Administrative And Legal Support Services Administrator

• To assist the Director of the Department of Administration and the Deputy Director in the overall planning and administration of departmental activities in regard to the application and implementation of all legal aspects.
• To serve in a responsible capacity to the Director and Deputy director by relieving them of administrative details in connection with planning, coordinating, directing and controlling the Department of Administration’s functions and programs.
• To contact division chiefs and other officials for the purpose of obtaining information and recommendations for the planning of programs and policies.
• To prepare reports and analyses for the use of the Director and Deputy Director in their evaluation of the Effectiveness of current programs and policies and/or determining the need for new programs and policies.
• To confer with departmental officials, as directed, on legislative proposals and to make reports thereon to the Director and Deputy Director relative to their purpose, content and need.
• To assist the Deputy Director in keeping officials within the Department of Administration informed of the Director’s decisions and recommendations on programs and policies; to contact these officials at frequent intervals to ascertain the action taken by them relative to such decisions and recommendations and to make reports thereon.
• To analyze, as directed existing and proposed statutes, rules and regulations and to report thereon to the Director and Deputy Director.
• To arrange and/or attend meetings and conferences involving state officials, the public and the Director; and to represent the Director in his absence at such meetings and /or conferences.
• To provide legal assistance to the Director, the Deputy Director and Associate Directors as required in carrying out responsibilities.
• To serve as Chief Legal Officer for the Department of Administration with responsibility for directing the work of a staff engaged in providing legal advice and services for the Department.
• To be responsible for the work of the staff engaged in:
• providing legal opinions to the Director and staff of the Department; preparing for the director draft material for proposed amendments to the General Laws administered by the Department; drafting rules and regulations concerning the provisions of such General Laws; development of manuals of precedents based upon policy statements of the Director for guidance of all individuals making decisions under such General Laws; preparing legal guidance on specific matters for the personnel of the Department; and developing and planning a legislative program.
• To represent the Department before federal and State courts.
• To participate in the formulation and effectuation of overall legal policy; to be responsible for the planning and programming of divisional activities; and to coordinate such activities with overall departmental activities.
• To supervise and conduct administrative adjudication hearings together with subsequent judicial enforcement actions, regarding persons who violated any of the laws or rules or regulations administered by the Department.
• To supervise and conduct administrative adjudication hearings involving appeals from actions of the Personnel Administrator and the Tax Administrator and complaints pursuant to the Americans With Disabilities Act.
• To advise and represent the Registry of Motor Vehicles in the Implementation of its duties and responsibilities under applicable laws and regulations.
• To do related work as required.

KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS AND CAPACITIES: A knowledge of the principles and practices of public administration; the ability to make complex fact-finding studies of departmental functions, operation, policies and programs; the ability to exercise judgement in selecting, briefing and presenting pertinent material or analytical reports for the use of a superior for his evaluation of the effectiveness of such functions, operations, policies and programs; the ability to work in a liaison capacity between the Director and departmental officials for the purpose of following up action taken on the Director’s suggestions, recommendations or decisions and to prepare reports on findings; a thorough knowledge of the provisions of the Rhode Island General Laws administered by the Department; the ability to interpret the provisions of such General Laws and to prepare opinions relating thereto for use in the administration of the functions of the Department; the ability to prepare, or direct the preparation of, briefs and ruling and miscellaneous legal documents; the ability to draft rules and regulations having the force and effect of law, consistent with the purpose and provisions of these General Laws; the ability to exercise independent judgement in making decisions in unusual cases involving legal matters; the ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and direct the work of a staff, including attorneys, engaged in handling departmental matters of legal nature; and related capacities and abilities.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Education: Such as may have been gained through graduation from a college of recognized standing and from an accredited law school; and
Experience: Such as may have been gained through: employment in a responsible position involving the making of administrative studies and analyses of the effectiveness of programs and policies and the making of reports thereon; or employment in a responsible position involving the following up of directions and instructions of a superior to subordinate officials relative to the management and control of governmental or industrial operations and the making of reports thereon, and considerable employment in a responsible administrative and supervisory capacity within a legal services program involving the interpretation of law and the application of pertinent laws, rules and regulations, decisions or policies.
Or, any combination of education and experience that shall be substantially equivalent to the above education and experience.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant must be a member of the Rhode Island Bar and must maintain membership as a condition of employment.

To serve as General Counsel for the Department of Housing by providing legal advice and services across a variety of legal topics as illustrated below.

ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF WORK PERFORMED:

• To conduct legal research regarding a variety of issues pertaining to Housing.
• To provide legal opinions to agency personnel.
• To draft rules, regulations, laws, polices, proposals and amendments.   
• To prepare detailed reports and recommendations on legal matters.
• To assist with APRA requests and responses in accordance with applicable laws.   To represent Housing and to prepare the necessary briefs and legal papers.
• To coordinate activities with other attorneys (including outside counsel) and various state agencies.   
• To assist in establishing policy and program priorities in relation to short- and long-term goals and objectives   
• To prepare written reports as required regarding the results of various policies and programs instituted
• To serve on the Department’s Senior Leadership Team
• To oversee other legal office staff.
• To do related work as required.

Preferred Candidate shall have familiarity with state and municipal land use laws in Rhode Island, practical experience with real estate law transactions and/or state and federal housing programs. Applicant should be a member of the Rhode Island Bar and maintain such membership.