Job Description

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enriches the environment and protects public health for all New Yorkers by providing 1.1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water, managing wastewater and stormwater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP's water supply system is comprised of 19 reservoirs and 3 controlled lakes throughout the system’s 2,000 square mile watershed that extends 125 miles north and west of the City.

DEP’s Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA) works cooperatively with the New York City Law Department (Law Department) to ensure that all of DEP’s legal needs are addressed. Given DEP’s extensive infrastructure and operations, DEP is involved in a significant amount of litigation and claims filed with the Comptroller’s office. BLA’s staff provide critical litigation support to the Law Department attorneys representing the agency and respond to requests for records and information from the Comptroller.

DEP is seeking an attorney who will work in the office of the General Counsel under the direction of the Senior Counsel, Capital Procurement and Contracts, on the drafting and review of the array of contracts that support DEP’s vast capital program. The attorney will be responsible for working directly with the Agency’s contracting, business and technical staff to ensure that the Agency’s interests are adequately protected, and for interfacing with outside parties, including contractors, consultants and other government agencies, as well as liaising with the City’s Law Department in connection with related procurement matters and other legal issues. In order to meet its mandate, the Agency generally spends in excess of $1 billion annually on capital construction, ensuring the complex and extensive legal work.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Review, negotiate, revise and administer complex construction and professional services contracts. Ensure that such contracts comply with legal mandates, consistency of contract terms and with foregoing solicitations, and with the goal of minimizing potential contract disputes

• develop a deep understanding of DEP’s capital program and work with bureau project managers, the Agency Chief Contracting Office, and the Office of Engineering Audits in developing contract terms and specifications

• develop a thorough understanding of the laws and regulations that govern procurements and provide sound counsel to that effect

• work, on an ongoing basis, on developing various contract terms and conditions with the goal of balancing business needs with legal compliance and improving internal processes

• research a wide variety of legal issues that pertain to the Agency and provide legal memoranda to

• effectively communicate legal guidance to various DEP bureaus

• populate and work with contract administration and development databases with the necessary information to facilitate the approval process, and maintain version tracking

• liase with the New York City Law Department on procurement and contract matters

• perform related duties as assigned

• be a team player, work with a sense of urgency and pay great attention to detail

Qualifications

1. Admission to the New York State Bar; and either "2" or "3" below.

2. One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or

3. Six months of satisfactory service as an Agency Attorney Interne (30086).

Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

In addition to meeting the minimum Qualification Requirements:

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.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.