Associate General Counsel

Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
New York

**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) is the nation’s leading municipal enforcement agency charged with delivering economic justice. DCWP leverages its authority to bring New Yorkers real economic relief and protect them from predatory, deceptive, and unfair practices that violate their rights as consumers and workers. This includes pioneering cutting-edge protections, such as the City’s Consumer Protection Law, Protected Time Off Law, Fair Workweek Law, and Delivery Worker Laws, including the Minimum Pay Rate for delivery workers. Through licensing more than 45,000 businesses in over 45 industries, DCWP ensures fair competition and a level playing field for responsible small businesses that are integral to New York City’s vibrant communities. DCWP also provides essential services such as free tax preparation and financial counseling to ensure New Yorkers keep more of what they earn and can plan for their futures. DCWP is committed to making sure New York City is a fairer, more affordable place to live. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at nyc.gov/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 Policy and Special Projects 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 work on legislation, final decisions, DCWP’s sealing authority, and rulemaking. More specifically, the AGC will be responsible for: 

1. Overseeing legislation affecting DCWP, including reviewing bills from City Council, preparing for Council hearings, testifying at hearings, drafting local and state bills to advance DCWP’s policy agenda, and coordinating with DCWP’s external affairs division; 
2. Managing all final decisions for DCWP, including researching and drafting final decisions for complex recommended decisions from OATH Trials Division covering all laws and rules enforced by the agency; 
3. Supervising DCWP’s sealing authority, including managing the team selecting targets and drafting sealing orders, improving efficiency and accuracy of interdivision workflows, and resolving sealings through negotiations;
4. Drafting cutting edge rules on consumer protection, in accordance with the City’s rulemaking (CAPA) process; 
5. Supervising other DCWP priorities, including tobacco and electronic cigarette policy, street vending policy, research for white papers, collections efforts, U-visa certifications, and reports in response to executive orders and local laws. 

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..

PLEASE NOTE: New York City residency is not required for this position.

Preferred Skills

• At least eight years of legal experience, of which two should be related to regulatory compliance and enforcement
• Managerial and supervisory experience, including developing and implementing strategic priorities
• Experience providing internal counseling related to legislation, 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 bottom 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 candidatesselected for further consideration will be contacted. If you do not receive communicationfrom 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

JVN:  793274
DCWP and the City of New York is an equal employment opportunity employer.