Senior Managing Associate Counsel

Senior Managing Associate Counsel

About University at Albany:
Established in 1844, the University at Albany (UAlbany) is one of four flagship research universities in the 64-campus State University of New York (SUNY) system. With more than 23,000 members within its campus community, UAlbany is home to 9 colleges and schools and over 50 research centers and institutes across 3 campuses. It has been one of the nation's 131 elite Carnegie Classified "R1" doctoral degree-granting universities since 2005. In addition to its very high research activity, it is distinguished for its many academic strengths and close ties to government and industry, and for having one of the most diverse student populations in the SUNY system, with 43 percent of the student body identifying as underrepresented minorities.

With its nationally respected programs, top-ranked professors, and strategic location in New York's capital, UAlbany offers a world-class education to 13,176 undergraduates and 4,505 graduate, doctoral and professional students, as of fall 2020. The University is home to more than 1,000 instructional faculty.

UAlbany is a leader in undergraduate and graduate education, offering over 150 undergraduate academic programs and over 125 doctoral and graduate-level programs. In 2020, UAlbany received reaccreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. U.S. News & World Report gives high rankings to many of UAlbany's graduate programs.

Job Description:
The Senior Managing Counsel is an Associate Counsel of the SUNY Office of General Counsel ("OGC") assigned to represent the University at Albany Campus and is located on the UAlbany Campus. The position is responsible for all matters affecting the legal interests of the Campus, reporting to the SUNY General Counsel with the University at Albany President being the chief client for all legal matters. 

This senior campus officer advises on a wide range of legal issues pertaining to University business, its relationships with affiliated entities, and its administrators, faculty, and staff. Those responsibilities include providing up-to-date and timely legal advice based on thorough research on:

• Student leaves of absence, discipline, dismissal, and appeals
• Faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, discipline, termination, and discrimination
• Drafting and negotiating contracts within the context of New York State finance and procurement guidelines
• The scope and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements
• Reviewing the legal ramifications of external audits
• FOIL/FILA handling and interpretation

This position will assist in managing UAlbany litigation, which is primarily handled in court by the NYS Attorney General as trial counsel and represents UAlbany and UAlbany employees in state and federal administrative agency proceedings.

Key Position Responsibilities include:

• Developing, negotiating, reviewing academic agreements with other colleges and universities
• Providing advice and recommendations regarding campus-based policies
• Legal support to the Office of Enterprise Risk Management
• Advising in various student-related matters concerning academic leaves, discipline, and dismissal
• Creating clear, concise, enforceable, persuasive legal drafts and writing supported by competent legal authority
• Representing UAlbany and UAlbany employees in state and federal administrative agency proceedings as well as, on occasion, in state and federal courts
• Representing UAlbany in employee and student discipline matters; discrimination cases and internal investigations, and with labor and employment issues
• Developing and delivering training to campus constituencies on key compliance issues including 1st Amendment, attorney-client privilege, record retention/e-discovery, email, FOIL/FOIA, media response, NYS Ethics, and other areas of importance to the campus
• Maintaining good relationships and communicating effectively with clients
• Adhering to the highest professional and ethical standards
• Keeping clients updated on changes to the law affecting the University's legal interests

Administrative Duties: The Senior Managing Counsel is responsible for the immediate administrative management and oversight of the Campus legal office, including the supervision of an associate/assistant counsel, and paralegal, the assignment of legal matters, and other office administrative matters. The Senior Managing Counsel may recommend to the Campus President, with approval of the SUNY General Counsel, the engagement of retained counsel for certain legal matters and offer recommendations to the SUNY General Counsel on hiring/termination of his/her direct reports. The Senior Managing Counsel sits on the UAlbany President's Executive Council.

SUNY Office of General Counsel (OGC) Duties: This position reports directly to the SUNY General Counsel regarding all aspects of the position. In addition, he/she interfaces with his/her OGC colleagues to coordinate the delivery of consistent legal services, including participation in OGC staff meetings and trainings. Last, he/she directly handles or delegates to his/her direct reports all other duties as may be assigned by the SUNY General Counsel.

Requirements:
Minimum Qualifications:

• J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school
• Admission in good standing to the New York State Bar (or eligibility for immediate admission)
• A minimum of eight (8) years of legal experience
• An ongoing commitment to professional development and service
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated experience with: 
• Higher Education Law
• Employment and Discrimination Law (including arbitrations and interrogations)
• Litigation experience on behalf of SUNY or another New York State agency
• Policy development
• Student Affairs related issues (including small claims)
• Research related to contractual issues; and
• Procurement contracts

Additional Information:
Professional Rank and Salary Range: Associate Counsel, Management/Confidential (M/C)

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, without exception, prepare, publish and distribute an Annual Security Report. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University's crime statistics for the past three years; and disclosures regarding the University's current campus security policies. The University at Albany's Annual Security Report is available in portable document format [PDF] by clicking this link http://police.albany.edu/ASR.shtml

Pursuant to NYS Labor Law 194-A, no State entity, as defined by the Law, is permitted to rely on, orally or in writing seek, request, or require in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current wage, or salary history as a condition to be interviewed, or as a condition of continuing to be considered for an offer of employment until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation, and for the purpose of verifying information, may such requests be made.  If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor's Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

THE UNIVERSITY AT ALBANY IS AN EO/AA/IRCA/ADA EMPLOYER

Please apply online via https://albany.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=132949

Application Instructions:
Applicants MUST submit the following documents: 

• Resume/CV
• Cover letter stating all the required minimum qualifications and any of the applicable preferred qualifications

Note: After submitting your resume/CV, the subsequent pages give you instructions for uploading additional documents (i.e. cover letter, etc.).

Closing date for receipt of applications: July 30, 2021