Position Summary
The City of Philadelphia Law Department seeks a licensed attorney to join the Commercial Law Unit’s Health, Human & Community Services Division. The ideal candidate is expected to perform the following duties:
Advise and represent City departments, in particular, the Departments of Public Health and Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, in contracting and grant compliance matters;
Provide legal counsel to City departments on compliance with relevant laws, policies, and contract and grant terms and conditions;
Help develop, draft, and review policies and practices to ensure contracting terms and processes are in compliance with relevant law and grant funding requirements;
Provide legal counsel on questions arising from the Philadelphia Code, Home Rule Charter, and other applicable areas of law; and
Draft, review, and negotiate terms and conditions for a variety of contracts including contracts for the procurement of professional services, other goods and services, intergovernmental agreements, facility use agreements, and grant agreements.
Essential Functions
In addition to the Position Summary, responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:
Keeping informed of relevant legal developments and analyzing applicability to the City’s contracting terms and processes;
Reviewing, evaluating, and periodically updating form contract and solicitation documents to account for changes in the law and improve the quality of contract documents;
Communicating with City business stakeholders and subject matter experts, vendors, and others involved in business and commercial law matters;
Conducting research, drafting legal opinions, and analyzing legal issues related to procurement, compliance, and commercial law;
Reviewing and assisting City departments with the development and drafting of RFPs for professional service contract solicitation;
Working closely with City departments to review and revise statements of work;
Interpreting laws, rulings, and regulations, including procurement law, the Philadelphia Code, and the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter;
Analyzing the risk profile of proposed transactions in consult with the City’s Division of Risk Management;
Performing administrative functions related to the practice of law; and
Performing other duties as assigned.
Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules and processes.
Ability to analyze large amounts of information, determine relevant facts, and propose viable solutions.
Ability to determine which applicable laws and regulations apply to a specific matter.
Ability to efficiently handle multiple transactions and projects.
Ability to communicate information and ideas in writing in a concise and diplomatic manner. Must be able to clearly present and explain complex legal matters to large groups and high-level officials and employ diplomacy in challenging situations.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a demonstrated ability to identify and analyze legal issues within complex fact patterns.
Ability to organize and maintain a high-volume workload.
Excellent writing, transaction management, negotiation, and drafting skills.
Ability to use computer programs such as PowerPoint or MS Office.
Excellent judgment and critical thinking in high-pressure situations.
Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work on teams and collaborate with colleagues and clients.
Assistant City Solicitor applicants must have at least one (1) year of relevant experience, and within a legal setting is preferred.
Deputy City Solicitor applicants should have a minimum of four (4) years of relevant legal experience. Legal experience should ideally include some or most of those described under Essential Functions.
Candidates must have a law degree from an ABA accredited law school and must either be a member in good standing of the Pennsylvania Bar, or currently eligible to be admitted by reciprocity to practice in Pennsylvania (Pa.B.A.R. 204). Continued employment of attorneys not admitted to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania within six (6) months of hire is at the discretion of the Law Department.
TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter, resume, and references.
Salary Range: Assistant: $81,500 to $91,928; Deputy: $94,465 to $113,614; Commensurate with education and experience
Any questions related to this position should be directed to Jacqueline Eklund, Divisional Deputy City Solicitor (jacqueline.eklund@phila.gov).
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*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire
Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.
The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.
For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx