Legal Staff Associate

Description

Legal Staff Associate 

Organization Information 

GrowNYC is a 53-year-old environmental nonprofit organization helping more than 3 million New Yorkers by providing essential services and taking action to make NYC a livable city, one where every person can enjoy a healthier, more sustainable life. GrowNYC Programs include: 

• Our network of Greenmarkets, Farmstands, and the work of GrowNYC Wholesale ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the freshest, healthiest local food. 
• We blanket the five boroughs with resources like food scrap and clothing collections to make waste reduction, recycling, and composting easy for all. 
• We build and support community and school gardens through volunteer days, technical assistance, training, grants and more. 
• We provide 70,000 children each year with programs that provide meaningful interactions with the natural environment. 

Note to applicants on COVID safety:GrowNYC is committed to stopping the spread of Covid-19. All new hires are encouraged to take the COVID vaccine (as defined by the CDC) and we ask to submit proof to our HR department within 30 days of hire. Employees may be required to follow COVID safety protocols as the situation evolves, which may include daily health screenings, mask wearing, and other mitigation measures as deemed necessary by local conditions, mandates, and applicable guidelines.

Legal Staff Associate (Full-time):

Position Summary

GrowNYC is seeking a detail oriented, well-organized legal professional to join our Administrative team as a Legal Staff Associate. The Legal Staff Associate will provide strategic guidance and management to the Executive leadership team and overall organization through research, contract negotiation, policy creation, exposure mitigation and employee training to help achieve our mission as an organization. This role reports to the Executive Leadership team. 

Requirements

Legal Staff Associate Responsibilities (Include but are not limited to):

Legal Counsel 

• Provide broad internal guidance on a variety of legal topics as needed, (e.g.,, tax, solicitation regulation, corporate sponsorship,  insurance, etc.).
• Mitigate risk to the organization through compliance with laws and organizational policies.
• Research and advise on matters of corporate governance, document retention, policies and procedures, best practices, internal controls, conflicts of interest, code of ethics, etc. Research, draft, edit, and finalize written materials when appropriate.
• Develop and maintain internal legal resources for use throughout the organization.
• Work with outside legal counsel and consultants, providing support and ensuring effective use of services

Contract Review 

• Conduct contract/legal document review across all departments for both government and non-government related matters.
• Oversee contracting and secure approvals for construction and capital projects.
• Draft, edit, and negotiate contracts/legal documents as needed.
• Advise on contract procurement rules and regulations  

Administration and Licenses

• Support GrowNYC's programs and its main office in monitoring, archiving and renewing its licenses and registrations 
• Correspondence with insurance, assist the Finance department with document retention and audit support
• Maintain file systems for the main office's legal documents and associated files

Other Areas of Support Include:  

• Employment Law
  • Advise Human Resources on employment policies and compliance with GrowNYC policies and labor laws 
  • Support Human Resources with internal investigations and communications to staff
  • Provide strategic support interpretation on employee and labor re lations matters
  • Liaise with outside counsel on discreet matters
• Construction
  • Manage the New York State Regional Food Hub project along with GrowNYC's CEO/President
  • Oversee grant reimbursement
• Board Related
  • Liaise with the board of directors / assist in corporate governance 

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and J.D. required 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively work and collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders
• Juggle multiple projects and deadlines
• Ability to communicate complex information to non-legal audiences
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion
• Shared values with GrowNYC's mission 
• High degree of professional ethics and integrity
• Sound judgment and ability to analyze situations and information
• Demonstrated ability to create legal defensive or proactive strategies
• Licensed to practice in NY State.

Ideal Qualifications

• 0-1 years of experience post law school. New/recent graduates are strongly encouraged to apply
• Experience managing government contracts
• Experience managing construction or capital contracting (including AIA contracts)
• Capable of skillful negotiation and diplomacy
• Experience providing written and verbal legal guidance to legal and non-legal audiences
• Notary Public license holder

Physical Requirements

Able to be seated for long periods of time 

Schedule

This position is full-time, 35-40 hour work week. Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. This position is not union eligible. 

Compensation

The position is exempt, salaried and has an annual salary range of $80,000 - $90,000 per year and includes full benefits,(medical, dental, vision, life insurance, long-term disability, incentive savings plan, paid time off, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and potential for parental leave for full-time regular employees who have been employed with GrowNYC for 175 days and FSA programs).

Location

This position has a hybrid work schedule; approximately 3 days per week at GrowNYC's main office in Manhattan. 

Applications

Qualified candidates for the Legal Staff Associate position should submit a cover letter, resume, and three references. 

Interviews will take place on a rolling basis. Due to the volume of employment applications received, GrowNYC is unable to respond to each application individually. Applicants will be contacted directly if selected as a candidate. No phone calls or recruiters, please. 

Application deadline is January 13th, 2024. 

Contact

GrowNYC 

P.O. Box 2327

New York, NY 10272

212-788-7900

For additional information, please see our website: grownyc.org 

GrowNYC is an Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity Employer and hires without regard to race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation or physical disability.