Job Details

Continuous Recruitment

Recruitment may close at any time. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply immediately.

The Oakland City Attorney's Office seeks a seasoned and well-qualified attorney with significant expertise in labor and employment law to lead its Labor and Employment Advisory Unit by overseeing attorneys handling labor and employment matters across a wide range of City departments and providing direct legal counsel to City officials, as needed.

About the Office

The City Attorney's Office provides advice and counsel to the Mayor, City Council, and all City departments, boards and commissions in a wide variety of areas including land use, real estate, personnel, elections, conflicts of interest, municipal finance, retirement, housing, public contracting and economic development. The Office also advocates for the City's interests in claims and lawsuits litigated in state or federal court, including high‑value personal injury cases, complex civil rights actions, breach of contract, personnel disputes, eminent domain actions, inverse condemnation and alleged constitutional violations.

The Office has approximately 80 employees and three divisions: Advisory, Litigation, and Operations. The work is high‑profile, dynamic, collaborative, and complex. It is vital to the City's realization of its progressive and cutting‑edge policies and programs, and to the delivery of services to Oakland's residents and businesses. The office allows a flexible, hybrid in‑office / work‑from‑home schedule.

The ideal candidate will have experience in one or more of the following areas: labor and employment law; conducting and/or advising on workplace or misconduct investigations; police accountability and civilian oversight; employee due‑process; or collective bargaining and labor‑dispute resolution.

This is an exempt, at‑will position. The incumbent will receive general supervision from a Chief Assistant City Attorney or the City Attorney.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervising, mentoring, and supporting the attorneys within the Labor & Employment Unit.
• Providing and overseeing the provision of legal advice on labor and employment programs, investigations, cases, and projects of varying complexity.
• Ability to quickly develop proficiency in ancillary areas of law, including general municipal law.
• Collaborating with other attorneys, city staff, and leadership to resolve complex labor and employment issues and disputes.
• Consistently exercising the highest levels of professional judgment and skill in developing and maintaining client relationships.

Job Duties

• Assigning and/or performing legal research, interpretation, and summarization of codes, ordinances, and court decisions to answer varied, novel, and complex personnel and employment questions.
• Advising and training city investigators, department heads, and leaders on employee misconduct, discipline and due process, grievances, and other complex personnel and employment matters, with a particular emphasis on police personnel issues, including investigations by the Police Department's Internal Affairs Bureau.
• Preparing and/or reviewing legal opinions, ordinances, resolutions, employment contracts, collective bargaining agreements, settlements and other legal documents that may require labor and employment law expertise.
• Providing and/or overseeing representation of the City in administrative proceedings, including labor arbitrations, Civil Service Board hearings, and hearings before the Public Employee Relations Board.
• Advising and supporting city executives and designated negotiators in labor bargaining, including assisting in preparation for negotiations, developing strategies and proposals, and presenting to the City Council in closed sessions.

Experience

• One year of increasing responsible work experience comparable to a Deputy City Attorney IV in the City of Oakland.
• Ten years of professional experience in relevant areas of law.

Education

• Law school graduate.

License or Certificate

• A member in good standing of the California State Bar.

Desirable Qualifications

• Working knowledge of municipal, state, and federal laws affecting city governance, particularly laws related to open meetings and public records fundamentals such as the Brown Act, Political Reform Act, and Public Records Act.
• Language skills, especially in Spanish, Cantonese, and/or Mandarin.
• Experience supervising attorneys, managing administrative matters, and overseeing outside counsel.

Ability to

• Handle stressful and sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy.
• Provide professional leadership, guidance, and technical expertise to assigned staff.
• Work independently or as part of a team.
• Form or work with a multidisciplinary team.
• Manage multiple demanding programs, cases, and projects with competing deadlines.
• Communicate effectively in both oral and written form with city officials, representatives of outside agencies, and the public, with an emphasis on working with law enforcement and civilian oversight investigators.
• Complete varied assignments within a narrow time frame.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients and other contacts in the course of work.
• Inspire confidence and respect for legal advice.
• Skillfully and professionally present legal advice to clients, including elected and high‑level appointed officials.

The Recruitment Process

This is an at‑will position, exempt from the provisions of the City of Oakland Civil Service Rules, per Charter Section 902. All applications received will be forwarded to the Oakland City Attorney for further consideration. Meeting the minimum qualification requirements may not result in further consideration; only the most qualified candidates will be contacted for interviews.

What's in it for you?

• 15 paid holidays.
• Vacation – 2 weeks per year minimum, with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service.
• Management Leave – 5 days + 5 days of discretionary leave for superior performance.
• Sick leave – Employees accrue 12 days per year.
• Retirement – CalPERS with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new members. Classic employees contribute 8% of pre‑tax wages. The City does not participate in Social Security.
• Health – The City pays for employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans.
• Dental – The City pays for Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents.
• Vision – The City pays for VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents.
• Deferred Compensation – 457(b) pre‑tax plan and an after‑tax ROTH 401(k) plan.
• Other benefits include a flexible spending account, wellness program, employee assistance program, life insurance, tuition reimbursement, employee training, and telecommuting.

Disaster Service Workers

All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees must complete all Disaster Service Worker‑related training as assigned and return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

How to Apply

This is a continuous recruitment and may close without notice at any time. Applications are accepted online only.If you do not have access to a computer, computer stations are available at any City of Oakland Public Library. Workstations are also available at the Human Resources Management Department, 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, during regular business hours (normally 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).Our online application system is provided by NeoGov. If you experience problems while applying online, please contact NeoGov's Live Applicant Support at (855) 524‑5627 between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, Monday‑Friday. You may also call the City of Oakland Human Resources Management Department during regular business hours at (510) 238‑3112 for information; technical support for the online application system is not available.Candidates selected to proceed will be asked to submit additional information (e.g., a writing sample, references, answers to supplemental questions, and a formal City of Oakland employment application). If you have questions about the position, email ...@oaklandcityattorney.org.

The City of Oakland is an Equal Opportunity / ADA Employer.

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.