Executive Agency Counsel

About The Agency

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation Development (HPD) promotes quality and affordability in the city's housing, and diversity and strength in the city’s neighborhoods because every New Yorker deserves a safe, affordable place to live in a neighborhood they love.

• We maintain building and resident safety and health
• We create opportunities for New Yorkers through housing affordability
• We engage New Yorkers to build and sustain neighborhood strength and diversity.
  
  

HPD is entrusted with fulfilling these objectives through the goals and strategies of “Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness,” Mayor Adams’ comprehensive housing framework. To support this important work, the administration has committed $5 billion in new capital funding, bringing the 10-year planned investment in housing to $22 billion the largest in the city’s history. This investment, coupled with a commitment to reduce administrative and regulatory barriers, is a multi-pronged strategy to tackle New York City’s complex housing crisis, by addressing homelessness and housing instability, promoting economic stability and mobility, increasing homeownership opportunities, improving health and safety, and increasing opportunities for equitable growth.

Your Team

Within HPD’s Office of Legal Affairs (OLA’s), the Operations and Legislation Division handles and advises on legal matters related to, including but not limited to, procurement; labor and employment (related to agency personnel and personnel working on agency contracts/projects); housing discrimination claims and fair housing-related issues generally; M/WBE initiatives; the marketing of affordable housing; advising on the requirements of various federal programs; and the review and/or drafting of federal, state, and local legislation, as well as the coordination of the participation of OLA attorneys with relevant subject matter expertise in the review and/or drafting of such legislation, working with agency intergovernmental staff and other personnel throughout the agency.

Your Impact

As an Executive Agency Counsel, you will be a senior legal advisor for the Agency in support of HPD's fair housing and housing discrimination matters.

Your Role

You will perform complex legal work in the areas under the Operations and Legislation Division’s jurisdiction. You will represent the agency in housing matter before administrative agencies. You will act as a liaison with the Law Department on important housing law litigation affecting HPD programs. You will counsel agency staff regarding housing matters and review proposed City and State legislation. You will report to the Deputy General Counsel for Labor and Employment.

Your Responsibilities

The Executive Agency Counsel’s responsibilities may include but not be limited to: Advise and represent the agency in matters involving fair housing and housing discrimination before the U.S. Department of Housing

and Urban Development, the New York State Division of Human Rights, and the New York City Commission on Human Rights. Serve as liaison to the New York City Law Department with regard to defense of the City for litigation involving fair housing and other housing discrimination issues. Counsel the agency personnel on issues regarding fair housing and other housing discrimination matters. Research and interpret federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding fair housing. Providing strategic guidance and legal advice to agency staff. Additional responsibilities may include assisting in employment matters such as administrative complaints of discrimination and conflicts of interest issues.

Preferred Skills

• Excellent writing, legal research, and analytic skills, and attention to detail
• Ability to handle administrative housing matters
• Ability to liaise with the Law Department on litigation to protect Agency programs and processes
• Ability to review and analyze proposed legislation and rules and digest impacts on the Agency
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work independently or as a part of a team
• Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
  
  

EXECUTIVE AGENCY COUNSEL - 95005

Minimum Qualifications

Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work.

Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City Residency is not required for this position

Additional Information

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.