Chief Assistant County Counsel

County of Riverside; California; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The County of Riverside is seeking a seasoned Chief Assistant County Counsel to work with the County Counsel in guiding the legal, operational, and strategic direction for over 40 departments and about 25,000 employees.

The role involves supervising legal services, strategy for litigation, land use, municipal and labor matters, and may serve as County Counsel in their absence. Excellent communication and client-service mindset are essential.

Qualifications

• Seven years of professional legal experience, including local government or public sector settings.
• Knowledge of administrative law and California government structure.
• Supervisory or managerial experience overseeing legal staff.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate workload across divisions and four regional offices to meet deadlines.
• Provide leadership, training, and mentoring to attorneys and staff.
• Advise boards, commissions, and county departments on complex legal matters.
• Represent the County in litigation and hearings at state/federal levels.
• Draft clear opinions, memoranda, and legal correspondence.
• Assist in budgeting and administrative management for the Office.
• Serve as Acting County Counsel when the County Counsel is unavailable.

Skills

Public sector law

Litigation experience

Supervisory experience

Administrative law

Policy advice

Job description

For questions regarding this position, please contact the Recruiter listed in the Supplemental Information section.

About The Position

View the full recruitment brochure here: https://indd.adobe.com/view/4aebd806-8c42-40eb-b491-f99d4e2b0bfa

The County of Riverside, California, is seeking a seasoned public sector Chief Assistant County Counsel. The person who fills this role will, in partnership with the County Counsel, help guide the legal, operational, and strategic direction in the 4th largest county in California serving over 40 departments with approximately 25,000 employees who serve over 2.5 million residents. They will oversee legal service and department operations, litigation strategy, and deliver innovative, practical legal solutions across a broad range of complex public agency matters including: litigation, land use, municipal law, and labor and employee relations. As a trusted advisor to the County Counsel, this individual may serve as County Counsel in their absence.

The ideal candidate brings excellent verbal and written skills, delivers with a customer service mindset, and a results-oriented approach to building effective relationships with others. Advance legal excellence at the highest level of public service; apply today!

Application Deadline: apply by October 12th.

Interview Dates

• Round one virtual interviews will take place on November 5th
• Finalists will move forward to round two in-person interviews on November 6th

Questions?

Please contact your recruiter, Wendi Brown. We with any inquiries:

• [e-mail]
• 541-664-0376 (direct)
• 866-929-9227 (toll-free)

This class has been designated At-Will by the Board of Supervisors, in accordance with the provisions provided under Article 6, Section 601E (2) of the County Management Resolution and serves at the pleasure of the County Counsel.

Examples Of Essential Duties

• Coordinate departmental operations and workload distribution: Work closely with the County Counsel to plan, organize, assign, and balance the workload among the various divisions and four regional offices throughout the County. Ensure that resources are effectively allocated to meet service demands, case deadlines, and departmental objectives, while maintaining consistency and quality across all practice areas.
• Provide professional leadership and staff development: Offer guidance, training, and mentoring to attorneys and legal support staff to enhance professional growth, strengthen legal expertise, and promote a culture of collaboration and excellence. Establish performance standards, evaluate work products, and support succession planning efforts within the Office of the County Counsel.
• Advise boards, commissions, and County departments on complex legal matters: Serve as a principal legal advisor to various boards, commissions, committees, special districts, and joint powers authorities, addressing the most intricate and sensitive legal issues. Provide counsel to County and special district officers and employees on matters concerning their powers, duties, and obligations under state and federal law.
• Represent the County in litigation and legal proceedings: Represent the County and its officers in State and Federal courts, administrative hearings, and other proceedings. Conduct legal research, analyze and interpret statutes, regulations, and case law, and anticipate emerging legal issues affecting County operations.
• Prepare and review formal and informal legal opinions: Draft clear and well-reasoned written and oral opinions on the most complex and precedent-setting legal questions. Prepare legal correspondence, reports, and memoranda to advise decision-makers and document departmental positions on legal matters.
• Assist in fiscal and administrative management: Support the County Counsel in developing and administering the department’s budget, establishing legal service rates, monitoring expenditures, and ensuring compliance with County fiscal and administrative policies. Contribute to strategic planning initiatives and process improvements that enhance operational efficiency.
• Serve as Acting County Counsel: Assume full responsibility for departmental leadership and decision-making in the absence of the County Counsel, ensuring continuity of operations and representation of County interests at the highest level.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience: Seven years of increasingly responsible professional level experience practicing law including experience in local governments or private practices including at least one year of supervisory or managerial experience.

Knowledge of: Legal principles and their application with an emphasis on administrative law; organization, powers and limitations of County governmental functions and the California Constitution; methods and problems of administering the work of a governmental law office; principles of personnel management and supervision; recent litigation practices including discovery and strong working knowledge of the court system.

Ability to: Analyze complex legal problems and apply legal principles and practices; research and draft opinions; analyze and draft ordinances and other regulations; prepare and present cases of law effectively; present facts, arguments and laws clearly and logically in written and oral form; work cooperatively with others.

Other Requirements:

• A valid California Driver's License.
• Active membership in the State Bar of California.

Supplemental Information

For Questions Regarding This Recruitment Please contact Angela Tavaglione at [e-mail] or [phone]. Please allow 1-2 business days for response to general inquiries.

Work Location and Telework

In-person attendance is the standard work expectation for County of Riverside assignments. Certain assignments may be eligible for a hybrid telework schedule; however, telework arrangements are subject to management approval, operational needs, and/or may be modified or discontinued at any time. Employees who telework are expected to be able to report to their assigned worksite on short notice or as operational needs require. Unless otherwise specified for a particular position, employees are expected to reside in California following appointment. Limited exceptions may apply. Applicants should contact the assigned recruiter for additional information regarding work location expectations, telework eligibility, and residency requirements.

Proof of Education

If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted. If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ( NACES ) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ( AICE ).

Work Authorization Requirement

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. The County of Riverside does not participate in visa sponsorship programs, including H1-B visas, and will not provide sponsorship for any employment-based visas.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.

Pre-Employment

All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements including a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment). A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.

Probationary Period

As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.

General Information

Current County of Riverside and/or current employees of the hiring department may receive priority consideration. Qualified candidates may be considered for future County vacancies. Job postings may close without notice based on application volume. Submit your complete application by the recruitment close date; no late applications are accepted. Ensure all relevant experience/education is reflected on your application/resume, as a failure to demonstrate position requirements may disqualify applicants. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered. Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. For additional instructions on the application process, examinations, Veteran's preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site, www.rc-hr.com . If you are experiencing technical problems, you may contact the governmentjobs.com applicant support desk Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm Pacific Time at [e-mail] or toll-free 1-855-524-5627.