Position Summary: Under the direction of the Executive Director, Office of Employee Relations, with wide latitude for independent judgment and decision making, the Employee Relations Counsel, will support the Executive Director in employee relations issues, including accommodations, employee disciplinary matters, background investigation legal issues, and related support. The Employee Relations Counsel will be responsible for the delivery of professional development to managers on various employee relations matters and will provide regular support and guidance to both school and non school based offices citywide concerning all personnel investigation and employee relations matters. This work also includes overseeing teams, employee onboarding and processing, accommodation, employee performance, participation in various meetings and conferences related to personnel investigations and employee relations, assistance in tracking and monitoring of all investigations and arrests for New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) employees. The position will s erve as a liaison to other Division of Human Resources and NYCPS offices. Performs related work.

Reports to: Executive Director, Office of Employee Relations

Direct Reports: N/A

Key Relationships: Works closely with theExecutive Director, Office of Employee Relations, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Talent/Human Resources Officer, Office of the General Counsel, Office of Legal Services, Field Support Centers, and Human Resource Directors, and the Office of the First Deputy Chancellor.

Responsibilities

• Serves as advisor for all personnel investigation matters, including accommodations, arrests, reassignments, clearances, investigations, employee discipline, occupational safety and health, and information requests.
• Provides high level policy input, advice and assistance to the Executive Director, Office of Employee Relations on office policy issues as well as for any related litigation.
• Oversees the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) and serves as the point of contact for all employee accommodation, accessibility and disability issues.
• Reviews security clearances, incoming arrests, and appeals for the Arrest and Investigation Units, including supporting investigators on individual cases.
• Supports the Executive Director and Deputy Director in responding to inquiries and providing direct support to the Office of Legal Services and other agencies and NYCPS offices on all matters related to policies, procedures and systems, and ensures all actions are documented and implemented in a timely manner.
• Assists in the hiring of new employees, including creation or adjustment of positions to meet OPI needs.
• Provides ongoing review of office work product to ensure compliance with NYCPS regulations as well as state and federal laws.
• Attends hearings and court matters, as required, including testifying in related cases.
• Acts as a DHR point person for litigation matters, including gathering requested information, providing guidance on DHR processes, and reviewing settlements.
• Regularly reviews federal, state and local policies and provides both written and spoken recommendations for resolution of challenges and changes in office policies.
• Creates and implements professional development and training courses that support the work of the office; attends related courses.
• Responds to legal requests, including FOIL, appeals, reconsiderations, and background inquiries.
• Provides overall support to the ER offices as needed, including in person support for various ER teams

Qualification Requirements:

Minimum

Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, of which eighteen months must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing complex legal work.

Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.

Preferred

• Litigation, employment law and/or criminal law experience.
• Experience with managing and/or reviewing investigations.
• Experience with federal, state and local disability laws, including reviewing and implementing accommodations.
• Ability to rapidly understand provisions of applicable laws and regulations.
• Excellent research, analytic and communication skills.
• Knowledge of human resources within public education, such as Education Law 3020-A and corresponding regulations.
• Successful in leading significant cross functional initiatives in diverse organizational settings.
• Strong problem solving and project management skills; strong detail orientation and organizational skills, ability to balance the big picture with detailed steps to reach the end goal.
• Ability to learn quickly, take initiative , and bring complex projects to successful completion.
• Strong spoken and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to build and cultivate personal relationships, work effectively with diverse groups, and drive agreement in the face of different opinions.
• Experience developing or leading training for adults.
• Fluency in NYCPS systems, as well as all Microsoft 365 applications and basic web browsers and searches.

Salary : $110,969 - $122,066

(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)

Please include a resume and cover letter with your application.

NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding.

* New York City Residency is NOT Required *

We encourage all applicants from the New York City tri-state area to apply.