The Office of the New York City Comptroller, through its Bureau of Labor Law, is charged with setting and enforcing prevailing wage and benefit rates for workers employed on New York City public works projects.
Under Comptroller Lander’s progressive leadership, the Office seeks to expand its impact on the rights of workers by strengthening its prevailing wage enforcement and advancing new legislation that gives the Comptroller’s Office the authority to investigate additional types of workplace violations. Recent enforcement actions involve workers in diverse industries, such as residential and commercial construction, building service employees on City contracts and certain properties that receive tax exemptions, such as • 421-a of the Real Property Tax Law. The Comptroller’s Office also engages in extensive outreach and educational work to inform the community of prevailing wage and living wage requirements.
We are seeking a self-motivated attorney to represent the Bureau of Labor Law in investigations and administrative proceedings to enforce prevailing wage laws. The Attorney will also work in collaboration with the Director of Workers’ Rights to enforce new worker protections within the Comptroller’s jurisdiction. While primarily a litigation position, the Attorney will assist the Director of Workers’ Rights and the Supervising Attorney thoughtfully considering and implementing ways to improve the work of the Bureau and make it more efficient and accessible to the public. The Attorney may also be asked to assist in the Bureau’s legislative work, including drafting comments to proposed legislation, providing feedback on legislative language, testifying at hearings, and other related work as needed. This is a good opportunity for a mid-level attorney who wishes to gain litigation, policy, and programmatic work experience.
Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Leading investigations by working with investigators, engineers, and auditors to develop investigation strategies, and interviewing witnesses, and analyzing documents and data;
• Preparing cases for settlement and/or administrative trials;
• Negotiating settlements and drafts stipulations of settlement;
• Representing the Comptroller in administrative trials at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH);
• Performing legal research concerning enforcement of the prevailing wage and other New York labor protections;
• Drafting legal memoranda and post-hearing memoranda concerning enforcement of the New York Labor Law Articles Eight and Nine, New York Real Property Tax Law • 421-a and New York City Administrative Code • 6- 109;
• Assisting Bureau staff in developing and implementing programmatic changes to improve the Bureau’s work;
• Weighing in on workers’ rights policy and legislative issues, as requested;
• Performing other related work or special projects as needed.
SKILLS/QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Admission to the New York State Bar and two (2) or more years of progressively responsible experience performing complex and significant legal work subsequent to admission to any bar, preferably in the nature of what is listed in the bulleted list of the above job description.
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
Minimum Qual Requirements
1. Admission to the New York State Bar; and either “2” or “3” below.
2. One year of satisfactory United States legal experience subsequent to admission to any state bar; or
3. Six months of satisfactory service as an Agency Attorney Interne (30086).
Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
In addition to meeting the minimum Qualification Requirements:
To be assigned to Assignment Level (AL) II, candidates must have one year of experience at Assignment Level I or two years of comparable legal experience subsequent to admission to the bar, in the areas of law related to the assignment. 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 the areas of law related to the assignment.
Preferred Skills
• Experience conducting litigation, providing legal advice, appearing in court, and negotiating settlements with opposing parties;
• Commitment to workers’ rights and social justice;
• Expertise in local, state, and federal labor and employment laws;
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills, including proficiency with MS Office suite of applications;
• Strong writing, research, and analytical skills;
• Detail-oriented and comfortable with analyzing data in payroll records and Excel spreadsheets;
• Ability to effectively advise and interact with team comprised of investigators, auditors, and engineers.
To Apply
TO APPLY, GO TO: Employment Opportunities at www.comptroller.nyc.gov
Note: This position may be eligible for hybrid schedule/remote work up to 2 days per week. New York City residency is not required for this position.
We appreciate every applicant’s interest; however, only those under consideration will be contacted. Vacancy notices listed as Until Filled will be posted for at least five workdays.
Residency Requirement
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.
POSTING DATE
07/30/2023
POST UNTIL
Until Filled
The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.