issues arising under the PPB.
• Drafting or review drafts of agency responses to bid protests, appeals of non-responsive and non-responsibility determinations, notices of dispute and other correspondence.
• Negotiating with vendors and their attorneys.
• Drafting Memoranda of Understanding between DCAS and other City agencies and public entities.
• Negotiating and drafting contracts and other transactional documents for review by the Law Department.
• Performing legal research.
• Working closely and cooperatively with the Law Department to address any issues that may be raised and any resulting litigation; and
• Handling other duties and responsibilities assigned to OGC, including FOIL requests, Residency Waivers, and preparation of public hearing testimony and press responses.

Skills

Contract law

Procurement

Negotiation

Legal research

Counseling / advisory

Job description

DCAS's mission is to make city government work for all New Yorkers. From managing New York City’s most iconic courthouses and municipal buildings, to purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for more than 80 City agencies what we do ensures that all agencies can deliver on their mission. Our reach touches every facet of city government and is instrumental to the successful day-to-day operations of the City of New York.

Our Commitment To Equity, Effectiveness, And Sustainability Guides Our Work Providing City Agencies With The Critical Resources And Support Needed To Succeed, Including

• Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees.
• Managing 55 public buildings.
• Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property.
• Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies.
• Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country.
• Leading the City's efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.

When you work at DCAS, you're not just working for one agency, but in service of them all. It's an opportunity to provide impactful support, quality customer service, and help protect the future of New York City for generations to come. Visit our website at nyc.gov/dcas to learn more about the work we do.

About The Office Of The General Counsel (OGC)

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) serves as legal counsel for the 13 lines of service, or units, that comprise DCAS. Accordingly, OGC has a broad and diverse legal portfolio, with most attorneys concentrating on one of the following subject matter areas: Human Capital (Civil Service and Employment Law); Procurement; Real Estate (leasing, acquisitions, and disposals); and Compliance (discipline, labor relations, and audit). OGC’s DCAS and citywide legal support also extends to litigation of landlord-tenant matters, performing legislative review, policy, Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, and providing legal and strategic advice in the areas of fleet administration, energy, and facilities management/construction. Further, OGC works with Corporation Counsel on special matters present before the agency that may require litigation or additional review, pursuant to the City Charter.

OGC seeks to hire an agency attorney to join its team. Working under the supervision of the Deputy General Counsel for Procurement, the selected candidate will primarily work with the agency’s lines of service on procurement related matters from inception through contract registration, and work with the Law Department on contract-related litigation that may arise. In addition, the selected candidate will also handle OGC institutional assignments and participate in cross-training with the other OGC attorneys to ensure everyone has a command of the agency’s work and the general issues regularly handled by OGC.

The Qualified Candidate’s Responsibilities Include

• Acting as counsel to DCAS on complex legal issues involving procurement and contract interpretation and enforcement.
• Working closely with operating units to ensure the agency’s business needs are properly met.
• Providing advice to the Office of Citywide Procurement (OCP) regarding bid responsiveness, vendor responsibility, bid protests, contract interpretation, and other issues arising under the PPB

Rules and other laws, rules and regulations

• Drafting or review drafts of agency responses to bid protests, appeals of non-responsive and non-responsibility determinations, notices of dispute and other correspondence.
• Negotiating with vendors and their attorneys.
• Drafting Memoranda of Understanding between DCAS and other City agencies and public entities.
• Negotiating and drafting contracts and other transactional documents for review by the Law Department.
• Performing legal research.
• Working closely and cooperatively with the Law Department to address any issues that may be raised and any resulting litigation; and
• Handling other duties and responsibilities assigned to OGC, as needed, including institutional assignments including but not limited to: Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, Residency

Waivers, and preparation of public hearing testimony and press responses.

Minimum Qualifications

• Admission to the New York State Bar; and either "2" or "3" below.
• One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or
• 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.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

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.