New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) helps New Yorkers before, during, and after emergencies through preparedness, education, and response. NYCEM is responsible for coordinating citywide emergency planning and response for all types and scales of emergencies. We are staffed by more than 200 dedicated professionals with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, including individuals assigned from other City agencies.
The Office of the Chief Counsel provides legal advice to NYCEM executives and staff regarding critical, strategic, legal and policy issues facing the agency, engages in transactional work in support of the NYCEM mission and coordinates with the NYC Law Department, Office of the Chief Counsel to the Mayor and City Hall, and other local, state and federal counsels regarding various legal issues ranging from emergency events to litigation, which impact the agency. The Office of Chief Counsel is comprised of the Legal Affairs Unit, the Civil and Human Rights Unit formerly known as the Disability, Access and Functional Needs Unit (DAFN), and the Records Management Unit.
The Civil and Human Rights unit within the Office of Chief Counsel oversees compliance with all applicable civil and human rights and equity mandates in order to effectuate equal treatment of populations that may be more vulnerable than the general public throughout Emergency Management operations, programs and activities.
The Office of the Chief Counsel is seeking a Legal Director of Civil and Human Rights. Under the direction of the Executive Civil and Human Rights Counsel, the selected candidate will, among a wide range of other duties, be responsible for the oversight of the activities necessary to maintain compliance with a Federal Court Settlement Order. The settlement required the enhancement of the City’s emergency preparedness plans and response and recovery activities related to people with access and functional needs, which includes people with disabilities, older adults, and others who are vulnerable during an emergency. The candidate will also be required to work on special projects as directed by the Chief Counsel and the Deputy Chief Counsel. To accomplish this, the selected candidate will be responsible for:
- Coordination with the DAFN staff and all NYCEM units for compliance with Local Laws, state, and federal civil and human rights mandates.
- Continued legal compliance with the terms of the Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled (BCID) Settlement Order.
- Working closely with all NYCEM units, many City Agencies and other partners to ensure remediation measures are being implemented timely and in legal accord with the BCID Settlement Order and as otherwise required by law and City policy.
- Liaise with the Corporation Counsel’s Office as needed, in coordination with senior Civil and Human Rights Unit staff.
- Research and review of materials as applicable to emergency planning and response in the context of the Disability and Access and Functional Needs (DAFN) populations.
- Collect progress data from NYCEM bureaus, units, and other agency DAFN staff.
- Work with the Agency Disability Services Facilitator (DSF) with regard to ADA and other civil and human rights mandates and help resolve any received ADA Grievances.
- Coordinate Disability Community Advirory Council and Disability Community Stakeholder Briefings.
- Provide legal support to the Legal Affairs Unit, as needed.
**PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:
- As part of NYCEM's emergency response mission, this position participates on an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team. During emergency activations, team members may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, or extended shifts in support of City response operations. Outside of activations, NYCEM employees participate in periodic training and exercises to maintain operational readiness, and must volunteer to assist with three Ready NY emergency preparedness presentations per year. EOC teams are on call for three weeks at a time, with six weeks off in between.
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- Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without employer support to be eligible for selection. Note that NYCEM does not participate in eVerify, which is required for the reauthorization of some visas.
- The selected candidate will be required to be in person in the office location three days per week, with exceptions for extenuating circumstances.
- We as an agency recognize that valuable leadership and analytical experience may be gained through public service, military service, academia, nonprofit organizations, the private sector, volunteer leadership, or other professional settings. Candidates are encouraged to describe transferable experiences that demonstrate their qualifications.
- NYCEM is committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the application and hiring process for qualified applicants with disabilities.
- IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS JOB, PLEASE SUBMIT A SEPARATE COVER LETTER IN THE ATTACHMENTS SECTION OF THE APPLICATION PORTAL.
PREFERRED SKILLS
Incumbent must remain a member of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
- Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act and related State and local civil and human rights laws and regulations pertaining to people with disabilities, the elderly and other protected classes, and knowledge of concerns of other potentially vulnerable or marginalized populations.
- Knowledge of employment, human rights and labor law
- Admission to and a member in good standing of the New York State Bar
- Experience interpreting and applying federal civil rights laws, administrative enforcement, compliance, litigation support, or related legal practice
- Prior experience making presentations to stakeholders and leadership, either virtually or in person
- Relevant experience in compliance with various mandates (federal, state and local legal authorities)
- Excellent writing and interpersonal skills
- Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams); familiarity with Power BI, Westlaw, or Lexis is preferred
- An informed perspective on applying an equity lens regarding all protected classes in policymaking
NOTE: Candidates are not expected to possess every preferred qualification. Successful applicants may demonstrate equivalent knowledge, transferable experience, or the ability to quickly learn new systems and technologies.
In addition, the selected candidate will be able to demonstrate a proven ability in the following areas, from the agency’s performance management model:
Competencies - everyone:
- Knowledge – possesses appropriate subject matter expertise.
- Work Ethic and Productivity – produces consistently high quality, accurate, and on-time deliverables; takes responsibility, is dependable, and accountable, and follows through; is responsive to requests from leadership.
- Strategic Problem Solving and Innovation – is thoughtful and deliberate in approach to solving problems; demonstrates innovation and creative thinking.
- Effective Communication – communication is clear, precise, and timely; understands their audience and display confidence in delivering their message.
- Teamwork – encourage collaboration and motivate others; is able to both lead and follow when necessary; is an active listener and consider a broad range of perspectives.
Competencies – managers:
- Strategic Planning – creates a strategic vision and plan for the unit and communicates a path toward it; ensures unit activities contribute to the articulated vision; aligns the unit’s goals with the broader HCM and agency goals.
- Decision Making – demonstrates confidence, decisiveness, adaptability, and good judgement; brings solutions not problems; makes informed, equitable, and sometimes difficult decisions.
- Relationship Building – values and seeks diverse perspectives by demonstrating awareness, sensitivity, and acceptance of cultural differences.
- Giving and Receiving Feedback – delivers specific and growth-centered feedback whenever the opportunity presents; listens and receives honest and open feedback without defensiveness; provides actionable and constructive suggestions, resources, and guidance on how to improve, enhance, or expand efforts.
- Communication {to unit} – Regularly communicates the alignment of individual work with unit and agency goals and how it connects to the broader mission of the agency; creates deliverables that are clear, well-written, appropriate to the topic, and targeted to the audience; models integrity and communicates truthfully and transparently, even when difficult or uncomfortable to do so.
- Coaching – Uses coaching techniques to support staff, helping them develop and enhance skills by demonstrating and working together; encourages staff professional development, working with staff to develop goals and recommending resources for learning; stays connected on tracking progress; recognizes individual strengths, challenges, and styles, and determines how best to support each person with these in mind; creates environment in which staff members feel open to seeking help, guidance, and support from colleagues or managers as needed.
- Team Management – Writes and conducts annual evaluations that include specific examples that demonstrate each individual’s progress toward attainment of goals as well as areas for continued growth; monitors and supports staff progress without micro-managing; mediates conflict among staff, negotiating compromises and solutions when conflicts arise; monitors workload and stress levels among staff members, ma