Description:

The Position:

* Continuous Recruitment***

Recruitment may close at any time. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply immediately.

The City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the City's historical roots and the lives of its residents to this date. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

The Oakland City Attorney's office seeks a well-qualified individual to join our office's Labor & Employment Advisory Unit. The incumbent will be exposed to a wide range of personnel matters across a variety of City's departments, including police personnel matters. Duties will include, but will not be limited to: collaborating with other attorneys, City staff, and City leadership to analyze labor and employment issues and resolve disputes; advising City investigators and department heads on employee misconduct, due process, and related grievances; representing the City in administrative hearings to resolve labor and/or employment disputes; drafting and reviewing opinions, legislation, contracts, and other legal documents requiring the application of labor law and/or employment law; and, potentially, advising on police officer administrative investigations and discipline.

This position is represented by the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Local 21. The incumbent may receive general supervision from a Deputy City Attorney V, Special Counsel, Chief Assistant City Attorney or the City Attorney. The City Attorney may assign the selected attorney new, additional, or different duties or practice areas in litigation, advisory, or transactional work.

About the Office:
The City Attorney's Office provides advice and counsel to the Mayor, City Council, and all City departments, boards and commissions in a wide variety of areas including land use, real estate, personnel, elections, conflicts of interest, municipal finance, retirement, housing, public contracting and economic development. The City Attorney's Office also advocates for the City's interests in claims and lawsuits litigated in state or federal courts, including high-value personal injury cases, complex civil rights actions, breach of contract, personnel disputes, eminent domain actions, inverse condemnation and alleged constitutional violations.

The Office has approximately 80 employees and three divisions: Advisory, Litigation, and Operations. The work is high profile, dynamic, collaborative, and complex. The work is of vital importance to the City's delivery of services to Oakland's residents and businesses. The office currently allows for a flexible, hybrid in-office/ work-from-home schedule.

Job Duties:
Duties May Include But Are Not Limited To:

Advising on administrative investigations of misconduct, as well as the disciplinary process, including throughout the pendency of the grievance process.
Advising on the investigation and resolution of labor and employment and/or personnel-related claims and complaints against the City or City management, including allegations involving harassment and discrimination, and recommending appropriate actions to be taken.
Advising clients, including the City Administrator, Employee Relations Director, Human Resources Director, Chief of Police, and the Office of the Inspector General, on personnel matters to help them comply with laws and policies and to help them identify various risks and manage them accordingly.
Representing the City in administrative proceedings, including labor arbitration hearings, Civil Service Board hearings, and hearings before the Public Employee Relations Board.
Advising the City Administrator, Employee Relations Director, and other designated representatives in preparation for and during labor-contract bargaining and other labor negotiations.
Developing training materials and providing training to staff, managers, and officials on relevant legal issues.
Performing legal research; interpreting and applying laws and court decisions; and preparing opinions for departments, programs, boards, commissions and officials.
Preparing, reviewing, and revising ordinances, resolutions, employment contracts, MOU's, settlements, and other legal documents; revising such documents as necessary to meet legal standards.

Ability to:

Interpret and apply various government codes and ordinances.
Conduct research on legal problems and prepare sound legal opinions.
Analyze and prepare a wide variety of legal documents.
Present cases in administrative proceedings.
Handle stressful and sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy.
Provide professional leadership, guidance, and technical expertise to assigned staff.
Work independently or as part of a team.
Work with a multidisciplinary team.
Manage multiple demanding programs, cases, and projects with competing deadlines.
Communicate effectively in both oral and written forms with City officials and representatives.
Complete varied assignments within a narrow time frame.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients and other contacts encountered in the course of work.
Inspire confidence and respect for legal advice.
Skillfully and professionally present legal advice to clients, including the elected officials and high-level appointed officials.

Read the complete job description by clicking the link below:
Deputy City Attorney III

Click on the link below to see a video on what it's like to work for the City of Oakland!
Working for the City of Oakland

Minimum Requirements for Application
Any combination of experience and education that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education:

Graduation from an accredited school of law.

Experience:
Two (2) years of increasingly responsible work experience comparable to a Deputy City Attorney II in the City of Oakland.

License or Certificate / Other Requirements:

A member in good standing of the California State Bar.
Individuals who are appointed to this position will be required to maintain a valid California driver's license throughout the tenure of employment OR demonstrate the ability to travel to various locations in a timely manner as required in the performance of duties.

Desirable Qualifications:

For DCA III position: Four (4) years of increasingly responsible work experience in one or more relevant areas of law.
The ideal candidate will have experience in one or more of the following areas: labor and employment law matters; conducting and/or advising on workplace or misconduct investigations, collective bargaining, and labor-dispute resolution.
Candidates must have excellent verbal communication skills as well as strong writing and oral presentation skills.
Working knowledge of municipal, state, and federal laws affecting City governance, particularly laws related to open meetings and public records.
Language skills, especially in Spanish, Cantonese and/or Mandarin.

Supplemental Information:
This is an at-will position, exempt from the provisions of the City of Oakland Civil Service Rules, per Charter Section 902.

Applications received will be forwardedto the hiring department for further consideration.

Meeting the minimum qualification requirements may not result in further consideration, only the most qualified candidates will be considered for this role.

What's in It for You?

Work/Life Balance: 37.5-hourwork weeks
15 paid holidays
Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service.
Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre-tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security.
Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans.
Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents.
Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents.
Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year.
Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre-tax plan and an after-tax ROTH 401(k) plan.
Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.
Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found at: Working for Oakland

Please Note: Salary is negotiable within the defi