THE AGENCY
The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide and by sharing its perspectives on growth and community needs with sister agencies in collaboration with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

DCP’s six strategic objectives include: (a) catalyze long-term neighborhood improvement through integrated planning and targeted accompanying public investments; (b) encourage housing production, affordability, and quality; (c) promote economic development and job growth; (d) enhance resiliency and sustainability of neighborhoods; (e) ensure integrity, timeliness and responsiveness in land use reviews; and, (f) supply objective data and expertise to a broad range of planning functions and stakeholders.

Central to its mission, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications. The Department also works closely with OMB in developing the Ten-Year Capital Strategy, and helping administer the $1 billion Neighborhood Development Fund, geared toward ensuring growing neighborhoods undergoing rezoning have accompanying infrastructure investments.

The New York City Department of City Planning is a great place to work – cultivating intellectual inspiration, professional development and creativity. Visit our website at www.nyc.gov/planning to access the full listing of job opportunities and to learn more about our great agency.

THE DIVISION
The Counsel's Office advises the Department of City Planning (DCP), the City Planning Commission, other governmental agencies, and private entities on all issues related to zoning, land use review, planning, development, environmental review, and agency administration and procedures.


THE ROLE
The Researcher and FOIL eDiscovery Specialist will work within Counsel’s Office and with offices throughout the agency to ensure Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests made by the public, specifically those involving eDiscovery, are properly addressed in a timely manner. Reporting to DCP’s Records Access Officer and FOIL Associate, the Researcher and FOIL eDiscovery Specialist will work with Counsel’s Office, in coordination with offices throughout the agency, to identify and obtain responsive documents for FOIL requests that require eDiscovery, and redact personally identifiable information (PII) and intra-/inter-agency and other sensitive information exempt from disclosure under FOIL. The FOIL and eDiscovery Specialist will also use and be prepared to train others on complex eDiscovery tools and best practices in FOIL. In order to do this critical work, the Researcher and FOIL eDiscovery Specialist will gain an understanding of the different types of work done by the agency, develop relationships with people throughout DCP, and apply their customer service skills on a daily basis.

The Researcher and FOIL eDiscovery Specialist will also assist, on an as-needed basis, the Counsel’s Office with its hard-copy and electronic records management and research under the direction of staff attorneys, and also represent Counsel’s Office at meetings with agency staff to prepare for City Planning Commission sessions.

Responsibilities include:
- Work with DCP’s Records Access Officer and FOIL Associate to acknowledge all FOILs
- Manage a portfolio of FOILs, ensuring a timely and comprehensive response
- Use complex eDiscovery system to search emails and other correspondence
- Review collected documents in coordination with the relevant DCP division(s) to determine responsive documents
- Review potential documents and responses to FOIL requests, utilizing specialized document review software and redacting PII and other information exempt from disclosure under FOIL
- Conduct internal trainings, as needed, and produce educational materials about FOIL requirements and eDiscovery
- Organize and manage extensive files containing legal and other pertinent documents
- As needed, represent Counsel’s Office at agency staff meetings preparing for City Planning Commission sessions

1. An associate degree from an accredited college including or supplemented by 12 semester credits in secretarial science, word processing, office automation and/or office technology; or

2. An associate degree from an accredited college, and either one year of satisfactory full-time professional general secretarial experience or six months of satisfactory full-time professional legal secretarial experience; or

3. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization, and either two years of satisfactory full-time professional general secretarial experience or one year of satisfactory full-time professional legal secretarial experience; or

4. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1", "2" or "3" above. Satisfactory completion of a one year specialized training program in secretarial science, word processing, office automation and/or office technology, or completion of 30 semester credits from an accredited college, including 12 semester credits in secretarial science, word processing, office automation and/or office technology may be substituted for one year of full-time general secretarial experience or six months of full-time legal secretarial experience. However, all candidates must possess a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent.

Skills Requirement

Ability to type at a minimum rate of 55 words per minute. For assignments requiring stenographic skills, candidates must also have the ability to take legal dictation. For certain assignments, individuals may be required to have higher typing and stenographic
skills.

The ideal candidate will be an inquisitive self-starter and problem-solver with: - Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills - Strong inter-personal skills - Effective verbal and written communication skills - The ability to manage multiple time-sensitive projects, and to coordinate with various parties to help complete them - Experience with legal, compliance operations, and/or document management (strongly preferred) - Experience with eDiscovery tools (preferred)

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

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.