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Posted June 18, 2020

General Counsel

NYC OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER
New York, NY Full Time
Reference: nycjobs433938

Job Description The Office of the New York City Comptroller seeks a General Counsel (GC) to serve as the Comptroller's legal advisor and chief...

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Job Description
The Office of the New York City Comptroller seeks a General Counsel (GC) to serve as the Comptroller's legal advisor and chief counsel to the agency as a whole (carrying the dual title of Deputy Comptroller for Legal Affairs). The GC directs and manages the Office of the General Counsel (OGC), which is responsible for all legal matters relating to the work of or affecting the operations of the Comptroller's Office.

The GC also directs the work of the respective Assistant Comptrollers for the Bureau of Law and Adjustment, which is responsible for settlement of all claims against and on behalf of the City, and the Bureau of Labor Law, which establishes and enforces prevailing wage rates for construction work on City public work projects, among other powers and duties.

Other responsibilities of the GC include providing advice and counsel on securities and derivative action litigation strategy, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance issues involving the City’s five public pension systems for which the Comptroller serves as investment and advisor and custodian of over $200 billion in assets. OGC works closely with all of the divisions within the Comptroller’s Office and interacts with many City agencies, including the New York City Law Department on a regular basis.

In addition to the above, legal and supervisory responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provide wide-ranging counsel on complex and often highly sensitive legal matters to all of the divisions within the agency, including but not limited to the Bureau of Contract Administration, Bureau of Asset Management, Bureau of Accountancy, Audit Bureau, Bureau of Public Finance, as well as to Executive staff and the Policy division.

• Provide counsel on diverse legal, regulatory, and board governance matters as they relate to the Public Pensions Systems, including liaising with the Bureau of Asset Management’s control functions (e.g., Compliance) on the development and execution of internal policies and procedures and related issues.

• By delegation from the Comptroller, acts as the fiscal officer under NYS Labor Law, evaluates reports and recommendations of the city’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) and renders final determinations and orders on prevailing wage cases brought to trial.

• Coordinate agency and staff compliance with laws, rules, and regulations governing conflicts of interest and ethics in NYC government, including Chapter 68, COIB and CFB regulations, NY Rules of Professional Responsibility, and internal policies and procedures, including unit within OGC that handles vetting in a variety of contexts.

• Supervise unit that handles employee disciplinary proceedings (including trials at OATH) in accordance with NY Civil Service Law and union contracts.

• Supervise unit that handles a high-volume of Freedom of Information Law Requests.
Minimum Qual Requirements
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
PREFERRED SKILLS IN ADDITION TO MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Note: Cover letter should specifically address the preferred skills described below.

• Demonstrated commitment to public service and substantial experience in a leadership role in a large and complex organization is a must;

• Strong knowledge of New York City government structure and New York City/New York State legal relationships expected;

• Familiarity with New York City Charter, Procurement Policy Board rules and government contract rules;

• Ability to analyze and communicate complex legal issues to various audiences and interact professionally and effectively with all levels of management, government officials, attorneys, and the public;

• Demonstrated experience in situations requiring the utmost discretion and confidentiality;

• Ability to work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment, both alone and collaboratively, with excellent interpersonal, conflict-management, and time management skills;

• Experience preparing clear, concise, and accurate analytical reports, including the provision of recommendations for review, creation, and modification of policies and procedures;

• Exceptional oral communication and writing skills, interpersonal, and organizational skills (including Microsoft Office Suite proficiency).
Additional Information
We appreciate every applicant’s interest; however, only those under consideration will be contacted.

Vacancy notices listed as “Until Filled” will be posted for at least five work days.
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.

This listing expired on Aug 17. Applications are no longer accepted.

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