Lead IT Project Counsel

FINANCIAL INFO SVCS AGENCY; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The New York City Financial Information Services Agency and Office of Payroll Administration (FISA-OPA) seeks a Lead IT Project Counsel to advise the agency's chief legal officer and drive complex IT transactions, including cloud services, cybersecurity, and data governance.

You will collaborate with legal, technical, and business teams, develop strategies to mitigate risk, and provide guidance on records requests and FOIL responses.

Qualifications

• Admitted to NYS Bar; four years of recent, responsible legal experience post-admission, including supervisory duties.
• Experience negotiating and drafting complex, high-value IT transactions and licenses.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex IT transactions (software licenses, cloud services, SaaS, cybersecurity) in line with City policies.
• Provide practical legal advice on IT modernization, data privacy, and governance.
• Draft and update contracting templates and negotiation guidelines for IT agreements.
• Train IT and business stakeholders on contracting principles and risk management.
• Handle records requests, FOIL responses, and related duties as requested.

Skills

IT contracts

Privacy & cybersecurity

Legal advising

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication to leadership

Risk management

Education

New York State Bar admission

Four years of post-admission legal experience (supervisory)

Tools

Contract templates

Job description

The New York City Financial Information Services Agency and Office of Payroll Administration (FISA-OPA) has a vacancy for a Lead IT Project Counsel.
FISA-OPA comprises two New York City agencies operating under a combined management structure. FISA-OPA is a state-of-the-art information technology (IT) service center that develops and manages IT applications and systems for critical City financial, timekeeping, human resources, and other functions. FISA-OPA also maintains the City’s payroll system, and manages payments to City employees, retirees, and vendors.
Under the Direction of the General Counsel, the successful candidate serving as counsel to the agency's chief legal officer, will operate with very wide latitude with the exercise of independent initiative and decision in regards to negotiating and drafting complex IT agreements as well as drafting legal opinions and policy statements. While IT matters are the focus of the responsibilities of this position, the Lead IT Project Counsel should be familiar with handling EEO and disciplinary issues and may have to represent the agency at hearings on these matters.

Typical areas of work include:

• Lead complex transactions across a broad spectrum of strategic areas, including advanced technology transactions (e.g., software licenses, hardware acquisition, maintenance, system implementation, SaaS and other cloud services, consulting services, cloud, data, AI/GenAI/Agentic AI solutions, cybersecurity, digital platforms) consistent with City policies and requirements.
• Work collaboratively with legal, technical, and business teams to meet agency needs.
• Provide practical advice, information, and updates to agency personnel at all levels on IT-related legal issues, including data privacy and cybersecurity.
• Review compliance with agency software and data licensing obligations.
• Identify legal risks and issues and develop strategies to mitigate and resolve them.
• Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
• Collaborate with agency personnel at all levels on data protection, breach response, and cybersecurity governance.
• Provide strategic legal advice to support IT modernization, digital transformation, and system-wide technology initiatives.
• Develop and update contract templates and negotiation guidelines for IT agreements.
• Provide training and guidance to IT and business stakeholders on contracting principles and risk management.
• Perform other legal and related duties as assigned, such as responses to records requests/subpoenas, Freedom of Information Law responses and data privacy reviews.

Preferred Skills

• 10-15 years of experience (subsequent to admission to any bar) negotiating and completing complex, high value IT transactional matters independently.
• Strong working knowledge of privacy, cybersecurity, and data governance, with the ability to provide actionable risk mitigation strategies.
• Experience working in a collaborative environment.
• Familiarity with software audit/compliance reviews.
• Strategic in aligning legal risk with business goals to drive successful outcomes
• Exceptional communication skills: able to translate complex legal and technical issues into clear, practical advice for senior leadership and technology units.
• Effective and efficient problem solver with the ability to work independently and proactively

Additional Information

P055

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.

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.