Senior Attorney (HRM), M-1

New York State Department of Financial Services; New York (NY); On-site; USD 98,000 - 124,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Downstate adjustment

Permanent appointment

Job summary

The New York State Department of Financial Services is seeking a Senior Attorney in HRM to manage labor relations, investigations, and legal responsibilities across the agency. The role involves advising leadership, representing the agency in hearings, and coordinating with NYS offices to enforce policies.

Applicants should have NYS Bar admission and relevant senior attorney or trainee experience; the position includes diverse tasks from policy work to arbitration preparation and potential

Qualifications

• Senior Attorney, M-1 requires NYS Bar admission and one year as Assistant Attorney 3 or two years of professional legal experience.
• Assistant Attorney 3 requires one year as Assistant Attorney 2 or NYS Bar admission and one year of professional legal experience.
• Assistant Attorney 2 requires NYS Bar admission.
• Assistant Attorney 1 requires law school graduation and potential automatic advancement.
• Traineeship advances with evaluations and possible early Senior Attorney advancement.
• NY HELPS program allows non-competitive appointments with potential conversion later.

Responsibilities

• Handles time-sensitive labor relations and HR matters, including employee discipline, investigations, and charges.
• Monitors HR actions and advises leadership on legal aspects of labor relations.
• Represents the agency at hearings, arbitrations, and review proceedings.
• Coordinates with NYS Office of Employee Relations as needed and advises leadership.
• Conducts legal research and prepares memoranda with opinions and precedents.
• Assists General Counsel in confidential investigations and uniform policy implementation.
• Advises supervisors to ensure proper interpretation of contracts and minimize grievances.
• Assists with arbitration matters related to discipline or discrimination.
• Recommends changes to HR rules in response to new legislation and decisions.
• Supervises HR staff as needed.

Skills

Labor relations

Legal research

Arbitrations

Policy development

Supervisory

Education

NYS Bar admission

Juris Doctor

Tools

eDiscovery

Litigation support

Job description

Duties Description

The New York State Department of Financial Services seeks to build an equitable, transparent, and resilient financial system that benefits individuals and supports business. Through engagement, data-driven regulation and policy, and operational excellence, the Department and its employees are responsible for empowering consumers and protecting them from financial harm; ensuring the health of the entities we regulate; driving economic growth in New York through responsible innovation; and preserving the stability of the global financial system.

Description

The New York State Department of Financial Services seeks to build an equitable, transparent, and resilient financial system that benefits individuals and supports business. Through engagement, data-driven regulation and policy, and operational excellence, the Department and its employees are responsible for empowering consumers and protecting them from financial harm; ensuring the health of the entities we regulate; driving economic growth in New York through responsible innovation; and preserving the stability of the global financial system.

Duties Description

The New York State Department of Financial Services seeks to build an equitable, transparent, and resilient financial system that benefits individuals and supports business. Through engagement, data-driven regulation and policy, and operational excellence, the Department and its employees are responsible for empowering consumers and protecting them from financial harm; ensuring the health of the entities we regulate; driving economic growth in New York through responsible innovation; and preserving the stability of the global financial system.

Duties

The Department of Financial Services is seeking candidates for the position of Senior Attorney Financial Services (HRM) in the Human Resources Management. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Handles time-sensitive labor relations and human resources matters, including employee discipline, investigations, administrative agency charges, and eDiscovery;
• Monitors all pending human resources actions and advises agency leadership on legal aspects of labor relations within DFS;
• Represents the agency at hearings, arbitrations, and review proceedings;
• Coordinates with the NYS Office of Employee Relations as needed and advises agency leadership as appropriate;
• Conducts legal research and prepares legal memoranda with opinions, citations, and legal precedents in support of relevant activities;
• Assists the General Counsel in conducting confidential investigations and implementing uniform policies with respect to labor relations, telecommuting, and related requests;
• Confers with administrators or outside parties to recommend legal action in order to mediate, negotiate, or settle legal issues;
• Provides advice and consultation to supervisors and managers to ensure proper interpretation and administration of contract provisions and avoid misunderstandings that may lead to employee dissatisfaction and grievances;
• Assists with the preparation of arbitration matters relating to employee discipline or discrimination matters pending with the NYS Division of Human Rights;
• Recommends changes in human resources rules, regulations, and policy statements to respond to new legislation, court decisions and requests for changes; and
• Supervises one or more labor relations and/or administrative staff as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Senior Attorney, M‑1: One year as an Assistant Attorney 3 or admission to the NYS Bar and two years of subsequent professional legal experience.

Assistant Attorney 3, SG‑22: One year as Assistant Attorney 2 or admission to the NYS Bar and one year of subsequent professional legal experience.

Assistant Attorney 2, SG‑20: Admission to NYS Bar.

Assistant Attorney 1, SG‑18: Law School Graduation (or other eligibility to take the NYS Bar Examination). Note: If you are appointed as an Assistant Attorney 1, you will be automatically advanced to Assistant Attorney 2 upon admission to the New York State Bar. If you are not admitted to the New York State Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated.

The Traineeship: If you are appointed to one of the entry levels of the Attorney Traineeship, you will normally be advanced after each twelve months of satisfactory service to the next higher title (with salary based on performance) until you reach the full performance level of a Senior Attorney. If your final performance evaluation as an Assistant Attorney 2, and your six‑month performance evaluation as an Assistant Attorney 3 are rated outstanding, you may be eligible for early advancement to Senior Attorney, reducing your traineeship by six months. All service during the traineeship will be in probationary status. Performance will be evaluated every six months against established standards set by the individual agencies which reflect a timetable for gaining the knowledge and skills necessary so that appointees are able to function at the Senior Attorney level at the completion of the traineeship.

NY HELPS: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). The NY HELPS Program allows agencies to fill certain positions via permanent non‑competitive appointments. At a future date (within one year of your permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non‑competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

List Appointment: Candidates must be reachable on the Civil Service eligible list for 20‑620010.

55 b/c Appointment: Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements of the Governor's Program to Hire Individuals and Veterans with Disabilities as described in Civil Service Law.

55b/c. Information about this program can be found here: https://www.cs.ny.gov/rp55/

Transfer: Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive service in a title eligible for transfer via Sections 52.6 of the Civil Service Law. Information regarding transfer eligibility may be available on the Civil Service Career Mobility Office website at http://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/. Please Note that under Civil Service Law, an employee cannot have two consecutive upward 70.1 or 52.6 transfers without an intervening eligible list appointment if such transfers would exceed two salary grades.

Additional Comments

Please note that a change in negotiating unit may affect your salary, insurance and other benefits.

• Salary: $97,874-$123,715 (M-1 Level)
• $86,256 (Grade NS-22)
• $77,670 (Grade NS-20)
• $70,139 (Grade NS-18)
• Positions located within the New York City metropolitan area, as well as Suffolk, Nassau, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, are also eligible to receive an additional $4,150 annual downstate adjustment.
• Appointment Status: Permanent