Review Vacancy
AgencyParks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, Office of
TitleSenior Attorney (NY HELPS)
Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)
Salary RangeFrom $96336 to $121413 Annually
"Other" Explanation Monday-Friday. Specific work schedule will be discussed during the time of interview.
Workday
Duties Description The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (State Parks) is seeking a Senior Attorney to join its small and collaborative team within Office of the General Counsel.
State Parks oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, trails, beaches, pools, golf courses, and boat launches, among other recreational amenities, across New York State, in eleven distinct park regions. State Parks is proud to have just celebrated the system's centennial. Every employee demonstrates a commitment to serving the public, to protecting natural, historic and cultural resources, to providing creative and innovative programs and services, and to excellence and professionalism.
Working under the supervision of the General Counsel, Counsel's Office provides legal advice, assistance, and guidance to State Parks programs and administrative support divisions. State Parks' programs and divisions are as varied as its many parks and historic sites. They include Business Innovation, Capital Projects, Concessions, Emergency Management, Environmental Stewardship and Planning, Finance, Grants, Health & Safety, Historic Preservation, Marine Services, Park Police, Partnerships, Real Property, and the New York State Snowmobile Program, among others.
Attorneys within Counsel's Office perform the following general tasks: provide legal counsel and recommendations to Executive and management teams and regional offices; communicate legal advice to State Parks' employees; draft, review and approve contracts; assist in development of internal policies and procedures; develop legislative and regulatory proposals; interpret laws, regulations and policies; conduct legal research; analyze legal opinions, briefs, and other documents; and advise on Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, ethics inquiries, and litigation demands.
The candidate will provide legal advice and guidance in support of the agency's multiple divisions and programs including but not limited to:
Real Property:
Coordinate with the Office of the Attorney General's Real Property Bureau to resolve title issues; assist in acquiring real property for Park System; review easements, licenses, conservation easements, transfer of jurisdiction and abandonment documents; advise State Parks' staff on deed restrictions, easements, rights of others impacting Park property, and encroachment resolution.
Health & Safety:
Advise Directors and Regional Managers in the Health & Safety and Water Safety on matters related to occupational health and safety regulations and laws and patron risk management; assist in compliance reviews and investigations concerning safety issues under the Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) Act; review documents such as compliance plans, safety policies and trainings; and provide legal guidance regarding federal aviation laws and regulations regarding unmanned aircraft systems.
Park Police:
Provide legal guidance to law enforcement personnel of the New York State Park Police and Park Rangers relating to law enforcement reports and criminal procedures and policies; research case law that may impact criminal investigations or law enforcement; and assist in developing trainings related to criminal and constitutional law.
Emergency Management:
Provide legal guidance to Emergency Management Bureau Staff related to preparedness and response; advice on compliance with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations; and assist in the preparation of legal documents related to disasters, emergencies, and other incidents.
Marine Services:
Provide legal guidance to the Marine Services Bureau, which oversees various aspects of boating on state waters, including law enforcement, safety education, and public vessel inspection, by interpreting applicable laws and regulations and assisting in the drafting of policies and grant oversight.
New York State Snowmobile Program:
Provide legal guidance to the Snowmobiles Bureau, which promotes the safe and proper use and operation of snowmobiles for recreation and commerce through the State, encouraging their use and development while minimizing the detrimental effects of such use on the environment, by interpreting applicable laws and regulations and assisting in the drafting of policies and grant oversight.
Grants:
Provide legal guidance to the Grants Program, which administers and manages numerous grant programs relating to the acquisition, development and planning of parks and recreational facilities and the rehabilitation and restoration of parkland, on grant-related matters, including reviewing different grant opportunities, contracts and compliance issues.
Partnerships/Cooperative Agreements:
Advise the Concessions Bureau, which manages various business opportunities within the Park System, and the Partnerships Program, which supports collaboration with various not-for-profit partners, municipalities and other entities to enhance services and programs throughout the Park System. This work often involves the negotiation and drafting of agreements with varying levels of external involvement in State Parks’ operations and programming.
Freedom of Information Law:
Advise the Records Access Officer on requirements of the New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) and determining if records are subject to disclosure or exemption; and review FOIL responses for legal sufficiency.
Regulations and Legislation:
Advise agency program managers on interpretation of State Parks' regulations in Title 9 of the New York Compilation of Codes, Rules, and Regulations (NYCRR) implementing the Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Law, the Navigation Law, and the Environmental Conservation Law; support intergovernmental operations in the review of proposed and enacted legislation for potential impacts to state parkland and agency operations.
Lastly, the candidate may assist other divisions or program areas or oversee special projects, as needed, and perform other duties as may be assigned by the General Counsel and/or a supervising attorney.
This position is based in Albany. Up to 50% telecommuting and compressed work schedules are negotiable after an evaluation period.
Minimum Qualifications FOR COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT:
SENIOR ATTORNEY PROMOTION MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
One year of permanent competitive service as an Assistant Attorney 3.
SENIOR ATTORNEY OPEN COMPETITIVE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Eligible for appointment from the Legal Specialties Program list.
70.1/52.6 TRANSFER QUALIFICATIONS:
Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive or 55 b/c service in a title designated as appropriate for transfer in accordance with Section 70.1 and 52.6 of the Civil Service law. For transfers, a list of approved titles is available through Civil Service GOT-IT at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/.
NY HELPS Qualifications:
This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).*
To be considered for appointment through NY HELPS, or 55 b/c, candidates must meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications for this position. The qualifications are:
Admission to the NYS Bar and two years of subsequent professional legal experience.
NOTE: Admission to the New York State Bar and current registration to practice law in New York State is required for continued employment. Disbarment or loss of registration shall result in termination or suspension of employment.
*NY HELPS PROGRAM:
For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a permanent non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.
At a future date (within one year of permanent appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.
Employees appointed via the NY HELPS program are restricted for promotional appointment until their position is covered-in to the competitive class by the New York State Civil Service Commission (CSC), or they otherwise obtain permanent competitive status. The CSC has recently covered-in employees who were appointed via NY HELPS on a permanent or contingent permanent basis between June 26, 2024 and June 11, 2025. Notification to employees regarding a change in their status is forthcoming. You may wish to apply if you received a permanent NY HELPS appointment to a qualifying title within these timeframes and are interested in this opportunity. Your eligibility for promotion will be reviewed by Human Resources. Employees with a permanent NY HELPS appointment occurring effective 6/12/25 or later will be addressed with a subsequent cover-in.
Additional Comments BENEFITS:
Generous benefits package, worth approximately 65% of salary, including:
Paid Time Off:
• 44 days - 13 Vacation days, 13 Sick days, and 5 Personal Leave days, 13 Holidays.
• Three (3) days of professional leave annually to participate in professional development.
Health Care Benefits:
• Eligible employees and dependents can pick from a variety of affordable health insurance programs.
• Family dental and vision benefits at no additional cost.
Additional Benefits:
• New York State Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) Membership
• NYS Deferred Compensation
• Access to NY 529 and NY ABLE College Savings Programs, as well as U.S. Savings Bonds
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• Paid Parental Leave
To learn more about our benefits, visit: https://parks.ny.gov/employment/benefits.aspx
Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.
Email Address Employment@parks.ny.gov
Address
Notes on ApplyingWhen applying, all candidates must provide a cover letter explaining how your experience will prepare you to succeed in the position, a resume which clearly demonstrates how they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and three professional references.
Please email your materials to employment@parks.ny.gov. You must include “Senior Attorney - 204212 - Albany” in the subject line of your email. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for the position.
Please submit your resume and cover letter as a Word or PDF attachment. We are unable to open documents from Google Docs, Google Drive, OneDrive, Apple Pages and/or “the cloud”.
The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
It is essential that candidates clearly and concisely indicate exactly how they meet the above minimum qualifications in their resume/email submission. Failure to show how you meet the minimum qualifications above may result in disqualification and removal from consideration.
If you have previous or current employment at a NYS agency, to be considered for this position, a review of your state history is needed. Please provide the last four digits of your social security number in your email response or on your resume. If you are not comfortable providing this information in your response, a representative from our office may contact you.