Deputy General Counsel for Operations and Legislation

About the Agency:

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

- We maintain building and resident safety and health
- We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability
- We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.


Your Team:

Within HPD’s Office of Legal Affairs (OLA’s), the Operations and Legislation Division handles and advises on legal matters related to, including but not limited to, procurement; labor and employment (related to agency personnel and personnel working on agency contracts/projects); housing discrimination claims and fair housing-related issues generally; M/WBE initiatives; the marketing of affordable housing; advising on the requirements of various federal programs; and the review and/or drafting of federal, state, and local legislation, as well as the coordination of the participation of OLA attorneys with relevant subject matter expertise in the review and/or drafting of such legislation, working with agency intergovernmental staff and other personnel throughout the agency. The Deputy General Counsel for Operations and Legislation oversees all matters within the Operations and Legislation Division (except for labor and employment, housing discrimination, and fair housing related issues overseen by the Deputy General Counsel for Labor and Employment); and also oversees the Agency Chief Contracting Officer (ACCO)/Assistant Commissioner for the Procurement Services Division and the Procurement Services Division.

Your Impact:

As Deputy General Counsel for Operations and Legislation, you will be a senior legal advisor for the Agency in support of HPD’s procurement and related contracting activities, legislative efforts, M/WBE initiatives, as well as federal, state, and local law compliance. You will lead, support, and train a team of talented lawyers and administrative staff.

Your Role:

You will supervise and manage the Agency Chief Contracting Officer (ACCO)/Assistant Commissioner for the Procurement Services Division and the Procurement Services Division as well as attorneys who draft contracts, review and/or prepare legislation, and advise on other areas of operational import. You will also provide legal advice and strategic guidance to senior Agency staff. You will report to the General Counsel.


Your Responsibilities:

Your responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following:

- Supervise the ACCO/Assistant Commissioner for the Procurement Services Division and the staff of the Procurement Services Division.
- Supervise lawyers involved in preparation of procurement-related contracts.
- Supervise and/or coordinate the work of lawyers in the preparation and/or review of legislation.
- Advise agency personnel regarding legal issues related to procurement of goods, services, construction, and information technology.
- Advise agency personnel regarding legal issues that arise during contract administration.
- Draft, negotiate, prepare, and review contracts and other complex legal documents.
- Negotiate, draft, and review memoranda of understanding with other agencies.
- Oversee and work on the review, negotiation, and drafting of federal, state, and local legislation by the Office of Legal Affairs impacting all areas of the agency in coordination with governmental relations staff as well as relevant agency stakeholders.
- Analyzing and advising agency staff on issues related to federal grants, including applicable laws and regulations.
- Analyzing and advising on the interpretation and implementation of various federal, state, and local laws and regulations affecting agency operations.
- Analyzing and advising agency staff on federal, state, and local statutes, rules, and regulations pertaining to contracts and procurement.
- Advise on economic opportunity initiatives in development projects, including the development and implementation of minority-owned and women-owned business enterprise utilization policies
- Advise and perform requisite legal work generally on any assigned matters of operational/administrative significance to the agency.
- Utilize all necessary computer systems, including, but not limited to, the City’s PASSPort procurement platform.
- Coordinate with New York City Law Department (Law Department) attorneys regarding the review of agency contracts.
- Assist in the resolution of issues involving the Mayor's Office of Contract Services, the Law Department, and/or the Comptroller’s office as well as other oversight agencies.
- Assist Law Department with its defense of the agency in various types of complex litigation.
- Work collaboratively with Agency colleagues and partners.


Preferred skills

- Substantial experience with negotiation, drafting, and preparing procurement-related contracts.
- Substantial experience with federal, state, and local laws, rule, and regulations related to procurement.
- Familiarity with governmental procurement processes of the City of New York.
- Experience with drafting and preparing local and state legislation.
- Familiarity with local and state legislative processes.
- Excellent writing, legal research, and analytical skills.
- Experience managing and supervising attorneys and other professionals.
- Ability to review and analyze federal, state, and local laws.
- Ability to liaise with the NYC Law Department to advance agency initiatives.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

EXECUTIVE AGENCY COUNSEL - 95005

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.

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.