Deputy Town Attorney

Town of Oro Valley; Arizona; On-site; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Town of Oro Valley in Arizona seeks a licensed attorney to provide legal advice to the Mayor, Town Council, Manager and staff. The role includes advising departments on the legality of actions, drafting contracts and ordinances, and representing the Town in trials and hearings.

The successful candidate will serve as back-up to the Town Attorney, lead department staff, attend council meetings, and deliver clear written and oral opinions while maintaining compliance with state and federal law.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited school and active AZ bar license.
• Minimum five years in civil law practice with municipal exposure preferred.
• Ability to analyze statutes, ordinances and regulations for decisions.
• Strong written and oral communication skills for diverse audiences.
• Proven leadership, mentoring and staff supervision capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Advise Mayor, Town Council, Manager and staff on legal propriety of actions.
• Drafts and reviews contracts, ordinances, resolutions and records releases.
• Represent the Town in trials, mediations and administrative hearings.
• Serve as back-up for Town Attorney; attend council/board meetings.
• Lead, mentor and supervise department staff; manage priorities and deadlines.
• Conduct legal research and provide timely opinions to stakeholders.

Skills

Team leadership

Legal analysis

Policy analysis

Oral & written comms

Negotiation

Education

Juris Doctorate Degree

Arizona Bar License

Tools

Westlaw

Microsoft Office

Job description

First review of applications September 9, 2026

Full Salary Range: $109,676 - $164,514

Expected Hiring Range: $109,676 - $137,095

Starting Salary Depending on Experience and Qualifications

Under the direction of the Town Attorney, assists with providing legal advice and representation to the Mayor, Town Council, Manager, Department Heads and Town staff.

• Advises Town departments and officials on the legal propriety of proposed actions, including analysis and assessment of claims. Coordinates with insurance pool, may review insurance policies and act as Risk Manager.
• May represent the Town in trials, mediations, and civil and administrative hearings.
• Serves as the back-up for the Town Attorney when necessary.
• Attends Town Council, committee, board or commission meetings as assigned. Provides legal advice or makes presentations on behalf of the department or other divisions.
• Directs, mentors, communicates, hires, evaluates, disciplines, and provides executive leadership to all department staff.
• Drafts and delivers verbal and written legal opinions.
• Meets with and fosters teamwork between divisions, within the department, and with other Town departments.
• Creates, reviews and advises on contracts, ordinances, resolutions, public records releases and other legal documents as necessary.
• Gathers, analyzes, and organizes facts and evidence.
• Plans, organizes, and implements procedures for division.
• Prepares and advises in the preparation of ordinances, legislation, contracts and other legal documents.
• Provides advanced or principal level knowledge, skills and abilities to difficult and highly complex assignments.
• Represents the Department and the Town with other government agencies and in meetings with the public.
• Research laws to provide accurate and up-to-date legal advice.
• Speaks with members of the media when requested.
• Provides back-up support for prosecution as needed.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to be an active, positive and contributing team member of the Department’s Management Team.
• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in written communication.
• Ability to demonstrate flexibility and judgment in difficult or stressful situations.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, meet critical deadlines and follow up on work assignments with minimal supervision.
• Ability to research state statutes, local ordinances, and US federal code whenever necessary to supplement a given analysis.
• Knowledge of applicable Town, state and Federal statutes, rules, ordinances, codes and regulations governing municipal law.
• Knowledge of judicial procedures, rules of evidence and methods of legal research.
• Knowledge of management and/or supervision principles and possession of strong leadership skills.
• Knowledge of personal computer hardware and software.
• Knowledge of procurement contract vehicles (e.g. GSA, WSCA, etc.).
• Knowledge of, or ability to learn, Town and Department policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of vendor contract negotiations.
• Skill in assessing, analyzing, identifying and implementing solutions to complex problems.
• Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures.
• Skill in gathering, analyzing and organizing facts and evidence.
• Skill in preparing court documents and legal opinions.
• Skill in understanding and interpreting laws, regulations, policies, procedures and guidelines.

• A Juris Doctorate Degree from an accredited college or university.
• Five (5) years’ experience in general practice of Civil law.
• Must possess at time of application and maintain throughout the term of employment in this position, a license to practice law in the state of Arizona.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Municipal and criminal law experience is preferred.

• Work is mostly performed in an indoor environment but may have incidental outdoor assignments.
• Regular and reliable attendance; may work remotely with permission; may work more than forty hours in a workweek without additional compensation to perform assigned job duties, including weekends, evenings, early morning hours, and holidays as required.