Review Vacancy
AgencyGeneral Services, Office of
TitleDeputy Commissioner & Counsel - VID 175514
Occupational CategoryAdministrative or General Management
Bargaining UnitM/C - Managerial/Confidential (Unrepresented)
Salary RangeFrom $167754 to $207762 Annually
Duties Description The Division of Legal Services provides a full suite of services for the full agency, including the OGS divisions of Administration, Design & Construction, Executive, External Affairs, Finance, Real Estate, Shared Services, and Strategic Planning.
The Legal Services Division is comprised of three teams, including:
• Procurement, including review of over 1,500 centralized contracts valued at over $32B, and support for Executive Chamber review of contracts, as needed.
• Real Estate, including land transfers of State land, leasing portfolio of over 470 leases statewide for all Executive agencies, and contracts that support the operations of for 58 major buildings and 118 ancillary structures, comprising over 20 million square feet of real estate and over $7B in assets.
• Litigation, Legal Compliance, and Enterprise Services, including support for shared and support services, coordination and discovery for defensive litigation, investigations and actions pertaining to personnel and labor relations, and investigations by outside entities.
Within these areas, Legal Services provides advice and counsel on the agency’s legislative agenda, rulemakings, claims, investigations, employee and labor relations matters, ethics issues, Freedom of Information Law (FOIL), and financing transactions. Legal Services also provides support and guidance to commissions and boards related to the work of the agency.
Under the direction of the Commissioner for General Services, the General Counsel serves as principal legal advisor and counsel for the Commissioner for the Office of General Services and is a member of the Commissioner’s Cabinet. The General Counsel is a key advisor on legal, policy, legislative, and administrative issues impacting OGS and, where appropriate, its client agencies. The incumbent has overall responsibility for the staff and operations of the Division of Legal Services.
As the leader for the Division, the General Counsel manages the agency’s internal legal function and oversees a staff of 23 professional staff of attorneys, legal assistants, and support staff. The General Counsel also ensures that the agency conducts its business in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies, and supports the resolution of any compliance or risk concerns to mitigate agency exposure.
Critically, the General Counsel represents the agency’s values and models collaborative leadership by building consensus, being trustworthy and reliable, being meticulously organized, efficient, and proactive, and treating colleagues and customers with respect. As a member of the Commissioner’s Cabinet, the General Counsel also collaboratively contributes to the development of the agency’s strategic plans, operating policies, and procedures.
Key responsibilities include:
Legal Advice & Strategy
• Provide visionary leadership and counsel to OGS executive management and a team of legal professionals across the Division of Legal Services, fostering a collaborative, customer-focused, and high-performance culture.
• Serve as primary legal consultant for the agency and its divisions, ensuring compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and contractual obligations.
• Provide ongoing updates on legal matters and counsel the Commissioner on both legal and agency governance matters.
• Monitor, research assess, and advise on strategy related to OGS legal matters and ensure that analysis is informed by the operational needs. This includes advice and guidance on potential legislation, new laws, existing laws, executive orders, and legislative changes that may impact the agency and its programs.
• Provide advice regarding legal requirements pertaining to ethics, governance, conflicts of interest, and financial disclosure.
• Act as primary legal liaison with the New York State Executive Chamber’s Counsel to the Governor, Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Inspector General, outside counsel, and as needed, other legislative, judicial and administrative offices.
Leadership & Management
• Lead, direct, educate and supervise legal staff of 17 attorneys, one legal assistant, one FOIL coordinator, and three support staff, with a view towards their development as professionals as well as OGS employees.
• Manage and oversee operations across the Division including setting and communicating strategic direction, establishing targets and benchmarks, and setting annual performance goals.
• Align staffing and Division goals with the OGS strategic plan and agency vision.
• Develop and implement project management principles within the Division of Legal Services, including all matter management, discovery, and analysis.
• Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular evaluations, and provide constructive feedback to ensure team effectiveness and accountability.
• Oversee annual planning for each of the division’s bureaus and its annual budget and spending plan, including personal and non-personal service requirements.
• Use data, analytics, and performance measurement to determine program and initiative success and promote a data-driven culture within the Division.
Legal Services Operations
• Oversee the Division’s prompt preparation, review and negotiation of contract documents, including legal aspects of contract negotiations and related procurement documents, and act as agency liaison on litigation, including certification of claims and recommendations for settlements.
• Ensure high-quality preparation and review of state contracts, stipulations, affidavits, memorandums of understanding, and other legal documents.
• Develop and oversee implementation of policies and procedures for Legal Services and assist in developing policies and procedures for OGS other divisions consistent with (i) policies of the Commissioner, (ii) State policies, (iii) Executive Orders, and (iv) all related statutory requirements.
• Ensure coordination of the Legal Services operations with the activities of federal, State, and local agencies.
• Support the timely review of the agency’s Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”) requests and direct activities of the agency’s FOIL staff.
• Oversee recordkeeping for all legal documents and proceedings related to OGS.
Agency Operations
• Provide legal and strategic counsel and support to ensure the development and implementation of lawful employment policies and procedures, including compliance with relevant federal, state and local laws, and obligations related to collective bargaining and civil service guidelines.
• Review and approve recommendations by the agency’s labor relations staff with regard to employee disciplinary matters;
• Provide consultation to OGS labor relations staff and executive leadership on the administration of the agency’s disciplinary process and ensure that OGS is well represented during arbitrations and formal hearings.
• Serve as, or designate, the agency’s Ethics Officer, Records Access Appeals Officer, Chief Privacy Officer, and contact for the Anti-Discrimination Investigation Division of the Office of Employee Relations.
Minimum Qualifications Law degree from an accredited law school; admission to, and member in good standing of, the New York State Bar; and nine years of relevant post-bar experience.
Preferred Qualifications:
• Deep-seated curiosity about the business of the agency and its operations, and commitment to excellence in governance, procedure, and related legal matters
• Demonstrated experience in managing a team of employees in a legal setting and the ability and willingness to recruit, motivate and train staff members.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills to summarize the law and the facts succinctly and precisely, and to persuasively offer a recommended course of action to key executive stakeholders.
• The ability to respectfully represent the interests of OGS with competency, credibility, and confidence when interacting with others outside the agency.
• The ability to work strategically and collaboratively with intra-agency business units and to maintain and handle confidential documents and information.
• The ability to appropriately set priorities, work under intense pressure, and meet tight deadlines while maintaining productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Admission to the New York State Bar and ten years of recent full-time relevant and exemplary legal experience subsequent to any bar, five years of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, and/or in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity.
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Email Address HRresumes@ogs.ny.gov
Address
Street NYS Office of General Services, HRM
31st Floor Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza
Notes on ApplyingPlease submit a resume and cover letter detailing how you meet the minimum qualifications. Indicate the Position Title & Vacancy ID number of each position you are applying to.