Staff Counsel

RFCUNY Research Foundation of the City University of New York; United States; On-site; USD 105,000 - 113,000; Full time

Job summary

RFCUNY Research Foundation of the City University of New York is seeking a Staff Counsel to provide legal, compliance, and strategic guidance with a focus on employment-based immigration. The role handles end-to-end immigration case work for about 100 active matters annually, collaborating with HR, Legal Affairs, and outside counsel as needed.

The position reports to the Chief Human Resources Officer, coordinating with the Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief Counsel.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
• 3+ years of practicing employment-based immigration law with a demonstrable track record of preparing and filing your own forms.
• Active license to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction; must obtain in-house counsel registration in New York State within six (6) months.

Responsibilities

• Full Immigration Employment Case Ownership: Manage and execute the end-to-end preparation, drafting, and filing of complex employment-based petitions (including Cap-Exempt H-1B, O-1, EB-1, EB-2 NIW, PERM, TN, and E-3) for approximately 100 active cases per year.
• Docketing & Compliance: Independently monitor case deadlines, maintain meticulous immigration case records, and ensure institutional compliance with Department of Labor (DOL) Public Access Files (PAFs).
• Advisory: Serve as the primary source of contact for Principal Investigators, international researchers, RFCUNY employees, administrators, and CUNY personnel regarding case status, document requests, and processing timelines.
• Business Contracts & Policies: Advise Research Foundation senior executives or other staff on legal issues to identify and respond strategically to legal risks, review internal agreements, and advise on corporate governance matters.
• Employment Law: Advising the Human Resources Office as needed on issues such as investigations, discipline and termination; draft, review, revise and negotiate employment agreements; oversee employment-related complaints proceedings and litigation; work with outside counsel as necessary.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Immigration law

Legal drafting

Case management

Communication

Education

J.D. from ABA-accredited law school

Tools

Mitratech Tracker/INSZoom

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Company Introduction

Thank you for considering a career with the Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY). The team at RFCUNY is made up of dedicated, talented professionals committed to providing the services that allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries. We are pleased that you are interested in exploring opportunities to join RFCUNY.

Primary Location: RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF C.U.N.Y. Bargaining Unit: No

SUMMARY

Provide legal, compliance, and strategic guidance within both the Research Foundation Human Resources and Legal Affairs Departments. This position advises on a broad range of institutional matters, with a primary focus on employment-based immigration, and a secondary focus on employment law, and general RF business contracts. As a solo practitioner within the immigration-employment domain, the Staff Counsel will manage both high-level legal strategies and hands-on execution and administrative filing of all immigration cases (approximately 100 active cases annually) without dedicated paralegal support. This position reports directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer with a dotted line supervisory relationship to the Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief Counsel. The position works closely with the Assistant Director of Human Resources for Personnel Services on all immigration-related employment matters.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Full Immigration Employment Case Ownership: Manage and execute the end-to-end preparation, drafting, and filing of complex employment-based petitions (including Cap-Exempt H-1B, O-1, EB-1, EB-2 NIW, PERM, TN, and E-3) for approximately 100 active cases per year.
• Docketing & Compliance: Independently monitor case deadlines, maintain meticulous immigration case records, and ensure institutional compliance with Department of Labor (DOL) Public Access Files (PAFs).
• Advisory: Serve as the primary source of contact for Principal Investigators, international researchers, RFCUNY employees, administrators, and CUNY personnel regarding case status, document requests, and processing timelines.
• Business Contracts & Policies: Advise Research Foundation senior executives or other staff on legal issues to identify and respond strategically to legal risks, review internal agreements, and advise on corporate governance matters.
• Employment Law: Advising the Human Resources Office as needed on issues such as investigations, discipline and termination; draft, review, revise and negotiate employment agreements; oversee employment-related complaints proceedings and litigation; work with outside counsel as necessary.
• Other duties as assigned.

COMPETENCIES

• End-to-End Execution: Ability to manage both high-level legal risk analysis and meticulous clerical task compilation.
• Prioritization & Autonomy: Proven capacity to manage an independent caseload efficiently without administrative oversight.
• Stakeholder Diplomacy: Ability to communicate complex federal regulations clearly and respectfully to university leadership, faculty, and foreign nationals.
• Integrity & Discretion: Exceptional judgment when handling sensitive personal data and institutional liabilities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Experience: 3+ years of practicing employment-based immigration law with a demonstrable track record of preparing and filing your own forms.
• Licensure: Active license to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction; must obtain in-house counsel registration in New York State within six (6) months.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior legal experience working directly with foreign nationals within a U.S. higher education or research institution environment.
• Proficiency with Mitratech immigration case management software (TrackerCorp / INSZoom) and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Familiarity with higher education immigration nuances, including cap-exempt H-1B regulations and J-1 visa rules.
• Strong research and analytical skills applied to evolving USCIS, DOL, and NVC procedures.

Pay Range: $104,584 - $113,299

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Research Foundation of the City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities Act/E-Verify Employer. It is the policy of the Research Foundation of CUNY to provide equal employment opportunities free of discrimination based on race, color, age, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic violence victim status, arrest record, criminal conviction history or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) is a nonprofit educational corporation founded in 1963 to provide post-award fiscal and administrative support for CUNY's research and sponsored programs. RFCUNY's services allow CUNY researchers, faculty, and staff to focus on their intellectual curiosity and scientific discoveries, on projects and programs that serve our local and global communities, proposing concrete solutions to society’s most pressing challenges. RFCUNY serves as a fiscal agent and works closely with all the CUNY campus Grants Offices to perform the core functions of post-award financial management for CUNY research projects and sponsored programs. These functions include legal assessment and signing of agreements where RFCUNY is named as a fiscal agent; setting up award accounts; preparing sub-awards and assisting PIs in monitoring the work of the recipients of sub-awards; supporting project directors with hiring and managing research project and sponsored program staff; supporting the purchasing and paying for goods and services with grant and program funds; managing financial aspects of projects including accounts receivable, financial reporting, invoicing, budget monitoring, and cost compliance with uniform guidance; ensuring that sponsor financial requirements are met; monitoring compliance with applicable project and financial management rules and laws; supporting the management of independent and external audits and financial reviews; and providing data, information, management expertise, and other supports to CUNY’s research and sponsored programs.