Assistant Director - Prosecution and Code Enforcement

City and County of Denver • Denver, CO

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver. We value diversity of ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, sexual identity, gender, religion, language, ability, and experience and exemplify this through the makeup of our team at all levels. You'll be right at home here if you cultivate strong relationships and push yourself, your work, the people around you and Denver to the next level. The Denver City Attorney’s Office (CAO) is one of the largest law firms in Colorado, with approximately 120 attorneys and approximately 120 staff members, including paralegals, victim advocates, and other support staff members. Clients include the Mayor; the Auditor; the Clerk and Recorder; City Council; and all city agencies, departments, offices, boards, commissions, and authorities. The CAO is dedicated to providing an inclusive and diverse work environment. Through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, we respect and honor our differences, we create a culture of compassion, collaboration, and common purpose of sharing our talents and creativity with each other and the City we serve. We celebrate bringing our whole selves to work every day. The Denver City Attorney’s Office embraces an environment of compassion, trust, belonging and inclusion where all voices are engaged and respected, and where we nurture the talents of our diverse employees. We are an anti-racist office. We are committed to removing barriers, providing opportunities, supporting everyone by embracing our differences, condemning inequalities and oppression, and respecting everyone’s unique qualities. City and County of Denver is currently seeking an Assistant Director for the Prosecution and Code Enforcement Section (PACE). This management position reports to the Director of the Prosecution and Code Enforcement Section of the City Attorney’s Office and will supervise a group of junior attorneys over their assigned section. The PACE section staffs seven courtrooms in Denver County Court, including 4 trial courtrooms, 2 arraignment courtrooms, and 1 traffic courtroom. PACE also supports three additional dockets: a wellness docket, a municipal juvenile docket, and a homeless outreach docket held at locations in the community. In addition to the courtroom work of traditional prosecution offices, PACE also staffs several other legal teams within the City. In addition to the courtroom work of traditional prosecution offices, PACE also staffs other legal teams within the City. The PACE Public Nuisance Team litigates civil public nuisance cases filed against vehicles or real property used in certain crimes. The Neighborhood Partnership Team works closely with other City agencies and community members to find solutions for neighborhood issues that don’t lend themselves to traditional prosecution methods. Through its Excise-and-Licenses and Marijuana Teams, the Section also provides legal counsel and administrative law support to the Department of Excise and Licenses, which administers and regulates over 100 types of business, liquor, and marijuana licenses. PACE's mental health team handles civil actions for mental health certifications, motions for involuntary medication and special procedures, involuntary commitment for drug and alcohol use disorder, petitions to impose a legal disability for those with developmental or intellectual disabilities, and extreme risk protection orders under Colorado's Red Flag law. The Assistant Director role will be expected to perform and excel in the following areas: Legal excellence including: Serving as subject matter expert in a wide variety of local government and other applicable law with specialized demonstrated expertise in prosecution, mentoring attorneys under your supervision, providing excellent client service, assisting with responding to CORA requests, and performing other related duties as assigned Leadership and collaboration including: Providing day-to-day operational management to the Prosecution and Code Enforcement Section, demonstrating two-way communication regarding important updates among the section and with the leadership team, driving the strategic vision of the Section and the City Attorney’s Office, and other duties as assigned. Talent management including: Creating high-performing teams through careful recruitment and selection practices, ongoing coaching and mentoring, developing and implementing well thought-out performance standards, resolving team conflict as it arises, serving as a change agent for the Section, and other duties as assigned Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree or Bachelor of Laws Degree.
• Three (3) years of experience of the type and at the level of Assistant City Attorney – Senior with specialized experience in at least one area of law.
• Possession of a license to practice law in Colorado from the Colorado Supreme Court by the date of hire or a reasonable expectation of becoming licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court by the date of hire in accordance with C.R.C.P. 203.2, 203.3, 203.4 and 205.6.
• Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment

Nice To Haves

• At least five (5) years of experience practicing law
• Supervisory experience
• Experience preparing training materials and providing training
• Ability to work closely and communicate effectively & transparently with the Director, other Assistant Directors, and colleagues on the leadership team
• Ability to communicate effectively with victims, witnesses, clients, attorneys, and other staff members
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and work effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to “lead from the front” and to model a positive attitude and behavior
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to work well under pressure

Responsibilities

• Serving as subject matter expert in a wide variety of local government and other applicable law with specialized demonstrated expertise in prosecution, mentoring attorneys under your supervision, providing excellent client service, assisting with responding to CORA requests, and performing other related duties as assigned
• Providing day-to-day operational management to the Prosecution and Code Enforcement Section, demonstrating two-way communication regarding important updates among the section and with the leadership team, driving the strategic vision of the Section and the City Attorney’s Office, and other duties as assigned.
• Creating high-performing teams through careful recruitment and selection practices, ongoing coaching and mentoring, developing and implementing well thought-out performance standards, resolving team conflict as it arises, serving as a change agent for the Section, and other duties as assigned
• Other duties as assigned

Benefits

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 12 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday, 1 Wellness Day and 1 volunteer day per year

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree