SENIOR ATTORNEY - 79010314

OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL

SENIOR ATTORNEY 
Position Number: 79010314

Hiring Salary: $3,065.14 - $3,831.42 Biweekly

* OPEN COMPETITIVE *

Our Organization and Mission:

License efficiently. Regulate fairly. Florida counts on DBPR to ensure a lot of important matters are handled well. They range from the safety of food service to the integrity of real estate transactions, to the transparency of condominium governance, and of course, the qualifications of licensure that ensure work requiring a skilled professional is performed safely and sufficiently.  Our stakeholders include these professionals and their customers alike.

Under the direction of Secretary Melanie S. Griffin, the agency oversees many of Florida’s professions and industries in the areas above, and many more which can be seen on our website: http://www.myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/.

 The Work You Will Do:

This is a highly responsible position that serves as the Department’s personnel attorney, the internal advisor on employment-law matters and liaison to outside counsel who represent the Department in numerous employment litigation matters. 

Specific Responsibilities: 

• Serves as the Department’s in-house legal advisor to senior management on all employment-related matters;
• Works closely with the Office of Human Resources, advising on legal sufficiency regarding disciplinary actions, ADA accommodations, FCHR and EEOC responses, Workers’ Compensation, FMLA eligibility, Veterans’ Preference issues, and many other issues;
• Develops and provides internal training on a vast array of employment-related laws and policies;
• Develops and drafts policies;
• Assists with matters relating to public records;
• Serves as the Department’s legal liaison with outside counsel who defend the Department in employment, premises liability, and automobile liability cases;
• Develops litigation strategy and typically attends depositions, mediations, arbitrations, hearings, and trials on the Department’s behalf;
• Represents the Department before the Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC), the Department of Commerce (DOC), the Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Division of Administrative Hearings (DOAH), the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR), and other forums;
• Coordinates activities undertaken on behalf of the department by outside counsel including representation provided from the Office of the Attorney General, and representation provided under insurance coverage through the Division of Risk Management;
• Provides briefings to the Secretary, Chief of Staff, Deputy Secretaries, General Counsel and Division Management on issues of importance handled by outside counsel and provides possible impacts of proposed legislative changes;

• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor and general counsel.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to litigate and make oral presentations;
• Ability to communicate effectively;
• Skill in drafting legal documents;
• Skill in managing multiple complex legal cases;
• Ability to work independently and in group and team settings;
• Ability to utilize problem solving techniques;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships;
• Ability to multi-task;
• Ability to meet competing deadlines;
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments;
• Ability to travel;
• Knowledge of Chapters 110, 119, and 120, Florida Statutes;,
• Knowledge of Florida ethics laws;
• Knowledge of contract management;
• Ability to recognize and act on emerging issues and shifting priorities.

Minimum Requirements: 

• Membership in good standing with The Florida Bar; and
• At least two years of experience in the practice of law; and
• Valid Driver's License.

Preferred:

Preference will be given to those who have experience in the practice of law, legal proceedings, teaching law and administrative or judicial proceedings and/or possess knowledge of Chapters 119, 120, Florida Statutes and Florida ethics laws. Preference will also be provided for applicants in Tallahassee.

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.
• You will receive 176 hours of paid annual leave annually as a new employee with the State of Florida.
• You will receive 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.

For additional benefit information, please visit the following website: http://www.mybenefits.myflorida.com

***Information contained in responses to Qualifying Questions concerning education, experience, knowledge, skills and/or abilities must also be disclosed on the State of Florida Employment Application. ***

Applicant Note: If you are the selected candidate for this position and hold a current license through the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, you may be required to place your license in an inactive status.  

NOTE: This position requires a security background check, and participation in direct deposit. You will be required to provide your Social Security Number (SSN) and date of birth in order to conduct this background check.
 
Applicants are required to apply through the People First system by the closing date, by applying online.  All required documentation must be received by the closing date of the advertisement.  If you have any questions regarding your application, you may call 1-877-562-7287.

 
The Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation is committed to increasing recruitment and hiring of individuals with disabilities and improving employment outcomes.   

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must contact the DBPR Human Resources (HR) Office at (850) 487-2074. DBPR requests applicants notify HR in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

SPECIAL REMINDERS:
Male applicants born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion unless they are registered with the Selective Services System (SSS) before their 26th birthday, or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov .

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended, or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation will only hire U. S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers. Our agency participates in the E-Verify System which is a federal government electronic database available for employers to use to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.