General Counsel (New York)

The New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) invests in a broad network of community‑based organizations to deliver critical services that strengthen young people, families, and communities across New York City. Through the administration of federal funds, DYCD supports innovative, high‑quality programs that advance opportunity, stability, and long‑term outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a core member of the Commissioner’s senior leadership team, contributing to agency‑wide strategy, decision‑making, and execution. Ensure the legal function is fully integrated into program, procurement, finance, and operations, supporting alignment and shared accountability across a large and complex organization.
• Partner with senior leaders to translate legal requirements into clear, actionable approaches that advance agency goals, balancing legal integrity with operational effectiveness.
• Lead all legal aspects of DYCD’s contracting portfolio: draft, negotiate and execute contracts, memoranda of understanding, and solicitations; provide guidance on procurement and contract lifecycle management, including amendments, assignments, and terminations; partner with the Agency Chief Contracting Officer; identify and drive improvements to contracting processes to reduce delays, strengthen provider experience, and support timely payments at scale.
• Recruit, develop, and manage a high‑performing legal team to deliver rigorous, timely, and high‑quality legal work aligned with agency priorities. Build internal systems and processes that support efficiency, transparency, and consistency across a large portfolio.
• Serve as the primary liaison to the New York City Law Department, Department of Investigation, NYC Conflicts of Interest Board, and other oversight entities. Collaborate with key partners, including the Mayor’s Office of Contract Services, Office of Management and Budget, and the Comptroller’s Office, and represent DYCD in high‑level legal discussions, negotiations, and interagency coordination.
• Represent DYCD on all external discrimination complaints received from Federal, State, and local EEO/Human Rights agencies.
• Advise on a broad range of legal areas—including procurement law, administrative law, ethics, civil service law, civil rights, human rights law, employment and labor law, and fiscal compliance—to ensure agency practices meet all applicable legal and regulatory standards while enabling effective program delivery. Proactively identify risks and develop mitigation strategies that support both compliance and execution.
• Lead efforts to modernize legal and contracting processes, including opportunities to improve systems, workflows, and coordination across divisions. Support agency‑wide initiatives that require legal strategy, including new program models and cross‑agency efforts.
• Oversee special projects assigned by the Commissioner.

Minimum Qualifications

Admission to the New York State Bar; four years of recent full‑time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience following admission to any bar, with at least eighteen months supervised by other attorneys in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work. Incumbents must remain members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of their employment.

Preferred Skills

• Experience within or working closely with the New York City or New York State government.
• Track record of improving contracting systems and reducing administrative barriers.
• Experience advising executive leadership and contributing to organizational strategy.
• Familiarity with PASSPort and New York City procurement and financial systems.
• Demonstration of extensive senior‑level legal experience with deep expertise in contracting, procurement, and complex negotiations, preferably in high‑volume or large‑scale environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams and managing legal operations in complex organizations.
• Strong knowledge of contract lifecycle management and procurement processes across large systems.
• Leadership profile: the ideal candidate is a strong operator and integrative leader who understands that legal is not a standalone function, but a critical driver of agency performance.
• A commitment to integrating legal strategy into the day‑to‑day work of the agency and to strengthening systems that support communities.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is not required for this position.

Additional Information

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 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.

Salary

$210,000.00 – $240,000.00