CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL

CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL - 79010058

Our Organization and Mission: License efficiently. Regulate fairly. Florida counts on the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) to ensure important matters are handled well. Responsibilities range from ensuring the safety of food service, maintaining the integrity of real estate transactions, furthering the transparency of condominium governance, and overseeing the qualifications of licensure that ensure work requiring a skilled professional is performed safely and sufficiently. DBPR's stakeholders include these professionals and their customers alike. Under the direction of Secretary Melanie S. Griffin, DBPR oversees many of Florida's professions and industries in the areas above, and many more which can be seen on their website.

The Work You Will Do: The Deputy General Counsel for Administration (Chief Legal Counsel) works under the direction of the General Counsel and serves as the agency's Ethics Officer, Informal Hearing Officer, and Public Records/Open Government Attorney. This position is also responsible for overseeing the legality of purchases, procurements, and contracts; overseeing the Department's personnel attorney; and overseeing the Division of Florida Condominium, Timeshares and Mobile Home arbitration section. The position serves as the senior legal advisor to the Office of Secretary, the General Counsel, and various divisions and bureaus in the different operational areas of the department.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides legal advice to senior managers on conduct as it relates to the department's policies and procedures, Florida's ethics laws and rules, and the Governor's Code of Conduct.
• Provides annual ethics training to members of senior management; Serves as the department's informal hearing officer pursuant to 120.57(2), Florida Statutes and drafts recommended and final orders;
• Reviews the department's contracts, purchases, and procurements;
• Reviews proposed legislation that could potentially impact the department and provides guidance to the Office of Legislative Affairs;
• Supervises and provides guidance to the agency personnel attorney;
• Supervises and provides guidance to the agency's Office of Open Government and serves as the department's final authority on public records/open government issues;
• Provides leadership and guidance to the Division of Condominiums, Timeshares and Mobile Home Arbitration legal staff;
• Provides legal guidance to the Office of the Inspector General on internal investigations; and Serves as the training coordinator for the Office of the General Counsel.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, governing regulations, executive orders, and agency rules and political process;
• Knowledge of the Florida Administrative Procedure Act;
• Knowledge of Florida's Public Records Laws;
• Knowledge of Florida's purchasing laws;
• Knowledge of personnel law;
• Ability to understand and apply applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures;
• Ability to review contracts for legal sufficiency;
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others;
• Ability to work independently;
• Ability to recognize and act on emerging issues and shifting priorities;
• Ability to supervise;
• Ability to communicate effectively.

Minimum Requirements:

• Must be a member in good standing of The Florida Bar;
• Must have at least two years of professional experience in the practice of law;
• Must have a valid Driver's License.

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State's total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• State of Florida retirement package: 3% employee contribution required.
• Nine annual paid holidays and one personal holiday
• Ability to earn up to 104 hours of paid annual leave annually as a new employee with the State of Florida
• Ability to earn up to 104 hours of paid sick leave annually.
• The State of Florida offers health insurance coverage (i.e. individual and family coverage) to eligible employees.
• The State of Florida provides a $25,000 life insurance policy to eligible employees.
• Additional supplemental insurance policies are available for dental, vision, hospital supplement, cancer, etc.
• Tax deferred medical and childcare reimbursement accounts are available.
• Tuition waiver program to attend an approved State of Florida College or University