The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) protects public health and the environment by supplying clean drinking water, collecting and treating wastewater, 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. We deliver over 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water per day to over 8 million New York City residents and more than 1 million people in Upstate New York, and we collect and treat over 1 billion gallons of wastewater per day.
We have an exciting career opportunity for a senior attorney to handle a broad array of business and transactional legal work required by the Agency. The selected candidate will serve as the Deputy General Counsel for Business Affairs within the agency’s Bureau of Legal Affairs, under the supervision of the General Counsel.
The work will include providing legal expertise and supervising attorneys and staff in the following areas:

1) Watershed Transactions: Negotiate, draft and interpret intergovernmental agreements, partnership agreements, contracts of sale, and conservation easements related to the agency’s watershed protection programs and energy projects; work with the Bureau of Police Services and upstate district attorneys on criminal matters related to encroachments upon City land; negotiate the parameters of the City’s land acquisition program; advise Bureau of Water Supply business and technical staff, including the Deputy Commissioner, on all legal issues related to the.Watershed; provide legal support to the Bureau of Police Services in support of their police operations in the watershed; and liaise with the New York City Law Department on litigation related to watershed protection programs
2) Employment matters: Represent the agency in employment matters before the New York State Division of Human Rights, the New York City Commission on Human Rights, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; liaise with the New York City Law Department on litigation pending before Federal and State Courts; develop and conduct training sessions on conflicts of interest; advise agency staff on issues related to conflicts of interest and employment matters and prepare waiver and opinion requests to be submitted to the Conflicts of Interest Board; work with the Office Labor Relations on pending disciplinary matters and employment policies and practices; and draft internal memos reacted to employment policies.
3) Freedom of Information Law: review requests and related documents for responsiveness and exemptions; handle Article 78 Petitions and related settlement negotiations.
4) Energy Matters: Handle legal issues related to energy efficiency and resource recovery initiates, hydroelectric projects, and utility relations both in the Watershed and within the City

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.

Ten years of satisfactory and relevant legal experience. Significant supervisory experience.

NOTE: This position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program and meet the education and experience requirements as listed in the job posting notice. Please indicate on your resume or cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position under the 55-a Program. 55A candidates are encouraged to apply.

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/

New York City Residency is not required for this position

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.