Senior Counsel

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, headed by General Counsel Elissa Stein Cushman, serves as in-house counsel to DEP and is hiring for a Senior Counsel within the Infrastructure, Operations and Litigation Support Unit. With latitude for independent judgment and decision-making, the Senior Counsel will assist in implementing procurement policy and best practices; supervise attorneys handling a broad array of legal work related to DEP’s infrastructure and operations, including matters relating to the review and approval of non-capital procurement contracts; draft and negotiate inter/intra municipal agreements, property-related documents, and grant agreements; review legal documents required in regulatory permitting matters; and handle other matters as needed.

The attorney will interface extensively with DEP bureau and executive staff, consultants, and other government agencies, and liaise with the City’s Law Department, which represents the agency in litigation.

The work will require the application of strong communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, including navigating and aligning conflicting priorities among diverse groups to achieve both near term and long-term goals while ensuring successful future collaboration.

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.

Compensation (from employer):
145000 – 151000 USD