City Attorney

This position is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

About the Role

The City of Auburn is looking for a municipal Attorney who is an experienced, unifying leader deeply committed to the success of the City. The ideal candidate will be a strategic big-picture thinker with a passion for public service, leading by example to gain the confidence of the public and staff. Integrity that aligns with the City's organizational values is essential.

The City Attorney must be able to practice law before state and federal courts and administrative services, and bring a strong network of contacts within Washington State. The ideal candidate will demonstrate high ethical standards, recognize appropriate times to reach out to outside counsel, and be accessible, approachable, personable with strong writing skills. Confidence and objectivity are key qualities for success in this position.

About the City of Auburn

Auburn operates under a strong-mayor form of government. The City government consists of an elected mayor and seven councilmembers, all serving 4-year terms. The Mayor serves as the full-time chief executive officer responsible for the day-to-day operation of the City. The City Attorney reports directly to the Mayor and is a vital member of the City's executive management team.

About the City Attorney's Office

The City Attorney's Office represents the City in its day-to-day operations and provides legal advice to the Mayor, City Council, City administration, and boards and commissions. The department has four divisions: Civil, Prosecution, City Clerk's office, and Real Estate. The City Attorney manages this office, including misdemeanant prosecution, domestic violence victim assistance, department organization, long- and short-range planning, budget development, and hiring, assigning, training, supervising, coaching, and evaluating staff.

Responsibilities

The City Attorney serves as a member of the City's executive management team, providing professional municipal legal work and executive-level administrative work to plan, direct, and coordinate comprehensive legal services for the City. Responsibilities include:

• Planning, organizing, and directing a legal staff of 21 with a budget of over $5 million.
• Providing counsel to the Mayor, City Council, staff, committees, and commissions.
• Offering legal advice to guide City policies, decisions, and activities.
• Supervising and directing representation of the City at various court levels and tribunals in criminal and civil litigation and administrative hearings.
• Drafting and interpreting City ordinances and resolutions.
• Negotiating real property acquisitions.

Requirements

To be considered for this position, you must:

• Have graduated from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
• Be licensed to practice law in the State of Washington at the time of appointment.
• Have seven (7) years of municipal law experience including progressively responsible leadership and management experience, or equivalent experience which provides the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

We would love it if you have:

• Experience working with a strong-mayor form of government, elected officials, or a board of directors.

The preferred candidate will have experience and demonstrated success in:

• Visionary and strategic leadership.
• Comprehensive knowledge of municipal law including criminal, administrative, contract, land-use, insurance, real estate, torts, public information, and labor relations law.
• Customer service and the ability to mentor, coach, and direct the work of staff.
• Cultural competency that enables effective working relationships in cross-cultural situations.
• Successful planning and implementation of change management strategies.
• Championing workforce equity and diversity.
• Integrity, honesty, compassion, courage, optimism, and good judgment, particularly in situations characterized by disagreement, conflict, tension, and uncertainty.
• Creative problem-solving, bringing fresh ideas and a progressive approach.

Pay

The expected salary upon hire will be between $188,605 and $224,003 annually, dependent upon experience, as the top step of the scale is reserved for the end of the probationary period (12 months).

Benefits

The City offers a competitive benefit package exceeding $60,000 annually, including:

• Health, vision, and dental insurance with employee premiums paid by the City.
• Contributions to the State of Washington Retirement System pension plan.
• Employer contributions to employees' VEBA account (tax-free health savings account).
• Social Security contributions.
• 11 paid holidays each year, plus two paid floating holidays of the employee's choice annually.
• Vacation and sick leave accrued each pay period.
• 80 hours of management leave issued each year in January (pro-rated upon hire).
• Multiple deferred compensation options and opportunity to contribute to a flexible spending account.