Commercial Unit Attorney Compliance, OGC - 26910

Under the supervision of the Executive Deputy Counsel and the Director of Compliance, with some latitude for independent judgment and unreviewed action, this role assists the Director of Compliance in addressing matters of contract and vendor compliance. Additionally, the attorney helps fulfill the Department’s obligation to award contracts only to “responsible” vendors by researching and evaluating potentially adverse information.

Responsibilities

• Researches and reviews lien documents, laws, statutes, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to determine vendor compliance.
• Reviews contracts to assess vendor compliance with terms and conditions related to price, performance, and other factors.
• Reviews purchase orders to identify types of work, services, and goods provided by vendors to Department schools and program offices.
• Recommends revisions to applicable statutes, regulations, rules, policies, and procedures and drafts proposed changes.
• Assists in the development of procurement policies and procedures for the Department.
• Advises non-legal Department staff on a variety of legal compliance-related issues.
• Identifies legal and other issues requiring further analysis and refers matters via memoranda to appropriate internal departments and external authorities, such as the New York City Law Department or law enforcement agencies.
• Recommends and assists with the resolution of complex contract compliance matters, including drafting and implementing vendor corrective action plans, issuing correspondence for vendor reimbursement, and other remedial actions.
• Interacts with attorneys in other City agencies on complex vendor compliance matters.
• May provide testimony at depositions regarding contract compliance, payments, or termination.
• Researches prospective and existing vendors of the New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) and their principal owners/officers using public and proprietary databases.
• May recommend that a vendor be deemed non-responsible and ineligible for contract awards.
• May recommend termination of a vendor’s contract for cause.
• Drafts show-cause letters in coordination with the Division of Contracts and Purchasing (DCP) regarding contract compliance or vendor responsibility.
• Drafts correspondence with DCP to terminate a vendor’s contract for cause or convenience, find a vendor non-responsible, or require vendors to cease interactions with NYCPS.
• Processes, records, and stores information, including compiling and maintaining evidence related to vendor qualifications, histories, and allegations of impropriety.
• Communicates clearly and professionally with internal offices, vendors, and City, State, and Federal agencies to resolve issues discovered during vendor background checks.

Requirements

• Admission to the New York State Bar.
• One of the following:
  • One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or
  • Six months of satisfactory service as an Agency Attorney Intern (30086).
• To be assigned to AL III, candidates must have two years of experience in Assignment Levels I and/or II or three years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in relevant areas of law.
• Selected candidates must remain members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of their employment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with vendor responsibility, contract compliance, or government procurement.
• Accountable and proactive with excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, leadership, organizational, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, critical writing, and problem-solving abilities.
• Able to multitask and complete job functions efficiently and accurately.
• Proficiency in computer software programs for research and report preparation, including Microsoft Office 365 and advanced Excel skills for data analysis.

Pay

$106,607 - $111,107 (Internal candidates who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)