On June 16, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the NYC Public Housing Preservation Trust Act, which authorized creation of the NYC Public Housing Preservation Trust (the Trust). The Trust is a public benefit corporation that will oversee the renovation and rehabilitation of the city’s public housing developments, owned by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). NYCHA remains permanent owner of the land/buildings and enters into a long-term ground lease with the Trust to secure Section 8 vouchers, a subsidy worth double NYCHA’s current federal subsidy. Similar to how other government entities raise revenue for capital improvements, the Trust will issue bonds that fund comprehensive building renovations. The Trust Act limits the Trust’s initial unit volume to 25,000 units. No NYCHA site can convert to the Trust without a positive vote of the site’s residents. Under the Act, NYCHA must develop and administer a voting process to provide residents with that choice.

The Trust Act took effect on August 15, 2022 and the Trust is being structured and operated by its executive staff who reports to a currently seven-member board. As the Trust assumes a full workload in 2024 – including leasehold contracts with NYCHA, Section 8 conversions with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the procurement of design-build partners to perform construction work – the Trust will continue to add staff to fulfill critical functions.

Position Summary

The Assistant General Counsel and Compliance Officer reports directly to the General Counsel and is a key member of the Trust’s legal and compliance department. The Assistant General Counsel and Compliance Officer will assist in managing the Trust’s legal matters, focusing on compliance, ethics, contracts, procurement, and regulatory affairs, among other matters. This role involves providing legal advice, overseeing compliance programs and compliance reporting, and ensuring the organization adheres to all applicable laws and regulations.

Primary Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of the Assistant General Counsel and Compliance Officer include, but are not limited to the following:

1. Legal and Compliance Support: Assist in overseeing legal matters, provide legal advice, and ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
2. Regulatory Affairs: Monitor regulatory changes, advise on compliance, and liaise with regulatory bodies, including the United States Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD.
3. Ethics and Compliance Programs: Develop, implement, and oversee ethics and compliance programs and the requisite reporting.
4. Risk Management: Identify, evaluate, and mitigate legal and compliance risks.
5. Training and Education: Develop and provide legal and compliance training to staff.
6. Procurement and Contracts: Support procurement and contracting efforts and related background checks.

Additional Information

1. NYCHA employees applying for promotional, title or level change opportunities must have served a period of one year at current location and in current title and level (if applicable).
2. NYCHA residents are encouraged to apply.

Please read this posting carefully to make certain you meet the qualification requirements before applying to this position.

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.

Key Competencies - Strong understanding of laws and regulations applicable to public housing, real estate, municipal finance, public procurement and contracting. - Experience in developing and overseeing compliance programs. - Experience with the Department of Housing & Urban Development a plus. - Excellent Communicator - Ability to communicate expertly and clearly, both written and verbal to think on one’s feet with a calm and pleasant demeanor to artfully influence and persuade, and to render diplomatic approaches while remaining focused on the Trust’s goals and priorities. - Integrity - Possesses the highest degree of integrity, supported by a flawless record of maintaining confidentiality. - Humility - Comfortable leading as well as executing and taking constructive input from multiple sources. Qualification & Experience Preferred - Admission to the New York State Bar, member in good standing. - Four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant legal experience, preferably with a focus on compliance, regulatory affairs, or similar areas within a legal department. - An understanding of public housing law, bond finance, construction management, and US Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations is a bonus.

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

The Trust has no residency requirements.

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.