Associate General Counsel

Salary: $165,000.00

Division/Work Unit: General Counsel

Job ID: 787845

Hours/Shift: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM 

Job Description

**This position may be eligible for remote work for up to 2 days per week, pursuant to the Flexible Work Pilot Program. **

The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) protects and enhances the daily economic lives of New Yorkers to create thriving communities. DCWP licenses nearly 45,000 businesses in more than 40 industries and enforces key consumer protection and workplace laws that apply to countless more. By supporting businesses through equitable enforcement and access to resources, DCWP protects the marketplace from predatory practices and strives to create a culture of compliance. DCWP empowers consumers and working families by providing the tools and resources they need to achieve financial health and work-life balance. DCWP also conducts research and advocates for public policy that furthers its work to support New York City’s communities. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), sign up for its newsletter, or follow on its social media sites, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. 

The General Counsel Division (GCD) at DCWP seeks an experienced attorney to serve in the Associate General Counsel (AGC) position overseeing the License Operations and Counseling Unit. Reporting to the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel for Legal Counsel and Operations, the AGC will be responsible for overseeing one of the GCD’s core internal counseling units, which consists of a team of lawyers who provide legal advice to the Licensing Division, ensure compliance with key license requirements as well as internal counseling related to specific business industries. The License Operations and Counseling Unit also works on critical implementation projects to ensure new laws and rules are followed and enforced efficiently. The team works across license categories, but pays special focus to categories with multi-stakeholder touchpoints, such as tobacco and electronic cigarette retail dealers, newsstands, pedicabs, stoop line stands, and street vendors. Specifically, the AGC will have several primary areas of focus:

1. Oversight of GCD license application reviews to ensure problematic or difficult license applications comply with required laws and rules, and that the systems DCWP is using to intake and process license applications meets all requirements; manage the team’s review of license applications, which includes conducting investigations, and denying and revoking licenses, for lack of compliance; review of criminal history for certain categories of licenses; and supervise responses to public questions about laws and rules within DCWP’s jurisdiction. 
2. Provide legal counseling to other divisions regarding licensed categories, particularly issues related to the interpretation of licensing laws and rules; provide day-to-day counseling support to the Licensing Division to ensure legal compliance and the accuracy of all documents and materials; manage the implementation process for new laws and rules; work with the External Affairs Division to help properly frame legal issues and answer questions; work with External Affairs to handle elected inquiries, frame responses, and help prepare for public hearings concerning potential new areas of Agency responsibility.
3. Supervise and oversee team of attorneys to ensure that work is being efficiently and accurately performed, all policies and procedures are adhered to, and professional development goals are being met by team members. 

The ideal candidate is a self-motivated, experienced attorney and manager with superb writing skills and experience with strategic planning and using technology and data to further legal goals. The position requires substantive management and supervisory experience by an individual who enjoys substantial responsibility and thrives in a fast paced environment.

Minimum Qualification Requirements 

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. 

Preferred Skills 

• Interest/experience in management, administration and personnel issues 
• Managerial and supervisory experience, including developing and implementing strategic priorities 
• At least eight years of legal experience, of which two should be related to regulatory compliance and enforcement. 
• Experience providing internal counseling related to business licenses and taking formal legal action, either through hearings or trials, to enforce against licenses or applications 
• Demonstrated ability to multitask, set priorities and work quickly and efficiently 
• Interest in or experience in government or public sector work 
• Experience with regulatory compliance 
• Ability to work in and direct teams in a diverse environment comprised of attorney and non-legal staff
• Interest in working in a hands-on “roll up your sleeves” atmosphere 
• Impeccable legal judgment, problem solving skills and ability to resolve issues in a diplomatic and expedient fashion 
• Excellent writing and editing skills, appreciation of rigorous standards for written work and interest in growing and developing impeccable legal templates for the agency 

To Apply 

To apply for this position, please submit your application exclusively through the Jobs NYC website. Only applications submitted via the Jobs NYC platform will be considered for review. The Job ID is located at the top of the page. 

A resume and cover letter are required as part of the application. In your cover letter, please include the following:

• Civil service title you currently hold or whether you have taken any civil service exams (if applicable).
• The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage 55-a candidates to apply. If eligible, please indicate this in your cover letter. 

Incomplete applications or those missing the required documents will not be considered. 

Reasonable Accommodations 

DCWP is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to employment opportunities. If you need an accommodation to participate in the interview process, please contact us at ReasonableAccommodationRequests@dcwp.nyc.gov. 

Please note the following important application instructions: 

• No phone calls, faxes, emails, or in-person inquiries will be accepted. 
• Only candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted. If you do not receive communication from us, please consider your application as not being selected for this position. 
• Drug Screening: Please be aware that a drug screening may be required prior to appointment. Candidates will be notified if this is necessary as part of the pre-employment process. 

Appointments are subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval. 

For any questions or concerns regarding your application, please email the recruitment team at dcwpjobs@dcwp.nyc.gov. 

Additional Information 

In addition, the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) offers competitive salaries and the following benefits: 

Paid Time Off and Holidays 

• Paid time off for vacation and personal leave 
• Paid time off for sick leave 
• A generous holiday package of up to 13 days 

Health Benefits 

• Medical insurance plans 
• Dental and vision insurance plans 
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 

Financial and Savings Benefits 

• 529 College Savings Plan 
• Direct Deposit 
• Flexible Spending Account Programs 
• New York City Municipal Credit Union Savings Program 
• Transit Benefit Programs 

Retirement and Pension Plans 

• New York City Employee Retirement System (NYCERS) pension plan 
• New York City Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) 401(k) and 457 plan 

Additional Benefits for Union Members 

• Disability Insurance
• Health Club Reimbursements 
• Life Insurance 
• Supplemental Hospital Coverage 
• Tuition Reimbursement 

*Please note only employees represented by a labor union may qualify for additional benefits provided by the union welfare fund. 

Student Loan Forgiveness 

• DCWP qualifies as a public service employer, which means our employees may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. If you have federal student loans, you may be able to have your loans forgiven by working full-time in public service. To learn more about PSLF and its eligibility requirements, visit the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program website. 

Employee Discounts 

• Apple and Dell products 
• Cell phones and plans 
• Gym memberships 
• Special pricing on event tickets through Barclay Center, Plum Benefits and Working Advantage
• And more!

DCWP and the City of New York is an equal employment opportunity employer.