Assistant City Attorney - Housing

NOTE : The listed salary is pending Council approval. The current salary range for this position is $170,580.18 - $235,628.43 Annually.

The City of Oxnard's City Attorney's Office is seeking a well-qualified, highly motivated Assistant City Attorney to provide sound and ethical legal advice. The City seeks an Assistant City Attorney with a litigation and transactional background, and requires experience representing state or local government. This position will focus on California housing laws; local Housing Authority issues; City tenant protection laws; administrative hearings and writ proceedings related to housing; working in partnership with the City Attorney; and may include work on general municipal matters. The ideal candidate will serve as the primary point of contact for legal advice and opinions to assigned City departments, and should be a hands-on leader with experience serving public sector organizations.

What You'll Do

• Represent the City in administrative hearings, superior court proceedings (writs and trials), and brief the City Council on housing litigation matters.
• Provide legal advice and opinions to the Oxnard Housing Authority, Oxnard Housing Department, and Oxnard City Council; and assist the City Manager regarding state and local housing-related matters.
• Serve as lead Assistant City Attorney implementing the City's Tenant Protection Laws including Rent Stabilization, Just Cause Eviction, and Anti-Harassment Ordinances.
• Assist and advise department directors and staff; interface with members of the public / community, local organizations, and advocacy groups that represent property owners, landlords or tenants.

Under general direction, the Assistant City Attorney provides a wide range of professional legal services to all City departments and divisions, City Council and various boards, commissions, committees; may assist in coordinating the work of contract attorneys on complex or specialized matters; and performs related duties as assigned. This position requires a strong understanding of municipal law, landlord-tenant relations, and civil litigation / administrative proceedings, with an emphasis on compliance and dispute resolution.

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Assistant City Attorney is the advanced journey level in the professional legal series. This class is distinguished from the next lower class of Deputy City Attorney IV by the level of difficulty and complexity of responsibilities performed. An incumbent in this class is expected to use a high degree of independent judgment and is expected to represent the City Attorney at various meetings, functions and proceedings as required.

Supervision Received / Exercised

General direction is provided by the City Attorney. The Assistant City Attorney may exercise technical or functional supervision over Deputy City Attorneys, paralegals and clerical staff.

Work Schedule

The normal work week is Monday-Thursday, 8 : 00 a.m. - 6 : 00 p.m., and alternating Fridays, 8 : 00 a.m. - 5 : 00 p.m. This position may be required to be available to work additional hours as needed to respond to workload needs. This position is not eligible for overtime pay. The City does not offer hybrid or remote work.

The essential functions for this position include but are not limited to the following :

• Works closely with the Housing Department providing advice and Opinions to the Oxnard Housing Department regarding the City's Tenant Protection Laws, including Rent Stabilization, Just Cause Eviction, and Anti-Harassment Ordinances.
• Confers with and renders assistance to department directors and division managers in establishing policies by developing and applying legal analysis and procedures; recommends changes in policies and procedures to meet legal requirements.
• Prepares matters for administrative hearings and represents the City in such hearings; handles litigation related to the City's Tenant Protection laws, such as writs of mandate.
• Drafts ordinances, resolutions, contracts, deeds, leases and other legal documents and instruments; reviews such documents and offers opinions as to legality.
• Performs legal research and prepares opinions on various legal issues for City departments and divisions, the City Council and various boards, commissions and committees.
• Attends meetings of boards, commissions and committees as may be required; renders legal advice as requested.
• Represents the City Attorney at various meetings, functions and proceedings when necessary.
• Responds to citizen complaints and requests for information.
• Represents the City in the community and at professional meetings as required.
• Conducts and oversees investigations into complaints of ordinance violations, including gathering evidence, conducting interviews, and coordinating with external agencies such as fair housing organizations.

The following are the minimum qualifications necessary for entry into the classification :

Education

• A Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.

Experience :

• The equivalent of eight (8) years of experience in the practice of municipal law with emphasis on state and local housing laws and civil or administrative litigation experience or related experience

Licensing, Certification And Other Requirements

• Membership in the State Bar of California.
• Additional certifications, licenses, endorsements and training may be required, depending on assignment. You may be required to submit documented proof of these requirements.

Union Membership

Regular full-time and part-time positions in this classification within the City Attorney's Office are unrepresented and follow Resolution 15,622.

Application Process

• Submit NEOGOV / Government Jobs on-line application.
• Complete and submit responses to the supplemental questions, if required.
• Upload resume, cover letter, proof of degree (transcript), or other requested documents.

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the online application and include the information only on the resume. Applications and / or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted. Cover letters and / or optional resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application.The list of qualified candidates established from this recruitment may be used to fill other full-time, part-time, regular, and temporary assignments. There is currently one (1) full-time vacancy in the City Attorney's Office.

Selected candidate(s) must pass a thorough background investigation

Note

For most positions, the City of Oxnard relies on office automation (Microsoft Office / Google) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.

Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all positions.

Employees are required to participate in the City's direct deposit plan and are paid on a bi-weekly basis.

This position requires a 12 month probationary period.

Pursuant to California Government Code Section 3100, all public employees are required to serve as disaster service workers subject to such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY : The City of Oxnard is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from all qualified applicants. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, medical condition, disability or sexual orientation.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION : The City of Oxnard makes reasonable accommodation for the disabled. If you believe you require special arrangements to participate in the testing process, you must inform the Human Resources Department in writing no later than the filing date. Applicants who request such accommodation must document their request with an explanation of the type and extent of accommodation required.

LEGAL REQUIREMENT : On the first day of employment, new employees must provide proof of citizenship or documentation of legal right to work in the United States in compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, as amended. The City participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9. For more information on E-Verify, please contact DHS. 888-897-7781 dhs.gov / e-verify

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Jackie Ramos at jackie.ramos@oxnard.org.

NOTE : The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice.

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