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University Associate General Counsel

Job ID

Location

Central Office

Full/Part Time

Full-Time

Regular/Temporary

Regular

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POSITION DETAILS

The Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs and General Counsel (OGC) at The City University of New York (CUNY) is the system-wide resource for legal advice and representation. The OGC assists CUNY???s decision makers in advancing the University???s educational mission by providing expert, relevant and timely legal advice, guidance, and advocacy. The OGC provides legal assistance and advice to the Board of Trustees, the University???s central administration and its 25 constituent colleges, and its services touch all operational areas of the University and its campuses.

CUNY seeks a University Associate General Counsel who will work on matters for both the Investigations Unit and the Litigation, Employment, and Student Affairs (LESA) Unit within the OGC and provide in-house legal advice and representation on a broad array of issues focusing on faculty, staff, and student matters. The position reports to the Senior University Executive Counsel for Litigation and also works with the University Executive Director of Investigations.

As part of the Investigations Unit, the Associate General Counsel will work with officials across the University and will strategize on the development and implementation of university-wide policies that relate to investigations;coordinate the Office's university-wide compliance follow-up of investigations; and provide clear and consistent advice to officials on matters. The Associate General Counsel also will represent and defend the interests of the University and oversee and direct internal reviews, monitor activities, and investigate allegations of misconduct, including violations of laws, regulations and university policies and provides advice on strategic decisions facing the University.

As part of the LESA Unit, the Associate General Counsel will represent the University in employee disciplinary proceedings and in labor arbitrations of faculty/staff grievances involving the interpretation of collective bargaining agreements; assist outside counsel with litigations; handle administrative complaints of discrimination filed with the federal, state, and local agencies; and advise CUNY colleges and units on investigations of alleged employee and student misconduct. The Associate General Counsel will also provide legal advice to CUNY's constituent colleges and Central Office administrators on a wide variety of matters, including legal issues in education and employment law and the interpretation, drafting and revision of CUNY policies.

In addition to the job summary and CUNY Title Overview, other key duties will include but not be limited to:

• Partners and collaborates on activities with University Internal Audit. Enterprise Risk Management, Public Safety, Office of Human Resources Management, and other offices as appropriate;
• Assists in the development and implementation of policies and procedures, protocols, internal controls, and training programs to support comprehensive compliance programs throughout CUNY, including the drafting, review, and revision of the University's policies and guidelines; policy formation, and related activities, ensuring integration with other organizational plans and projects;
• Serves as a resource in interpreting regulations, local standards and codes, and other requirements;
• Provides legal advice to CUNY's constituent colleges and Central Office administrators on a wide variety of matters, including incident-specific reviews and identifies risk exposure and corrective or preventive measures; assures appropriate analysis, documentation and preservation of records; conducts follow-up to assess effectiveness of recommendations.

NOTES: 1) Until further notice, this is a hybrid position, eligible to work remotely and work on-site in the office. 2) This position is excluded from union representation in the collective bargaining unit.

QUALIFICATIONS

MINIMUM

• Juris Doctorate degree from an ABA-accredited law school and five (5) years' experience practicing law in a directly related practice area.
• Current New York State Bar membership in good standing, or admission in another jurisdiction with eligibility for admission to the NYS bar through reciprocity or passing of the NYS bar exam within one year of hire date.

PREFERRED

• Experience in law enforcement, compliance or auditing.
• Experience with investigative and/or forensic techniques and responding to allegations.
• Experience organizing, reviewing and analyzing large quantities of records and summarizing findings.
• Significant litigation and/or arbitration experience.
• Significant demonstrated expertise with a broad array of legal issues relating to higher education, particularly in the public sector including legal expertise in internal and external investigations.

The successful candidate will also demonstrate:

• Effective writing skills with ability to draft contracts, policies and procedures, create education/training curriculum and summarize and present information to various audiences.
• Strong interpersonal communication, negotiation, mediation, conflict/dispute resolution, group facilitation, consensus building and client counseling and presentation skills with a collaborative style to work effectively with diverse internal and external constituents.
• Detail-oriented and accurate with objective critical thinking skills and strong analytical and evaluative skills.
• Strong organizational and follow-through skills to prioritize work, manage multiple assignments, and meet deadlines.
• Computer proficiency using legal software (Westlaw, Lexis, Workshare Compare, Clearwell) and administrative systems, databases and programs, plus virtual collaboration and meeting tools (Office 365, MS Teams, Zoom, WebEx).

CUNY TITLE OVERVIEW

Provides professional in-house legal advice, representation, and assistance on a wide variety of issues and participates in evaluating and developing University policy related to legal matters.

• Represents the University and its campuses at various types of internal and external meetings, negotiations, proceedings, and other activities
• Provides legal counsel and guidance to University and campus leadership
• Assists outside counsel and works as a team with other in-house and college attorneys
• Provides legal and policy analysis of issues and participates in developing and drafting policy
• May be assigned to one or more area of legal specialization as detailed below under Campus-Specific information
• May supervise non-attorney staff and/or student employees
• Performs other related duties, as assigned

CUNY TITLE

Higher Education Officer

FLSA

Exempt

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range steps are $132,987 and $141,858, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

HOW TO APPLY

For full consideration, submit a cover letter and resume online via CUNY's web-based job system, addressing how your experience and credentials fulfill the responsibilities and qualifications outlined. The direct link to the job opening from external sources is:

https://hrsa.cunyfirst.cuny.edu/psc/erecruit/EMPLOYEE/HRMSCG/c/HRS\HRAM\FL.HRS\CG\SEARCH\FL.GBL?Page=HRS\APP\JBPST\FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=1&JobOpeningId=27161&PostingSeq=1

Current CUNY employees must apply through CUNYfirst Employee Self Service using your login credentials. After you login to CUNYfirst, navigate to job openings by following the path from the Main Menu: Employee Self Service ???>Careers

CLOSING DATE

Open until filled. The review of applications will begin on or after September 18, 2023

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Managerial/Professional

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

About CUNY City University of New York (System Level)

The City University of New York provides high-quality, accessible education for more than 269,000 degree-credit students and 270,000 adult, continuing and professional education students at 25 campuses across New York City. The University is an integrated system of senior and community colleges, graduate and professional schools, research centers, institutes and consortia. From certificate courses to Ph.D. programs, CUNY offers postsecondary learning to students of all backgrounds. It provides the city with graduates trained for high-demand positions in the sciences, technology, mathematics, teaching, nursing and other fields. As CUNY has grown, the University also has strengthened its mission as a premier research institution, building an array of modern facilities and expanding the ranks of its world-class faculty. Throughout its history, the University has been an integral part of the city and state through partnerships with public schools, economic development initiatives, immigration aid and financial advice services and other community outreach programs. Today, CUNY faculty and staff continue to benefit New York City — as well as the entire nation — by serving as policy exper...ts to business and government, advisers to nonprofit institutions, civic organizations and community groups. Students, too, are strongly encouraged to experience the cultural, educational and community-based opportunities of the five boroughs, through a network of internships and fellowships, to embracing the city as their campus.

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Connections working at CUNY City University of New York (System Level)