MAYOR’S OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS GENERAL COUNSEL

NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development; New York (NY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development seeks an Executive Agency Counsel to oversee legal affairs and provide strategic guidance. This role requires admission to the New York State Bar and extensive legal experience, particularly in immigration law and policy. The successful candidate will lead a team and collaborate with various city agencies to ensure compliance and advocate for immigrant communities.

Qualifications

• Four years of relevant legal experience, including eighteen months supervising attorneys.
• Experience in immigration legal practice and immigrant rights advocacy preferred.

Responsibilities

• Advise on legal matters, including litigation and ethics.
• Oversee staff performing policy and legal work.
• Lead strategy development for legal issues and MOIA initiatives.

Skills

Exceptional communications

Interpersonal skills

Detail-oriented

Bilingual or multilingual skills

Education

Admission to the New York State Bar

Job description

The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) promotes the well-being of immigrant communities by recommending policies and programs that facilitate successful integration of immigrant New Yorkers into the civic, economic, and cultural life of the City. MOIA is one of the lead agencies for IDNYC, New York City’s successful municipal ID program, and spearheads a number of initiatives to expand equity and empowerment for immigrant communities, including know your rights programming, immigration legal services, and language access. The work of the Office cuts across a broad range of issues citywide for example, workers’ rights, health equity, and criminal justice and MOIA works closely with sister cities around the country to advocate for immigration reform and share best practices.

MOIA is seeking one (1) Executive Agency Counsel to function as the General Counsel to join our talented team. Reporting to the Commissioner, the General Counsel oversees the Legal Affairs and Policy Unit, which provides legal support services to the entire agency.

The General Counsel will work with staff across the office to provide strategic legal advice and guidance, as well as lead strategy, development, and execution of priority MOIA initiatives where appropriate.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

- Advise the Commissioner and MOIA staff on legal matters, including litigation, FOIL requests, ethics
issues, and compliance requirements, in close coordination with the Law Department and Counsel
to the Mayor

- Oversee staff performing policy and legal work, and close collaboration with external affairs,
communications, and IDNYC

- Lead on strategy development and coordination across MOIA and other City agencies for priority
matters where there is a close link to legal issues and/or the City’s legal interests, such as with
local laws and policies related to privacy and confidentiality and federal immigration enforcement

- Provide legal advice and strategic guidance on MOIA initiatives, policies, and programs –
including rapid response and communications – to ensure consistency with the law and robust
service to and advocacy on behalf of immigrant communities

- Provide management leadership across MOIA, including supervision of other staff performing
policy and legal work, and close collaboration with policy, legislative, outreach, communications,
and central/HR leads;

- Perform related duties as needed.

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

- At least eight (8) years of experience (subsequent to admission to any bar)- Exceptional communications and interpersonal skills, the ability to build trusting, productiverelationships with a wide range of partners and stakeholders- Ability to manage and build strong, collaborative working relationships and carry high credibility withcross-functional teams- Keen understanding of how to lead and support organizational change empower people, andinfluence colleagues- Detail-oriented while meeting competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment and havingflexibility to shift priorities quickly, effectively and with accuracy- Knowledge of or experience in immigration legal practice, immigrant rights advocacy, and/orimmigrant integration issues- Understanding of New York City government and/or local government affairs- Bilingual or multilingual skills.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

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.