Associate General Counsel

Job Description

About the Office of the Massachusetts State Treasurer and Receiver General ("Treasury")

Our mission is to manage and safeguard the State's public deposits and investments through sound business practices for the exclusive benefits of our citizens, and perform these duties with integrity, excellence, and leadership. Additionally, we strive to provide economic opportunity, stability, and security for every Massachusetts resident.

We are committed to excellence in recruiting, hiring, and retaining diverse and qualified individuals. We value the culture of diversity and professionalism in the workplace, and strongly believe that our workforce should reflect our community.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FM68GFV

Purpose of the Job:

The Associate General Counsel of the Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General ("Treasury") provides legal assistance to the Treasury's various departments, divisions, and quasi-independent agencies. The departments, divisions, and quasi-independent agencies include the Unclaimed Property Division, Cash Management, Administration and Finance, Veterans' Bonus Division, Office of Economic Empowerment, Human Resources, Deferred Compensation, and Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Provide legal advice to the Treasury Executive Office and staff of departments and quasi-independent Treasury agencies, on the interpretation of applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and case law; contract negotiation and/or interpretation; and internal policy and procedure development and implementation.
• Advise senior Treasury staff, Human Resources department, and employees on issues related to federal and state employment and labor laws, including conducting workplace investigations and responding to grievances and employment claims.
• Represent the Treasury in administrative proceedings, including before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Division of Labor Relations, the Division of Administrative Law Appeals, and in state and federal court proceedings.
• Assist in the development, drafting, and implementation of Treasury policies, regulations, and interpretative materials.
• Advise the Unclaimed Property Division on legal claim reviews, which includes providing advice to Unclaimed Property Division staff on issues related to M.G.L. c.200A.
• Serve as a liaison to the Office of the Attorney General and manage outside counsel in litigation and/or administrative procedures involving the Treasury.
• Review and monitor proposed legislation and regulations regarding the Treasury and quasi-independent Treasury agencies.
• Provide legal advice to Treasury staff on compliance with the laws applicable to the procurement of goods and services and Massachusetts General Laws chapters 66 (Public Records), 30A, §§ 18-25 (Open Meetings), and 268A (Conduct of Public Officials), regulations, and interpretative case law.

Other Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Participate in the procurement process to obtain outside goods and/or services for the Treasury.
• As necessary, participate in responding to public records request and subpoenas.
• Perform other legal tasks as requested.

Qualifications

Knowledge and Skills:

• Excellent research skills, including familiarity with Westlaw and other on-line research tools.
• Adept with Microsoft Office suite of products, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Strong attention to detail, good organizational skills, and ability to prioritize and reprioritize tasks.
• Must be a ready team player with a growth mind set, and be self-directed and self-motivated, with the ability to work independently, all with limited administrative support

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Treasury legal staff (paralegal and office manager) and legal interns as needed.

Education and Experience:

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school with strong academic credentials.
• Membership in good standing with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Bar.
• Three years of related legal work experience, at least one year of which must be in a law firm and/or governmental agency. Experience in litigation and administrative law; contract negotiation and interpretation; and/or statutory and regulatory interpretation required.
• Experience in employment litigation, counseling and other aspects of labor and employment law, and/or employee benefits law (ERISA) strongly preferred.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to lift up to 10lbs
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time

Hybrid Work Environment:

All new hires at the Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General (Treasury) will go through an In-Office Orientation Period consisting of a combination of virtual, in-person and on-the-job training so as to assimilate to the Treasury's culture and work environment. Following the initial In-Office Orientation Period a gradual transition to hybrid work will take place over the first 3-8 weeks of employment.

The hybrid work environment will consist of a minimum of two (2) days in the office each week, with one of those days being either a Monday or a Friday. There will be an additional (1) day in the office per month for a mandatory in-person department meeting.