Associate General Counsel

CONSUMER AND WORKER PROTECTION; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Job summary

NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) seeks an experienced Executive Agency Counsel to lead the License Operations and Counseling Unit. The role reports to the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel, providing legal guidance across licensing, enforcement and policy areas.

The AGC will oversee a team of lawyers, ensure compliance with licensing requirements, and contribute to implementing new laws and rules, with a focus on high-impact, cross-divisional work in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Admission to the New York State Bar; four years of legal experience since admission; at least 18 months in supervising other attorneys.
• Experience providing internal counseling on licensing and regulatory enforcement; strong writing and editing skills.
• Experience in management, administration and personnel issues; ability to set priorities and work quickly.

Responsibilities

• Oversight of license application reviews to ensure compliance with laws and rules and manage intake systems.
• Provide legal counseling to divisions on license categories, interpret licensing laws, and implement new rules.
• Supervise attorneys to maintain efficiency, policy adherence, and professional development.

Skills

Management

Supervisory experience

Strategic planning

Legal writing

Regulatory compliance

Public sector experience

Education

New York State Bar admission

Job description

This position may be eligible for remote work for up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Flexible Work Pilot Program. The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses nearly 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City’s communities. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), sign up for its newsletter, or follow on its social media sites, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The General Counsel Division (GCD) at DCWP seeks an experienced attorney to serve in the Associate General Counsel (AGC) position overseeing the License Operations and Counseling Unit. Reporting to the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for Legal Counsel and Operations, the AGC will be responsible for overseeing one of the GCD’s core internal counseling units, which consists of a team of lawyers who provide legal advice to the Licensing Division, ensure compliance with key license requirements as well as internal counseling related to specific business industries. The License Operations and Counseling Unit also works on critical implementation projects to ensure new laws and rules are followed and enforced efficiently. The team works across license categories, but pays special focus to categories with multi-stakeholder touchpoints, such as tobacco and electronic cigarette retail dealers, newsstands, pedicabs, stoop line stands, and street vendors. Specifically, the AGC will have several primary areas of focus:

1. Oversight of GCD license application reviews to ensure problematic or difficult license applications comply with required laws and rules, and that the systems DCWP is using to intake and process license applications meets all requirements; manage the team’s review of license applications, which includes conducting investigations, and denying and revoking licenses, for lack of compliance; review of criminal history for certain categories of licenses; and supervise responses to public questions about laws and rules within DCWP’s jurisdiction.

2. Provide legal counseling to other divisions regarding licensed categories, particularly issues related to the interpretation of licensing laws and rules; provide day-to-day counseling support to the Licensing Division to ensure legal compliance and the accuracy of all documents and materials; manage the implementation process for new laws and rules; work with the External Affairs Division to help properly frame legal issues and answer questions; work with External Affairs to handle elected inquiries, frame responses, and help prepare for public hearings concerning potential new areas of Agency responsibility.

3. Supervise and oversee team of attorneys to ensure that work is being efficiently and accurately performed, all policies and procedures are adhered to, and professional development goals are being met by team members.

The ideal candidate is a self-motivated, experienced attorney and manager with superb writing skills and experience with strategic planning and using technology and data to further legal goals. The position requires substantive management and supervisory experience by an individual who enjoys substantial responsibility and thrives in a fast-paced environment.

EXECUTIVE AGENCY COUNSEL - 95005

Minimum Qualifications

Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work. Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

Preferred Skills

• Interest/experience in management, administration and personnel issues
• Managerial and supervisory experience, including developing and implementing strategic priorities
• At least eight years of legal experience, of which two should be related to regulatory compliance and enforcement.
• Experience providing internal counseling related to business licenses and taking formal legal action, either through hearings or trials, to enforce against licenses or applications
• Demonstrated ability to multitask, set priorities and work quickly and efficiently
• Interest in or experience in government or public sector work
• Experience with regulatory compliance
• Ability to work in and direct teams in a diverse environment comprised of attorney and non-legal staff
• Interest in working in a hands-on "roll up your sleeves" atmosphere
• Impeccable legal judgment, problem solving skills and ability to resolve issues in a diplomatic and expedient fashion
• Excellent writing and editing skills, appreciation of rigorous standards for written work and interest in growing and developing impeccable legal templates for the agency

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.