Managing Senior Attorney - 31001183

Requisition No: 838707 

Agency: Division of Emergency Management

Working Title: Managing Senior Attorney - 31001183

 Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 31001183 

Salary:  $89,953.91 

Posting Closing Date: 11/13/2024 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Managing Senior Attorney - SES

 Office of the General Counsel

State of Florida Division of Emergency Management

This position is located in Tallahassee or Orlando, Florida

The Florida Division of Emergency Management plans for and responds to both natural and man-made disasters.  These range from floods and hurricanes to incidents involving hazardous materials or nuclear power.  The Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) is the liaison between federal, state, and local agencies. FDEM prepares and implements a statewide Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan, routinely conducts extensive exercises to test state and county emergency response capabilities, provides technical assistance to local governments as they prepare emergency plans and procedures, as well as conducts emergency operations trainings for state and local government agencies.

FDEM serves as the lead agency for the State Emergency Response Team (SERT), whose primary goal is the coordination of the state’s efforts during disaster response and recovery. This coordination is conducted within the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee. Additionally, FDEM on manages the State Watch Office; the 24-hours a day operation tasked with providing situational awareness to stakeholders statewide. After a disaster, FDEM conducts damage assessment surveys and advises the Governor of the state of Florida on whether to declare an emergency and seek federal relief funds. It is against this backdrop that FDEM strives to demonstrate its mission of, “Coordinate, collaborate and communicate with our community stakeholders for a resilient Florida” along with our vision of, “Leading the Profession in building prepared and resilient communities”.

Position Overview and Responsibilities:

This position within the Office of General Counsel is responsible for providing strategic leadership, managing and mentoring other Senior Attorneys and legal staff, and ensuring high-quality legal services. Responsibilities include providing support for various functions and operations, including reviewing, drafting, and revising Executive Orders, Agency Emergency Orders, FDEM policies, procedures, contracts, and procurement documents; assisting with FDEM rulemaking; and performing other legal tasks as assigned by and/or under the supervision of the General Counsel and/or the Deputy General Counsel.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Managing other senior attorneys and providing effective and comprehensive legal counsel to all four bureaus as and when needed: Recovery, Mitigation, Response, and Preparedness.  This includes reviewing, revising, and/or drafting contracts, procurement documents, federal/state grant and subgrants agreements, Memorandums of Understanding/Association (MOUs/MOAs), emergency orders, operating policies, etc. for these bureaus.

• Overseeing any and all rulemaking for the FDEM; and performing all tasks related to rulemaking including statutory research, drafting the rules, tracking the rule making process, attending all rule making related hearings, etc., as assigned by the General Counsel and/or the Deputy General Counsel.

• Providing legal counsel and advice to FDEM regarding matters related to procurement, bid protests, and grants management. FDEM is responsible for assisting subrecipients (local governments, private nonprofits, houses of worship) in complying with federal procurement standards located in 2 CFR Part 200 and including all required federal contract terms located in Appendix II to Part 200 of the CFR.  Determine whether all solicitation and contract documents comply with all applicable state and/or federal procurement rules.

• Ensure legal review for all public records prior to production, including marking for redaction all exempt or confidential information and ensuring all exempt or confidential information has been redacted along with an identification of the statute containing the exemption.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to lead and manage a team of attorneys, paralegals, and other legal staff in a positive manner.
• Ability to compile, organize and analyze data and create reports. 
• Ability to determine work priorities and manage time effectively to ensure proper completion of work assignments in a timely manner.
• Ability to communicate effectively, establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to exhibit a high level of confidentiality.
• Ability to consistently learn and perform in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to be dependable, able to follow instructions, and respond to direction.
• Strong attention to detail, accuracy and able to monitor work for quality.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Strong customer service principles.
• Proficient user of Microsoft Office.
• Ability to handle difficult and stressful situations with professional composure.
• Ability to effectively collaborate, build and maintain interpersonal relationships.
• Ability to work independently.
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant laws, regulations, and compliance requirements at the local, state and federal levels.
• Knowledge of identifying, assessing, and mitigating legal risks.
• Strong knowledge of legal ethics and professional conduct codes.
• Ability to clearly explain complex legal matters to non-legal stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Member of the Florida Bar in good standing.
• Experience using Microsoft Office and Adobe.
• Five years of experience in administrative law.
• Experience in managing legal projects, budgets, deadlines, and client relationships.

Special Notes:

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

The Division of Emergency Management is committed to successfully recruiting and onboarding talented and skilled individuals into its workforce. The Division appreciates the service and sacrifices made by veterans and their family members. Further, FDEM recognizes the immeasurable value veterans bring to the workplace and is committed to increasing the number of veterans that serve in its workforce.

The Division of Emergency Management is committed to increasing recruitment and hiring of individuals with disabilities and improving employment outcomes. An individual with a disability is qualified if he or she satisfies the skills, experience, and other job-related requirements for a position and can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must contact the FDEM Human Resources Office at (850) 815-4177. FDEM requests applicants notify HR in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

Successful completion of background screening will be required for this position.

The State of Florida and the Division of Emergency Management participate in E-Verify. This federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.

In response to emergency events, Division of Emergency Management employees may be required to work irregular hours, to work more than 8 hours per day, to work extended periods (including weekends and holidays), to work at locations other than their official headquarters, and to perform duties in addition to those outlined in the employee’s position description. Employees must be able to deploy to emergency sites with limited advance notice.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.