Associate Counsel Labor Employment – LIRR/MNR/HQ – 102119

JOB TITLE: Associate Counsel, Labor & Employment (LIRR/MNR/HQ)

SALARY RANGE: Min.: $ 112,400 Mid: $ 140,500 Max: $ 168,600

HAY POINTS: 920

DEPT/DIV: General Counsel

SUPERVISOR : Senior Associate Counsel

LOCATION: Jamaica or Manhattan – Midtown

HOURS OF WORK: 9:00 am – 5:30 pm (7 1/2 hours/day)

DEADLINE: Until filled

In order to protect our employees and continue to provide safe and reliable service to our communities, as of November 14, 2021 we are requiring all new MTA hires to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to their start date. MTA will consider exceptions for religious and medical reasons, where appropriate. “Fully vaccinated” means you must have both doses of a 2-dose vaccine and two weeks have elapsed since the second dose or have received 1 dose of a 1-dose vaccine and two weeks have elapsed since the dose. Proof of your vaccination status in the form of a CDC vaccine card must be submitted prior to your start date.

Summary

This position is responsible for handling labor and employment related litigation and administrative matters involving MTA and its constituent agencies, with a particular focus on Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Rail Road, and MTA Headquarters, before federal and state courts and various administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and State Division of Human Rights. This position will be responsible for day-to-day legal advice concerning employment and labor (including Railway Labor Act) issues and will give counsel and advice on legislation and compliance relative to employment and labor issues. This position will work with labor and employment attorneys in the consolidated labor and employment unit as well as outside counsel.

Responsibilities

• The successful candidate will handle labor and employment related litigation and non-litigation matters within the MTA Consolidated Legal Department, including matters before state and federal courts and various administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, State Division of Human Rights and State Public Employment Relations Board.
• The successful candidate is expected to be a motivated self-starter who possesses good interpersonal, verbal, written and organizational skills with strong attention to detail and the ability to set priorities, offering assistance and identifying issues/challenges at the earliest stages of an assignment. This position requires wide latitude for discretion and independent judgment and broad authority to handle legal issues in the employment context, especially in day-to-day decision making.
• Provides day-to-day legal advice to management and various Departments at the MTA and its constituent agencies including Human Resources, Labor relations, Diversity and Civil Rights regarding employment practices, employment discrimination, equal opportunity, labor and civil rights issues and policies and procedures in these areas.
• The role will have a particular focus on matters involving MTA Headquarters (including its Police Department), the Long Island Rail Road, and Metro-North Railroad. The successful candidate should have familiarly with Railroad specific laws, including but not limited to the Railway Labor Act and Federal Railroad Safety Act.
• This role will report to the head of the sub-unit responsible for Long Island Rail Road/Metro-North Railroad, MTA Headquarters, and related matters.
• The matters of the MTA and its commuter railroads are often very complex from a legal perspective. The successful candidate will face in-depth problems and will be expected to provide a high level of expertise in various legal matters.
• The volume of work and complexity of legal issues involved in this role are varied in scope, diversity and context. The volume of cases and variety of legal issues are typical of a very large corporation or employment practice of a large law firm. Further, MTA regularly confronts governmental issues that require consideration of and compliance with applicable policy and statutory requirements.
• Other duties as requested.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated excellence in the area of employment/labor law.
• Experience with litigation of labor and employment matters in State and Federal Courts and Administrative Tribunals.
• Demonstrated initiative and excellent judgment
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on matters of significant importance and complexity.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and clients in a fast-paced environment.
• Confidence dealing with senior management and sophisticated counterparties.
• Proven capability to build and maintain client relationships.
• Expected to develop and build strong business connections in the employment and human resources field, as well as MTA Constituent Agency contacts.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work with all internal levels within a given organization.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite or other comparable applications, i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Familiarity with MTA’s policies and procedures preferred.

Education and Experience

• Juris Doctor Degree from an accredited law school and New York State Bar Admission and license to practice law, maintained in good standing throughout employment.
• In addition, a minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in the area of employment and labor law as an attorney in a law firm in New York State, a governmental legal Division, or a company legal department.
• Excellent academic credentials.

Other Information

As an employee of MTA Headquarters, you may be required to complete an annual financial disclosure statement with the State of New York, if your position earns more than $101,379 (this figure is subject to change) per year or if the position is designated as a policy maker.

• May need to work outside of normal work hours (i.e. evenings and weekends).
• Travel may be required to other MTA locations or other external sites.

How To Apply

Qualified employees can submit an online application by clicking on the ‘APPLY NOW’ button from either the CAREERS HOME page or the JOB DESCRIPTION page.

For instructions on completing the online application, go to the MTA intranet site and click on the PeopleSoft Information hyperlink. From there select the User Guides hyperlink to gain access to the “Viewing/Applying for Jobs Online” guide under the Recruiting section of the page.

Equal Employment Opportunity

MTA and its subsidiary and affiliated agencies are Equal Opportunity Employers, including with respect to veteran status and individuals with disabilities.

The MTA encourages qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and abilities,including military service members, to apply.