Vetting & Legal Research Manager

About the role

The New York City Mayor’s Office oversees city services throughout the five boroughs, coordinates public agencies and departments, and manages public property. The administration focuses on affordability, inequality reduction, public safety, efficient service delivery, and strengthening the city’s economy, valuing leadership, transparency, fairness, and efficiency while seeking diverse talent.

The Mayor’s Office of Appointments (MOA) assists the Mayor in identifying and selecting candidates for commissioners, senior-level roles, and over 200 boards and commissions. MOA provides talent recruitment support to build a sustainable, diverse talent pipeline for senior leadership positions.

Responsibilities

• Conduct and manage vetting at all levels to assess candidates’ fitness for public trust, identify flags indicating lack of commitment to public service mission, and uncover background information that could embarrass the candidate, the Mayor, or the City if appointed.
• Serve as an internal liaison, communicating timelines and expectations clearly, promptly, and cordially with MOA colleagues and other stakeholders.
• Provide research and administrative support for senior staffing (Commissioner and Deputy Mayor) searches and inquiries.

Requirements

• Admission to the New York State Bar, or a J.D. from an accredited college or university.
• 5+ years of work experience.
• New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment; employees with 2 continuous years of City service may reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County.

Qualifications

• Do you have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university?
• Do you have an associate degree from an accredited college or university along with two (2) years of experience with administrative, analytic, coordinative, supervisory or liaison responsibilities?
• Do you have a four-year high school diploma, or its educational equivalent approved by a state's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization along with four (4) years of experience as described in question "2" above?
• Do you have a satisfactory combination of education and/or experience equivalent to that described in questions "1," "2," and/or "3" above?

Skills

• Excellent research and writing skills.
• Highly detail‑oriented with ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion and maintain security of confidential documentation.
• Operational understanding of New York City agencies and the political environment.
• Familiarity with research techniques and tools, including OSINT, Boolean searches, and state & city‑level court databases.

Benefits

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs (Public Service Loan Forgiveness). For more information, visit https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Pay

$110,000.00 – $120,000.00