Deputy City Attorney - Health & Human Services ...

Description:

Company Description:
Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt (PEX) position; individuals who are appointed to Exempt Positions are appointed at the pleasure of their appointing officer and are considered to be "at-will."

• Application Opening: December 9, 2025
• Application Deadline: Continuous, earliest close 5:00 p.m. Monday, December 22, 2025
• Compensation Range: $153,140 - $268,320 (a 1.5% wage increase effective January 3, 2026)
• Recruitment ID: RTF0162199-01076910

The San Francisco City Attorney's Office is looking for a qualified and motivated attorney to join its Health & Human Services Team.

About the Office:
The San Francisco City Attorney's Office is an innovative, nationally-recognized municipal law office working to protect and advance the rights and interests of the City and County of San Francisco and its residents. With nearly 350 talented and dedicated employees, the Office provides exceptional legal services to the City's Mayor, Board of Supervisors, officials, and departments. Our work empowers City leaders with effective, responsive, and creative legal solutions and representation so they can deliver critical public services, and our affirmative advocacy enhances the lives and wellbeing of San Francisco's residents and visitors.

The Office recognizes that diversity in the backgrounds, identities, and experiences of our employees enriches our workplace and enhances our work. We aspire to recruit, employ, retain, and promote talented individuals representing the full spectrum of our community, and welcome all candidates, including candidates of any race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and age, and candidates with disabilities. We have a clear vision: to be the place where a diverse mix of people want to come and stay, grow professionally, and find purpose and engagement, and where all employees feel welcomed and respected, and valued for their work and contributions to the Office and the City. To learn more about the Office's efforts to provide an inclusive workplace where employees feel they belong and can meaningfully contribute, please visit: https://www.sfcityattorney.org/aboutus/dei/.

The Office provides a hybrid work schedule for eligible employees.

To learn more about the City Attorney's Office please visit our website. (https://www.sfcityattorney.org/)

Job Description:
About the Health & Human Services Team
The Health & Human Services Team serves as general counsel for the Department of Public Health, the Human Services Agency, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, and certain other departments that protect and promote the health and wellbeing of the City's residents.

The team also advises the Mayor's Office, the Board of Supervisors, and other City officials and departments on matters relating to health care and human service programs.

The team's responsibilities include: providing general legal counsel to the team's clients, including in relation to privacy and compliance, health care issues, and state and federal regulatory oversight of licensed facilities and professionals; interpreting myriad federal, state, and local laws governing the provision and funding of health and human service programs; drafting related local and state legislation; drafting and approving a high volume of contracts and advising on the City's procurement processes (including requests for proposals); advising the Health Commission, the Human Services Commission, and other policy and advisory bodies; and advising on the day-to-day legal issues that arise in the operation of major City departments, including in relation to public meeting and public records laws.

Deputy City Attorney Position and Responsibilities
An attorney on the Health & Human Services Team typically serves in an advisory roles as general counsel to a mix of City officials and departments. In that capacity, the attorney may perform many functions – providing interpretations and advice, both orally and in writing, formally and informally, on a broad range of legal issues. The attorney's role could include interpreting City or State law or advising on the legal risks of a particular government action; drafting ordinances, ballot measures, and administrative regulations; reviewing contracts for legal and procedural sufficiency; and providing legal advice to commissioners before and during commission meetings. The attorney functions as the Office's expert on laws administered by the City officials and agencies that the attorney advises. The attorney also may develop expertise in areas of law that transcend issues particular to the attorney's client agencies and are relevant to many or all components of City government.

Qualifications:
Minimum Qualification:
Licensed to practice law in California.

Desired Qualifications:

• At least five years of experience in the practice of law, especially in an advice capacity as a government lawyer.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent legal analytical skills.
• Ability to assume responsibility for assignments and to work independently and efficiently.
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and clients.
• Ability to manage and appropriately balance multiple assignments, meet deadlines, and adjust to fluctuations in workload.
• Strong interpersonal skills and a positive attitude.
• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.
• An interest in and commitment to public service.
• Experience advising on legal issues related to daily hospital operations, including patient care, consent, bioethics, risk management, medical staff issues, and licensing and certification.
• Experience advising covered entities and business associates on adherence to HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules.
• Familiarity with federal and state laws protecting the privacy of information relating to individuals' participation in public benefit programs.

Verification
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.

Note: Falsifying one's education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet the minimum qualifications must be included on your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, disqualification or may lead to lower scores.

Selection Procedures
The selection process will include evaluation of applications in relation to minimum requirements. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to the interview. Depending on the number of applicants, the Department may establish and implement additional screening mechanisms to comparatively evaluate the qualifications of candidates. If this becomes necessary, only those applicants whose qualifications most closely meet the needs of the Department will be invited to participate in the oral/performance interview.

Additional Information:
Salary and benefits:
The Deputy City Attorney position has a 16-step salary scale ranging from $153,140 to $268,320. Effective 1/3/26, this job classification will receive a 1.5% wage increase. The successful applicant is appointed to a salary step based on years of experience as a lawyer. The City offers robust health, retirement and other benefits. For more information please visit: https://sfdhr.org/benefits-overview. Attorneys are represented by the Municipal Attorneys Association. Information about compensation and benefits is available by entering Classification Code 8177 at https://careers.sf.gov/classifications/.