Closing Date: 7th May, 2025
Description:
About This Position:The City of Phoenix Law Department encompasses a team of dedicated and highly qualified attorneys addressing the wide variety of legal needs of City departments providing services to the community. This department is comprised of two divisions, the City Attorney's Office, which handles representing the City in civil matters, and the City Prosecutor's Office, which handles the prosecution of misdemeanor crimes committed in Phoenix.
Assistant City Attorneys in the Civil Division work in one of six areas: Public Safety, Litigation, Transportation, Human Resources, City Services, and Community Development. Currently, the Community Development section is seeking a qualified Assistant City Attorney IV to provide legal services to the Planning and Development Department.
The Planning & Development Department oversees the physical development of the City by guiding city zoning and planning, ensuring safe construction of buildings and infrastructure, and preserving historic sites, among other development efforts. The Assistant City Attorney IV in this role will interpret the City's Zoning/Subdivision Ordinances and Building Code; assist in the enforcement of such ordinances/code and other development-related City Code provisions; provide general legal advice to the Planning & Development management team; and advise various citizen boards and commissions concerning zoning and planning matters.
Assistant City Attorney IVs also review, negotiate, and draft contracts and participate in other transactional work; provide client support; engage in government law practice; and handle all legal matters of the assigned client department. They are expected to perform difficult professional and administrative legal work, including revisions to the Phoenix City Code, and to consult with client decision makers regarding relevant legal issues. These attorneys may also be required to staff public meetings and represent the City during administrative hearings or court proceedings. Assistant City Attorneys report to an Assistant Chief Counsel and generally work independently in performing their duties. All attorneys in the Law Department are assigned and may be reassigned based on the best interests of the City, as determined by the City Attorney.
This position is eligible for up to 4 days a week of remote work, with one in-office day for meeting with your section, implemented at the discretion of the City Attorney. Attorneys are expected to meet the needs of their clients and the Department, including any court obligations, city council or city management meetings, or other in-office obligations.
Opportunity to underfill as an Assistant City Attorney III may be considered. The Attorney III underfill will be candidates who require additional experience to meet the qualifications of the Attorney IV classification. Candidates will be non-competitively promoted to the Attorney IV classification once they possess sufficient experience.
Ideal Candidate:
- Has a high professional and ethical standing in the legal community.
- Has a willingness to work extended hours, with a flexible schedule.
- Demonstrates knowledge of municipal law, including contracts/procurement, open meetings, public records, and conflicts.
- Possesses a background in real estate and land use law.
Salary:
Assistant City Attorney III
Pay Range: $110,219.20 - $154,294.40 annually.
Hiring Range: $110,219.20 - $139,900.80 annually.
Assistant City Attorney IV
Pay Range: $126,734.40 - $177,444.80 annually.
Hiring Range: $126.734.40 - $168,272.00 annually.
Pay Range Explanation:
- Pay range is the entire compensation range for the position classification.
- Hiring range is an estimate of where you can receive an offer. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, training, and internal equity.
- The City contributes 9% of salary into 457/401(a) plans with no matching required. $4,200/annual car allowance and $1,440/annual cell phone allowance.
Benefits:
A comprehensive Middle Manager benefits package is offered which includes:
- Traditional pension with employer and employee contributions, click here for more details: Pension Information (https://www.phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/hrsite/documents/talent-acquisition/Pension%20Information.pdf)
- 401(a) and 457 plans with employer contributions
- Choice of generous medical HMO, PPO, or HSA/HDHP plans
- Medical enrollment includes a monthly $150 City contribution to a Post-Employment Health Plan
- Wellness incentive of up to $720 annually
- Dental, vision, and life insurance options
- Employer paid long-term disability
- Free Bus/light rail pass
- Tuition reimbursement program up to $6,500 per year
- Paid time off includes 13.5 paid holidays, 12 vacation days, and 15 sick days and personal leave days
- Paid Parental Leave for eligible employees up to 480 hours (12 weeks) of paid leave for the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child during a 12-month period
- Federal Student Loan Forgiveness offered through Savi (https://cityofphoenix.bysavi.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NF&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_content=RPPT:na:na:na:na:ERP02123&utm_term=662842.314156&WT.dcsvid=314156)
Minimum Qualifications:
Assistant City Attorney III
- Three years of experience as a practicing attorney, including the review, negotiation, and drafting of contracts or participation in other transactional work.
- Experience with client contact.
- Experience in litigation, pleading, and motion-practice.
- Some experience with government law practice or advising on federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
- Some knowledge of the legal subject matter involved with the department to which assignment will be made.
- Four years of experience as a practicing civil or criminal attorney.
- One year of government law practice or advising on federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
- Working knowledge of the legal subject matter involved with the department to which assignment will be made.
- Experience in the practice of municipal law; the review, negotiation, and drafting of contracts or other primary responsibility for participation in transactional work.
- Experience with significant client contact.
- Primary responsibility for civil litigation and pleading and motion-practice.
- Juris Doctor from an accredited school of law and admission to the State Bar of Arizona (or from a state with Arizona bar reciprocity). Please include your Arizona State Bar license number on resume or cover letter.
- Other combinations of experience and education that meet the minimum requirements may be substituted
- All finalists for positions are subject to a criminal background check applicable to the department or position.
- For information regarding pre-screening and driving positions, click here. (https://www.phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/hrsite/documents/talent-acquisition/Pre-Employment%20Information%209.12.2023.pdf)
- The City job description can be found here. (https://www.phoenix.gov/content/dam/phoenix/hrsite/jobdesc/10140.pdf)
Preferred Qualifications:
The minimum qualifications listed above, plus:
- Minimum two years' experience as a practicing attorney in the following areas:
- Developer/development issues, including development agreements, real estate, insurance, and liabilities issues; and
- Planning and zoning matters, including land use, code enforcement, city ordinances, and statutory compliance.
- Experience negotiating and drafting complex and complicated contracts or other transactional work.
- Experience working with legal-services contracts and the development community.
- Experience with:
- Conflict resolution and creativity in alternative problem-solving techniques.
- Municipal law practice, including public records, procurement, open meeting, general liability, planning and development, zoning ordinances, and land use rules/regulations.
Recruitment Closes May 7, 2025. All Materials Must Be Received by 11:59 P.M. on This Date.
This Is a Position-Based Recruitment and Will Not Result in Any Ongoing Eligibility List. This Recruitment and Any Selection Processes Resulting from This Recruitment May Be Used to Fill Other Related Vacancies Within the Organization Now or In the Near Future.
