Assistant General Counsel

About the role

Provide legal support on a wide range of corporate, real estate, commercial contracting, and employment and labor relations legal matters, working closely with NJ Transit executive leadership and departments. The position involves both counseling and litigation support.

Responsibilities

• Review, analyze and draft contracts, and counsel on a variety of legal matters including corporate and commercial contracting, real estate and property transactions, employment and labor law matters, environmental and insurance issues, and related regulatory compliance.
• Work closely with NJ Transit staff and management to maintain compliance with applicable federal and state laws and advance strategic initiatives for NJ Transit’s economic development, sustainability, and infrastructure improvement as well as its bus and rail transportation operations.
• Provide important and timely legal support and advice related to compliance with employment/labor law and operational needs and efficiencies including workplace actions, investigations, discipline, policy interpretation, and compliance with safety-sensitive workforce requirements.
• Negotiate, draft, review and provide advice to various business and operating units within NJ Transit on various legal matters including commercial and corporate contracts; procurements; real estate acquisitions, dispositions, leasing and licensing; transit-oriented development; financing agreements; construction-related contracts; public funding requirements; and employment/labor related agreements.
• Review, draft and negotiate agreements with private counterparties and other local, State, and federal agencies, related to various legal matters, including commercial, real estate, construction, procurement, transportation, funding, regulatory, and labor/employment matters.
• Interpret NJ Transit’s By-laws, review and draft Board materials, provide legal advice to the Board Office at monthly Board and Committee meetings and support related corporate governance compliance.
• Manage litigation, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings involving commercial, corporate, employment/labor, real estate, administrative, and regulatory matters, including interaction with courts, agencies, commissions, arbitrators, and mediators.
• Develop strategies, negotiate, draft, and edit agreements with third parties for complex transactions required to implement initiatives and/or projects. Provide liaison with internal departments, external agencies, subject-matter experts, vendors, private partners, and other stakeholders.
• Support and participate in monitoring developments in corporate real estate, commercial contracting, employment, labor, and civil-service law, including changes affecting NJ Transit’s policies, procedures, and compliance requirements and provide recommendations and training to ensure organizational compliance.
• Periodically review and revise NJ Transit’s template corporate contracts and other documents, and policies and procedures related to the same including those used for commercial, real estate, procurement, employment, and funding-related matters.
• Review and counsel on environmental, insurance and risk-management issues related to contracts, real estate matters, corporate transactions, and employment/labor compliance.
• Serve as internal point of contact with outside counsel and review invoices associated with the matters ensuring quality, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with NJ Transit’s objectives.
• Manage outside counsel as necessary including oversight of work product, coordination with internal stakeholders, and management of billing and engagement terms.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) and 5+ years’ commercial real estate and contracting experience.
• New Jersey Law License required.

Skills

• A blend of general corporate law, in-house, large law firm and/or public sector real estate experience preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal communications, research and writing skills, business acumen, excellent judgment and analytical skills, high degree of professional ethics, integrity and executive presence.
• Experience in the transportation/transit industry a plus.
• Experience in the operation of government and private industry preferred.
• Experience operating in regulated industry a plus.
• Strong legal research, writing, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to balance legal requirements with operational needs in a fast-paced public-sector environment.
• High degree of professional ethics, judgment, and discretion.
• Ability to work collaboratively with internal stakeholders and outside counsel.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Family Health Insurance – Medical, Prescription, Dental, Vision
• Flexible Spending Account
• Life Insurance
• Paid Leave
• Tuition Assistance
• Pre-Tax Commuter Benefits Plan
• Retirement Plans:
  • 401(a) - Retirement plan with a 6% employer contribution
  • 401(k) - Retirement saving plan with up to a 3% company match
  • 457(b) - Deferred Savings Plan