City Attorney

City of Auburn; Auburn (WA); On-site; USD 189,000 - 224,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, vision and dental insurance

Pension plan

Paid holidays and leave

Job summary

The City of Auburn is seeking an experienced City Attorney to lead the municipal legal office and provide strategic, ethical guidance to the Mayor, City Council, and staff. This role directs comprehensive legal services for the City, ensuring effective governance and strong community trust.

The ideal candidate will have strong Washington state practice, exceptional writing skills, and a track record of unified leadership in a public sector environment.

Qualifications

• Graduated from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
• Licensed to practice law in the State of Washington at the time of appointment.
• Seven years of municipal law experience including progressively responsible leadership and management experience.
• Equivalent experience may be considered.
• Experience with a strong-mayor form of government is preferred.
• Experience and demonstrated success in visionary and strategic leadership, municipal law knowledge, and staff mentorship.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional municipal legal work and executive-level administrative services for the City.
• Counsel to the Mayor, City Council, staff, committees, and commissions.
• Supervise and direct representation of the City in criminal and civil litigation and in administrative hearings.
• Draft and interpret City ordinances and resolutions.
• Negotiate real property acquisitions and related matters.

Skills

Municipal law

Leadership

Public service

Education

ABA-accredited law school

Job description

THIS POSITION IS OPEN UNTIL FILLED. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

The expected salary upon hire will be between $188,605 and $224,003 annually, dependent upon experience, as the top step of the scale is reserved for the end of the probationary period (12 months).

The City of Auburn is looking for a municipal Attorney, who is an experienced, unifying leader and is deeply committed to the success of the City. The ideal candidate will be a strategic big-picture thinker, have a passion for public service, and will lead by example to gain the confidence of the public and staff. Integrity that aligns with the City's organizational values is essential.

The City Attorney must be able to practice law before state and federal courts, administrative services, and bring a strong network of contacts within Washington State. The ideal candidate will demonstrate high ethical standards and recognize appropriate times to reach out to outside counsel. The City Attorney must be accessible, approachable, personable, and possess strong writing skills. Confidence and objectivity are qualities important to success in this position.

ABOUT THE CITY OF AUBURN

Auburn operates under a strong-mayor form of government. The City of Auburn government consists of an elected mayor and seven councilmembers. Elected officials serve 4-year terms. As the elected leader of the City, the Mayor is the executive branch, and serves as the full-time chief executive officer responsible for the day-to-day operation of the City. The City Attorney reports directly to the Mayor and is a vital member of the City's executive management team.

ABOUT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

The City Attorney's Office represents the City in its day-to-day operations and provides legal advice to the Mayor, City Council, City administration, and boards and commissions that make up the municipal government of the City of Auburn. The department has four divisions: Civil, Prosecution, City Clerk's office, and Real Estate.

The City Attorney manages this office including misdemeanant prosecution, domestic violence victim assistance, department organization, long- and short-range planning, budget development, and hiring, assigning, training, supervising, coaching, and evaluating staff.

THE CITY ATTORNEY'S ROLE

The City Attorney serves as a member of the City's executive management team, providing professional municipal legal work and executive-level, administrative work with responsibility to plan, direct, and coordinate comprehensive legal services for the City.

• Counsel to the Mayor, City Council, staff, committees, and commissions
• Providing legal advice to guide City policies, decisions, and activities
• Supervising and directing representation of the City at various court levels and tribunals in criminal and civil litigation and in administrative hearings
• Drafting and interpreting City ordinances and resolutions
• Negotiating real property acquisitions

To be considered for this position, you must:

• Have graduated from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; AND
• Be licensed to practice law in the State of Washington at the time of appointment; AND
• Have seven (7) years of municipal law experience including progressively responsible leadership and management experience;

OR

• Have equivalent experience which provides the applicant with the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job.

We would love it if you:

• Have experience working with a strong-mayor form of government, elected officials, or a board of directors

The preferred candidate will have experience and demonstrated success in the following areas:

• Visionary and strategic leadership.
• Comprehensive knowledge of municipal law including criminal, administrative, contract, land-use, insurance, real estate, torts, public information, and labor relations law.
• Customer service and the ability to mentor, coach, and direct the work of staff.
• Cultural competency that enables effective working relationships in cross-cultural situations.
• Successful planning and implementation of change management strategies.
• Champion of workforce equity and diversity.Integrity, honesty, compassion, courage, optimism, and good judgment - particularly in situations characterized by disagreement, conflict, tension, and uncertainty.
• Creative problem solver, bringing fresh ideas and a progressive approach.

WHY CHOOSE AUBURN?

The City offers a competitive benefit package exceeding $60,000 annually, including health, vision, and dental insurance with employee premiums paid by the City. The City contributes to the State of Washington Retirement System pension plan, makes employer contributions to employees' VEBA account (tax-free health savings account), and Social Security.

Auburn observes 11 holidays (paid) each year, and provides two paid floating holidays of the employee's choice annually. Vacation and sick leave hours are accrued each pay period, and 80 hours of management leave is issued each year in January (and will be pro-rated upon hire). There are multiple deferred compensation options and opportunity to contribute to a flexible spending account.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Team Auburn values a wide range of perspectives and life experiences and believes our strength comes from the diversity of people and ideas. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals who will help us foster a workplace built on respect, collaboration, and service to the community.

The City of Auburn is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

The City of Auburn is dedicated to building an inclusive, informed city, with opportunities for all. Please make sure to submit a complete, detailed, and updated job application. You must meet the minimum qualifications to move forward in the screening process.

Please note that if you are selected to move forward after an interview, a thorough background check will be completed. This position is subject to the Washington Fair Chance Act (RCW Ch. 49.94). If a criminal history is identified through the background investigation, it will be individually assessed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with applicable law before any employment decision is made.