SENIOR ATTORNEY - 60033763

Requisition No: 838855 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: SENIOR ATTORNEY - 60033763

 Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 60033763 

Salary:  $75,000 - $85,000 

Posting Closing Date: 10/20/2024 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Senior Attorney

Office of General Counsel

Department of Children and Families

2415 N. Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32303

Open Competitive

Current employees will be compensated in accordance with the DCF salary policy.

What you will do:

• Provides general legal support to the director and staff of these offices (Background Screening and Office of Appeal Hearings);
• Keeps abreast of current and proposed statutory and case law related to these offices, both state and federal and interprets these mandates to the program offices;
• Assists with the development of rules, policies, and operating procedures for the offices;
• Assists in resolving consumer issues relating to these offices;
• Participates in the management teams of the offices as requested by the Directors;
• Assists in resolving issues relating to sister agencies on common issues;
• Monitors the docket of the Division of Administrative Hearings;
• Assists other attorneys upon request on questions regarding rules and provides training regarding rules;
• Receives all administrative process that must be formally filed with the department;
• Receives and evaluates requests for administrative proceedings, referring for appropriate hearings or denying or dismissing;
• Intercedes with regions and circuits to modify or rescind agency actions that lack legal support;
• Receives and evaulates recommended orders and other dispositions in administrative proceedings, staffing with program offices as needed;
• Processes waiver/variance and declaratory statement petitions. This requires ensuring facial sufficiency and an adequate record, referring to program office and staffing as needed, and preparing orders for review and signature;
• Prepares draft final orders for review by the General Counsel and review and signature by the Secretary;
• Fulfils lower tribunal function in appeals from agency final orders (does not include Office of Appeals Hearing final orders);
• Serves as point of contact for the Division of Administrative Hearings, the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee of the Legislature, and the appellate courts;
• Represents the department as counsel of record in state administrative proceedings, as assigned, where the department does not have final order authority;
• Represents the department in federal administrative proceedings;
• Represents the department as counsel of record in appellate proceedings originating from headquarters;
• Reviews and evaluates all department requests to initiate appellate proceedings;
• Drafts, reviews, or edits appellate filings in proceedings upon request of headquarters, regional, or circuit attorneys (usually on issues of statewide impact)
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Member of the Florida Bar

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:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions

(For more information, please click www.myfrs.com);

• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

SELECTIVE SERVICE:  Male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS) before their 26th birthday or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS.  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.

BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENT: It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and, if applicable, Chapter 408, F.S.  No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.  Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

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.