<strong>Duties Description <br><br></strong>Under the direction of an Associate Counsel, the Senior Attorney will advise the Department on matters related to human resources and personnel actions as well as assist the Department’s Ethics Officer with carrying out their duties and responsibilities. Primary duties will include, but may not be limited to:<br><br><ul><li> Representing the Department before the New York State Division of Human Rights and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as in New York State Civil Service Section 72.5 hearings;</li><li> Responding to requests for advice, legal opinions, and legal interpretations related to proposed employment actions, personnel matters, and ethics questions;</li><li> Researching, preparing, and drafting various legal documents including regulatory and legislative analysis related to personnel or ethics issues;</li><li> Preparing legal opinions in response to inquiries received by the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners, and staff;</li><li> Acting as the liaison between the Department and the New York State Attorney General’s Office in the defense and prosecution of litigation to which the Department is a party; and</li><li> Providing clear written and oral communications of legal conclusions.<br><br></li></ul>The Senior Attorney will also be provided with opportunities to assist in other projects and matters handled by the Office of the General Counsel. Assignments will depend on both the needs of the office and the interests of the Senior Attorney. Other projects and matters may include, but are not limited to, assisting on litigation; assisting with record releases; assisting with procurement activities and contract negotiations; assisting with legislative or regulatory drafting; and conducting legal research to assist in advising Department staff.<br><br><strong>Preferred Qualifications:<br><br></strong><ul><li> Strong written and verbal communication skills.</li><li> Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.</li><li> Ability to work both independently and in a team environment.</li><li> Ability to initiate and maintain relationships across a diverse set of stakeholders.</li><li> Ability to handle multiple and shifting priorities.</li><li> Attorneys with immigration experience are encouraged to apply.<br><br></li></ul><strong> Minimum Qualifications <br><br></strong>This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide program (NY HELPS). For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, if they meet the below NY HELPS minimum qualifications.<br><br><strong>NY HELPS Non-Competitive Minimum Qualifications:<br><br></strong>Admission to the NYS bar and two years of post-licensure professional legal experience.<br><br>Position may be filled at the Senior Attorney level or one within the Legal Traineeship appointment levels. Appointment title will be dependent upon qualifications of candidate selected.<br><br>Assistant Attorney 1 (Grade 18): Law school graduation and/or eligibility for NYS Bar Admission<br><br>Assistant Attorney 2 (Grade 20): Admission to NYS Bar<br><br>Assistant Attorney 3 (Grade 22): 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 2, or Admission to the NYS Bar and 12 months of subsequent satisfactory legal experience<br><br>Senior Attorney (Grade 25): 12 months as an Assistant Attorney 3, or Admission to the NYS Bar and 24 months of subsequent satisfactory legal experience<br><br>It is expected that employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status in the future, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded 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.<br><br><strong>Competitive Minimum Qualifications:<br><br></strong>A review of your state history is needed, if you meet any of the below Permanent Competitive qualifications. 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 via email, a representative from our office will contact you via phone.<br><br>Admission to the New York State Bar and current registration to practice law in New York State is necessary for continued employment. Disbarment or loss of registration shall result in termination or suspension of employment.<br><br>Candidates Reachable On The Civil Service Eligible List(s) Will Be Canvassed. However, You May Also Apply If You Are Eligible For Appointment By One Of The Following Qualifications:<br><br>Reassignment Qualifications: Current New York State Department of Labor employee with one year or more of permanent, contingent-permanent or 55 b/c service as a Senior Attorney. An employee with less than one year of permanent competitive service is eligible for reassignment to a different geographic location if reachable for appointment in the new location.<br><br>70.1 Transfer Qualifications: One year of permanent or contingent-permanent as a Grade 25 or higher determined to be similar by Civil Service.<br><br>52.6 Transfer Qualifications: Current State employees may qualify for transfer if you have one year of permanent competitive service in a title allocated to a Grade 23 or above and your title is designated “Administrative” under Section 52.6 of the Civil Service Law. *<br><br><ul><li>Transfer candidates must also possess a law degree from an accredited college or university and be able to provide evidence of current registration to practice law in New York State.</li><li>Transfer candidates qualify for one consecutive upward transfer of one M grade or two salary grades.<br><br></li></ul>NOTE: A comprehensive list of titles approved for transfer to Senior Attorney is available through Civil Service GOT-IT available at https://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/gotit/.<br><br>Note: It is essential that you describe your qualifying education and/or experience as completely as possible on your application; your application should describe in detail the kind of service and information you provide to the general public. Omissions or vagueness may not be interpreted in your favor. Additionally, in accordance with Civil Service Law, provisional service immediately prior to a permanent appointment to this title is now credited towards the completion of probation upon permanent appointment.<br><br>As this position requires travel, the appointee must have a valid license to operate a motor vehicle in New York State and have a motor vehicle or otherwise demonstrate their capacity to meet the transportation needs of the position.<br><br><strong> Additional Comments <br><br></strong>Opportunities exist in the following cities statewide:<br><br>Albany<br><br>Buffalo<br><br>NYC - Manhattan<br><br>Position specific job duties may include occasional altered work schedule or job assignments which require availability and willingness to work occasional evenings and/or out-stationed assignments.<br><br>Candidates with no previous state service will begin at the starting rate of the salary range listed above.<br><br>Additional location pay is available for the following counties: Bronx, Kings, Nassau, NYC-Manhattan, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, and Putnam.<br><br>If you are a current NYS employee and have questions regarding salary, please contact the Business Services Center (BSC): 518-457-4272, BSCHR@ogs.ny.gov.<br><br>Telecommuting is available (up to 40%) and can be discussed during the interview.<br><br><strong>We Offer a Comprehensive Benefits Package, Including:<br><br></strong><ul><li> 13 paid holidays, 5 personal days, and a minimum of 13 vacation days per year</li><li> Paid sick leave (CSEA and PEF employees- 13 days; M/C employees- 8 days plus free enrollment into the Income Protection Program for short-term and long-term disability coverage).</li><li> Choice of several affordable and competitive health insurance plans</li><li> Dental and vision insurance plans at no additional cost</li><li> Membership in the NYS Employee’s Retirement System</li><li> NYS Deferred Compensation Investment Plan</li><li> Eligibility to apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) (full-time employees)</li><li> Eligibility to apply for tuition reimbursement for qualifying employees and courses</li><li> Paid Parental Leave<br><br></li></ul>Our mission is to provide outstanding services to our customers—the workers and business that call New York home. We help New Yorkers find careers they will love. We build and support New York’s businesses. We empower and protect New York’s workers. To learn more about our mission and the exciting work of the DOL, please visit: https://dol.ny.gov/about-us<br><br>DOL is committed to fostering employee engagement and work-life balance. We offer telecommuting and alternative work schedules to eligible employees. Eligible employees may be approved to telecommute, if operationally feasible, up to 2 days per regular work-week, and not to exceed 4 days per two-week pay period.<br><br>Our exciting training and development opportunities, including Coursera and our formal Employee Recognition Program allow us to develop, recognize, and celebrate our workforce.<br><br>Please note that specific benefits and programs may vary based on negotiating unit, current contract, length of State service, and program area.<br><br>