General Counsel, Office of General Counsel

City of New York•Long Island City, NY

About The Position

Reporting directly to Commissioner of Health, the General Counsel is the New York City Health Department’s chief legal officer who advises the Commissioner, agency leadership and staff on legal questions, obligations and legal strategy for initiatives and policy under consideration. The General Counsel also acts as liaison to the New York City Law Department and serves as Counsel to the New York City Board of Health. The General Counsel oversees a team that handles the myriad legal issues that arise daily across the agency such as: review of proposed city, state and federal legislation and regulations; development of proposals to the Board of Health to amend the Health Code; drafting and reviewing of contracts and other agreements; prosecution of administrative actions to suspend or revoke agency permits and licenses; review of litigation strategy and related documents and, when necessary, assisting with drafting papers for litigation; and responding to Freedom of Information Law requests and appeals. The Office of the General Counsel includes the following units: Legal Affairs provides legal advice and strategy to leadership and bureau directors on a wide range of topics, including providing legal support for new policies and programs; responds to requests for legal from the Department’s employees.; drafts and reviews proposed changes to the New York City Health Code and Commissioner regulations; Privacy Unit is responsible for preserving the security of the agency’s confidential data and managing the agency’s compliance with privacy laws and regulations; Employee Law Unit investigates and prosecutes allegations of misconduct involving employees working for DOHMH, OCME and DFTA, handles fitness for duty cases pursuant to Section 72 of the Civil Service Law, and is DOHMH’s liaison to the Conflicts of Interest Board; the Contract Unit; Institutional Review Board which has a mission to protect the rights and welfare of human subjects who participate in research activities conducted under the jurisdiction of DOHMH. Contracts Unit manages agency’s contract development, review and negotiation with contractors over delivery of services/goods to the agency; and Assisted Outpatient Treatment Unit oversees implementation of Kendra’s Law to people in need of mental health services.

Requirements

JD from an accredited law school, member in good standing of a New York State Bar.
Minimum of 10 years of legal experience, including five years in government, nonprofit or healthcare/public health law.
Exceptional communication, interpersonal and writing skills; ability communicate complex legal concepts in a clear and straightforward way for non-legal staff;
Demonstrated commitment to advancing health equity and supporting racial justice
Creative thinker with proven track record using the law in innovative ways to protect and promote public health.
Demonstrated ability influencing cross-functional decisions and managing an array of stakeholders
Proven leadership and the ability to demonstrate history of successful management of attorneys and legal support staff;
Team player, with experience working collaboratively, building relationships at all levels of an organization;
Ability to deal with multiple and changing demands in a fast-paced environment.
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.

Nice To Haves

Experience in providing executive level counsel in a large organization a plus
Experience in public health, healthcare, and/or knowledge of health law strongly desired

Responsibilities

Advise the Commissioner and the Executive team on legal matters related to the agency; serving as principal legal advisor to Commissioner of Health.
Participate in strategic public health policy discussions and providing legal guidance and advice to further the public health agenda for the agency.
Provide legal guidance on federal, state, and local public health laws, including disease prevention, emergency preparedness, data privacy, health equity, and regulatory compliance.
Ensure formulation and development of Department and Board of Health policy proposals are consistent with legal requirements.
Advance the agency efforts in addressing health equity and racial justice
Oversee compliance with federal, state, and local laws as well as relevant regulations
Manage litigation, disputes, investigations and response to regulatory inquiries, in partnership with NYC Law Department
Provide oversight of the day-to-day operations for the Office of the General Counsel, including direct supervision of deputy general counsels.
Work closely with the Law Department in matters involving litigation and other legal matters.
Serve as primary agency liaison to the Law Department, Department of Investigations, and other city, state and federal agencies on legal matters.
Ensure the agency’s responsiveness to Freedom of Information Law requests.
Represent the agency at external meetings with City Hall, elected officials, community-based organization and others as requested by the Commissioner.
Stay current on evolving laws, regulations, and court decisions affecting public health practice and administration.

Benefits

Loan Forgiveness: As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal/state loan forgiveness and repayment assistance programs that lessen your payments or even fully forgive your full balance. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website (https://studentaid.gov/pslf/)
Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as: o a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment. o additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund. o a public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement. o a tax-deferred savings program and o a robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.
Work From Home Policy: Depending on your position, you may be able to work up to two days during the week from home.
Job Security - you could enjoy more job security compared to private sector employment and be able to contribute to making NYC a healthy place to live and work.

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