NYC Campaign Finance Board · 4 days ago
General Counsel
Manhattan, NY
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$200K/yr - $235K/yr
10+ years expThe NYC Campaign Finance Board is a nonpartisan, independent city agency that empowers New Yorkers to have a greater impact on their elections. They are seeking a General Counsel to lead the Legal division, manage compliance with relevant laws, and serve as the chief legal advisor to the Executive Director and agency leadership.
Government Administration
Responsibilities
Serve as the visible, vocal expert and leader of all work within the scope of your division’s responsibilities
Contribute to the development and execution of the agency’s strategic plan, providing leadership in strategic goal setting and constructive assessment of success and failure, to promote a perpetual state of learning and improvement
Complete required EEO and other trainings, attend agency events, and participate in contributing to a welcoming, accessible, inclusive workplace culture that is free from discrimination across the spectrum of personal identity and protected classes
Participate in financial planning, budgeting, resource allocation, and assessment of financial risks and opportunities, to ensure fiscal responsibility and sustainability of the agency
Collaborate to ensure the agency has the functional structures, talent and other resources in place to accomplish strategic goals prioritizing the interests of the agency above your interests and/or those of your division
Ensure efficient and effective business operations in your division, establishing policies, processes and best practices for the success of your division, other divisions and the agency as a whole
Foster an innovative, high performance, accountable agency culture with strong employee engagement
Engage in and model continuous learning rooted in emerging trends and best practices with respect to the substantive work of your division, management theory and practice, strategic planning and goal setting, and other areas of knowledge relevant to your role
Lead, manage, and develop a team with varying levels of responsibility
Set standards and goals for employees and teams, ensuring ongoing projects and tasks within teams supports the agency’s overall priorities
Provide consistent guidance on career progression, helping team members advance within the agency through structured growth opportunities
Establish clear performance expectations for each team member, conduct regular performance evaluations, and provide continuous actionable feedback
Ensure that each individual’s performance is regularly assessed and aligned with agency goals, have the resources and support to meet their objectives, and take corrective actions when needed
Supervise Investigation staff in the performance of all investigation tasks, including analysis and evaluation of audit materials and other evidence, issuance of requests for documents and other information, issuance of subpoenas for documents and witness interviews, field work, and briefing the Board on investigations work
Supervise Enforcement staff in the performance of all enforcement tasks, including monitoring compliance with campaign finance laws by all members of regulated community, collaborating with Audit unit to identify violations of law and hold violators accountable, support analysis of candidate public funds eligibility, analyze audits to produce enforcement notices and other resolutions of audits, support Board consideration and handling of enforcement matters
Supervise Legal Contracting & Procurement staff in the performance of all legal contracting and procurement tasks, including supporting and assisting the Assistant Executive Director for Operations & Finance, and their staff, as well as staff in other divisions, with drafting and review of procurement and other contracts
Supervise Legal Compliance staff in the performance of all legal compliance tasks, including educating CFB staff regarding COIB, EEO, employment, labor, and other legal requirements, restrictions and prohibitions applicable to CFB staff, and supporting investigations related to alleged or suspected violations of such laws and policies
Supervise Litigation staff in the performance of all litigation tasks, including legal research, brief writing, motion practice, argument, collaboration with outside counsel, and related support of the Board
Supervise Legal staff in the performance of all policy tasks, including collaborating with Strategy, Products & Innovation (SPI) Division staff on analysis, drafting and implementation of Charter provisions, statutes, Rules and internal policies, and support Board understanding and enforcement of existing policies and adoption of new policies
Provide review of and input into proposed legislation, rule amendments, advisory opinions and other policy documents related to Policy work
Review work performed and work product produced by Legal staff to ensure that it is performed in accordance with the highest professional standards
Set priorities, standards, goals, deadlines and performance metrics for all Legal work, in partnership with Legal division leadership, ensuring ongoing projects and tasks within Legal division support the agency’s overall priorities and strategic plan
Qualification
Required
Admission to the New York State Bar
Four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar
Eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work
Juris Doctor with 10 plus years of experience practicing law
Strong preference and consideration will be given to candidates with at least four years of managerial experience serving in roles such as General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, or Assistant General Counsel or equivalent role
Knowledge and understanding of personnel management, motivational and leadership theories, styles and approaches
Knowledge and understanding of organizational strategic planning and implementation, including goal-setting systems (e.g., Objectives and Key Results (OKR))
Knowledge and understanding of government agency operations, including principles of administrative due process, agency jurisdiction, enforcement authority, public budgeting, procurement and fiscal oversight
Knowledge and understanding of New York City, New York State and federal campaign finance and broader election laws
Knowledge and understanding of employment and labor law, particularly in a governmental setting
Knowledge and understanding of principles and laws related to diversity, equity, and inclusion
Knowledge and understanding of litigation processes, including civil, criminal and administrative proceedings
Familiarity with investigatory techniques necessary to enforce campaign finance laws and/or other financial activity laws
Familiarity with conflict of interest and ethics laws and regulations governing New York City employees and public officials
Familiarity with New York City lobbying laws
Familiarity with the New York City legislative and rulemaking processes
Strong managerial skills to lead agency staff and projects
Legal research and analysis skills and judgement to interpret complex statutes, case law, regulations, and other policies
Strong written and oral communication skills
Skilled at identifying potential or actual legal risks and challenges and developing strategic solutions
Adept at using legal knowledge to champion innovation at the agency
Litigation management skills, including but not limited to litigation strategy development and execution
Proficiency in conflict management techniques, including negotiation, mediation, and compromise
Interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence to build relationships with internal partners
Ability to collaborate with agency leadership in strategic thinking
Ability to set clear performance goals and expectations
Ability to zealously advocate for the interests of the agency
Ability to exercise sound ethical judgment and decision-making
Ability to provide sound, clear, concise legal advice and guidance
Ability to ensure the agency's policies comply with relevant laws and regulations
Ability to assess legal risks and implement solutions to mitigate them
Ability to resolve conflicts and disputes effectively
Ability to motivate, coach, and develop others
Ability to effectively manage a team of 10-20 staff
Ability to handle confidential information using discretion
Ability to communicate effectively across cultures, identities, and backgrounds
Ability to connect with others in a meaningful way
Ability to maintain professionalism and guide interactions towards positive outcomes
Preferred
Juris Doctor with 10 plus years of experience practicing law
Strong preference and consideration will be given to candidates with at least four years of managerial experience serving in roles such as General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, or Assistant General Counsel or equivalent role
Benefits
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Company
NYC Campaign Finance Board
The New York City Campaign Finance Board is a nonpartisan, independent city agency that enhances the role of city residents in the electoral process.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Gauree Patel
Senior Manager, Partnerships and Outreach
Omar Suarez
Director of Partnerships and Outreach, Public Affairs
Recent News
Crain's New York Business
2025-10-03
Crain's New York Business
2025-08-06
2025-05-17
Company data provided by crunchbase