Senior Counsel

TENDERLOIN NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION•San Francisco, CA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

TNDC is seeking a Senior Counsel to provide in-house legal expertise regarding tenant matters including housing compliance, staff issues, lease violations and landlord-tenant law. This position is designed to reduce the organization's reliance on outside legal counsel, deliver prompt and cost-effective legal support, and strengthen tenant relationships through consistent and compliant operational practices. The Senior Counsel will work collaboratively with property operations, finance, and executive leadership to maintain fair, transparent, and audit-ready processes for tenants. As the department expands, this role may supervise paralegal or other staff. This job description should not be interpreted as all inclusive. It is intended to identify the essential functions and requirements of this position. The incumbent may be requested to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this job description.

Requirements

Comprehensive knowledge of California and San Francisco landlord-tenant laws and regulations, including fair housing compliance and nonprofit housing contexts.
Demonstrated ability to manage disputes, negotiate settlements, and effectively represent organizational interests.
Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to explain legal concepts in practical terms.
Collaborative and solution-oriented, with the ability to work with diverse staff across departments and low-income tenants.
Alignment with TNDC’s mission to provide affordable housing with fairness, transparency, and accountability.
Pragmatic and grounded approach to tenant relations, balancing legal precision with empathy and respect in a diverse setting.
Comfortable working in a dynamic environment with multiple stakeholders and complex demands.
Ability to effectively manage time (schedules, deadlines, etc.) and paper (forms, documents, etc.).
Ability to follow directions and work independently.
Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills.
Ability to operate office equipment such as personal computers and calculators.
Ability to coordinate eyes, hands, and fingers in performing word processing, writing, reading, and similar tasks.
Ability to lift 15-20 pounds.
Visual acuity is necessary to review documents.
Hearing acuity sufficient to use telephone and communicate with tenants, and staff.
Ability to perform sedentary to light physical work involves sitting most of the time.
Ability to work in an office environment.
Ability to travel to various work sites as needed.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and calculate decimals, ratios, percentages, and fractions.
Ability to calculate weights and measures.
Ability to comprehend and correctly use informational documents.
Ability to communicate effectively with residents, coworkers and staff at all levels, residents, government officials, both verbally and in writing.
Ability to keep abreast of changes in policy, regulations, methods, operations, etc. as they apply to compliance and occupancy procedures and activities.
Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school and a license to practice law in California.
At least four (4) years of legal experience, with a strong background in landlord-tenant law, affordable housing, or real estate.
Two (2) years of experience working in an affordable housing management company.
Computer literate with experience in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Access).

Nice To Haves

Possession of a California Real Estate Broker License.
Knowledge of residential property management, building systems, and housing quality standards.
Bi-lingual or fluent in Spanish-English, Chinese-English, Vietnamese-English, Tagalog-English, or Russian-English.

Responsibilities

Provides Guidance on Corporate Matters.
Review tenant files and advise on disputes with staff, neighbor, community), lease enforcement, and compliance with local housing and financial regulations, including HUD, and fair housing laws.
Collaborate with Human Resources, Property Operations, Tenant Services, Compliance and Risk Management on tenant-related matters as needed to ensure consistent, compliant, and fair practices.
Collaborate with property operations, compliance and finance teams to ensure documentation meets local, state, and federal regulatory requirements and aligns with organizational standards.
Draft, review, and approve communications, notices, stipulated agreements, and policies related to tenants.
Represent TNDC in administrative hearings, mediations, and negotiations with tenants or tenant representatives, while engaging and overseeing outside council for complex or sensitive matters.
Maintain legal records and information pertaining to all tenant-related lawsuits.
Develop standard operating procedures with Property Operations and Tenant Services for tenant relations to ensure consistency across properties.
Provide training and guidance to property operations and tenant services staff on tenant landlord matters and best practices for tenant interactions.
Monitor legal and regulatory changes affecting affordable housing tenant relations matters and propose proactive strategies.
Identify potential risks early and advise leadership on resolution options to manage these risks.
Maintain relationships with external counsel for specialized litigation or complex issues, while working to decrease overall dependency on outside firms.
Other duties as requested.