Assistant General Counsel - Employment Law Unit, Office of General Counsel

City of New York•New York, NY

8d•$83,000 - $95,450•Hybrid

About The Position

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department) Office of Legal Affairs provides legal support for the Agency and its public health functions. The Employment Law Unit (ELU) oversees non-managerial employees, handling disciplinary matters and fitness for duty cases. ELU also acts as the NYC Health Department's liaison to the Conflicts of Interest Board, offering advice on conflicts of interest matters. ELU is seeking an agency attorney to manage all phases of the disciplinary process, including investigations, drafting disciplinary charges, and preparing for prosecution from informal conferences through appeals. This role involves leading meetings with staff and union representatives for early case resolution, strategizing outcomes, advocating for the City's best interests, negotiating settlements, and drafting settlement agreements. The attorney will independently prosecute cases at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) and perform other duties as assigned by the Office of General Counsel.

Requirements

Admission to the New York State Bar.
One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar.
Must remain a Member of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of employment.
To be assigned to Assignment Level (AL) II, candidates must have one year of experience at Assignment Level I or two years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment.
To be assigned to AL III, candidates must have two years of experience in Assignment Levels I and/or II or three years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment.

Nice To Haves

JD from an accredited law school.
Member in good standing of the New York State Bar and/or admitted in another State Bar.
Administrative and/or employment law litigation experience.
Conflict resolution, mediation, and/or ADR education and/or experience.
Demonstrated commitment to advancing health equity and supporting racial justice.
Clear and persuasive writing ability for extensive internal and external communications.
Excellent communication skills, including emotional intelligence and connections building with external stakeholders.
Strong Writing Skills with great attention to detail and efficient organizational skills.

Responsibilities

Practice in all phases of the disciplinary process, including investigations, preparation of disciplinary charges, and preparation for prosecution from the informal conference through the appeal process.
Draft disciplinary charges.
Lead meetings with staff and union representatives to mediate cases for resolution in early stages.
Strategize outcome options and advocate for resolutions in the best interest of the City.
Negotiate settlements and draft settlement agreements.
Appear independently to prosecute cases at OATH.
Perform other duties as requested by the Office of General Counsel.
Organize case files and update the unit’s database.
Appear via video conference and in person at OATH, the Office of Labor Relations, and the Civil Service Commission.
Provide Agency employees with advice concerning the conflicts of interest law, including acceptance of gifts and use of City time.
Draft conflict of interest law waiver requests.
Provide training to supervisory staff on the concept of progressive discipline and its relation to the administrative disciplinary process.
Present training sessions on progressive discipline.
Participate in mandatory Agency-wide activities for emergency preparedness and respond promptly.