Assistant City Solicitor or Deputy City Solicitor – Regulatory Law Unit – Airport Division

City of Philadelphia•Philadelphia, PA

14h•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Philadelphia is a best-in-class city with a workforce of over 30,000 people across more than 1,000 different job categories. It values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work, offering a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care, and benefits. The City of Philadelphia Law Department serves as general counsel to the entire City government, providing legal advice to all City officials, employees, departments, agencies, boards, and commissions. Its civil practice addresses unique public interest issues in business, health, safety, commerce, civil rights, taxation, and community development. The department employs over 290 attorneys and 130 professional staff, aiming to support seamless operations, reduce legal liability, and address quality of life threats. It fosters an environment of camaraderie, accountability, and inclusiveness, celebrating the diversity of its staff and the residents it serves. The Corporate and Tax Group includes the Regulatory Law Unit, which represents the City in commercial, utility, transportation, environmental, development, regulatory, and sustainability matters. This unit has four divisions: Airport, Water, Environmental, and Right-of-Way and Utilities. The Airport Division specifically represents the Department of Aviation (DOA), which operates Philadelphia International Airport and Northeast Philadelphia Airport as commercial businesses. The DOA is subject to extensive Federal regulations (FAA, TSA) and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Bureau of Aviation regulations. Attorneys in this division handle diverse regulatory and transactional matters, including structuring, drafting, and negotiating contracts and real estate transactions, and responding to claims. The Regulatory Law Unit’s Airport Division is seeking a licensed Pennsylvania Attorney for an Assistant City Solicitor or Deputy City Solicitor position. This attorney will work on a wide range of transactional and compliance matters, including negotiating and drafting various contracts (e.g., letters of intent, leases, licenses, grant agreements, professional service contracts, development agreements, reimbursement agreements, airline incentive agreements, easements, concession agreements) and advising airport staff on legal and regulatory issues necessary for the operation and development of the City’s two airports. The role also involves providing counsel on the application of Federal, Pennsylvania, and City laws and regulations related to contract terms, public safety, national security, commercial development, land use, environmental concerns, and other daily legal issues. Division attorneys' offices are located adjacent to the Philadelphia International Airport.

Requirements

Law degree from an ABA accredited law school
Member in good standing of the Pennsylvania Bar, or currently eligible to be admitted by reciprocity to practice in Pennsylvania (Pa.B.A.R. 204)
Assistant City Solicitor candidates must have one (1) plus years of relevant experience within a legal setting.
Deputy City Solicitor candidates must have a minimum of four (4) years of relevant legal experience.
Legal experience should include some or most of those described under Essential Functions.
Ability to analyze large amounts of information, determine relevant facts, and propose viable solutions to address matters described under Position Summary
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
Strong drafting and negotiating skills
Strong legal analytical skills
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion goals of the Law Department
Must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Nice To Haves

Experience in administrative and/or civil litigation or claims
Familiarity with airport business and related commercial transactions
Knowledge of Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration regulations
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules and processes of the City of Philadelphia
Familiarity with transactional and/or administrative law experience

Responsibilities

Representing the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Aviation in matters relating to the operation and development of the two airports as detailed above.
Structuring, negotiating, and drafting contracts, including leases, of a broad range of complexity as detailed above.
Interfacing with other City departments, including Risk, Tax, Finance, Litigation, the Office of Sustainability, and the Office of Economic Opportunity.
Reviewing and analyzing Federal, State, and City laws (including the Philadelphia Code and the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter) that affect the DOA’s operations and functions.

Benefits

Comprehensive health care and benefits
Vibrant work environment
Unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program
8 weeks of paid parental leave
Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
Wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
Generous retirement savings options
Eligibility to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
Tuition discounts and scholarships (10% to 40% savings) with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities, extending to spouse and dependents in some cases