City Attorney-City of Ames, IA

About the role

The City of Ames seeks an exceptional legal leader to serve as its City Attorney, advising elected officials with clarity, translating complex law into plain language, and leading a talented legal team. Ames is a vibrant, progressive community of roughly 68,000 residents in central Iowa, home to Iowa State University and located in Story County about 35 miles north of Des Moines. The city operates under a council‑manager form of government, with the Mayor and City Council setting policy and a professional City Manager overseeing day‑to‑day operations. The City Attorney’s Office provides full‑service legal counsel to the Mayor, City Council, City Manager, city staff, the city’s boards and commissions, and, when available, the city‑owned Mary Greeley Medical Center. The City Attorney reports directly to the Mayor and City Council. The ideal candidate is a well‑rounded local government attorney with strong land use expertise and the judgment to balance risk with practical, business‑minded counsel.

Responsibilities

• Advise the City Council, department directors, and the public with clarity.
• Translate complex law into plain language.
• Lead a talented legal team.
• Provide full‑service legal counsel to the Mayor, City Council, City Manager, city staff, boards and commissions, and, when available, the Mary Greeley Medical Center.
• Balance risk with sound, practical counsel as a land use and local government generalist.
• Read, interpret, and apply the law, then explain it in plain terms.
• Litigate and solve problems as a confident litigator.
• Report to the Mayor and City Council.

Requirements

• Graduation from an ABA‑accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree.
• Admission to practice in Iowa state courts, or the ability to obtain admission within six months of appointment.
• Five (5) years of experience in general legal practice, including at least one year in litigation, negotiation, and contract law.
• Some experience in municipal or government law.
• Must pass a credit and background check.

Qualifications

• At least three (3) years in management and supervisory capacity over legal staff and/or a department.
• At least one (1) year of experience in real estate law or construction contracts.
• Demonstrated experience in land use, municipal utilities, and/or property tax matters.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $150,000 to DOQ.