Director, Legal Affairs

Job Description

New York City Emergency Management (NYCEM) helps New Yorkers before, during, and after emergencies through preparedness, education, and response. NYCEM is responsible for coordinating citywide emergency planning and response for all types and scales of emergencies. We are staffed by more than 200 dedicated professionals with diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, including individuals assigned from other City agencies.

The Office of the Chief Counsel provides legal advice to the agency regarding critical, strategic, legal and policy issues facing the agency, engages in transactional work in support of the NYCEM mission and coordinates with the NYC Law Department, Office of the Counsel to the Mayor, and other local, state and federal counsels regarding various legal issues ranging from emergency events to litigation which impact the agency.

The Office of Chief Counsel is comprised of the Legal Affairs Unit, Disability, Access, and Functional Needs (DAFN) Legal Unit, and the Records Management Unit.

The Legal Affairs unit within the Office of the Chief Counsel provides legal advice to NYCEM executives and staff regarding critical, strategic, legal and policy issues facing the agency which impact the public, engages in transactional work in support of the NYCEM mission and coordinates with the NYC Law Department, Office of the Counsel to the Mayor and City Hall, and other local, state and federal counsels regarding various legal issues ranging from emergency events to litigation which impact the agency.

We are seeking a skilled and forward-thinking Attorney with expertise in privacy law, data protection, and information technology to join our dynamic legal team. Reporting to the Deputy Chief Counsel, this role provides strategic legal guidance at the intersection of law and technology. The selected candidate will provide Agency units and bureaus with support and legal advice with respect to agency initiatives, policies and programs.

Reporting directly to the Deputy Chief Counsel, with wide latitude for independent judgment and un-reviewed action, areas of responsibility will include:

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• Attend meetings, conferences, and workshops as required or needed.
• Supervise legal and administrative staff to ensure quality, completeness, and compliance with agency policies and standards.
• Provide timely, accurate legal advice on compliance, contracting, procurement, and related matters.
• Advise on global, federal, and state privacy regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA).
• Draft, review, and negotiate technology, SaaS, data processing, and other complex IT agreements.
• Collaborate with IT/MIS, security, and agency units to implement privacy-by-design practices.
• Monitor emerging privacy laws, cybersecurity regulations, and industry best practices.
• Support incident response and data breach investigations.
• Develop and review processes to ensure compliance with local laws, rules, and codes.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external agencies on legal issues, emergency events, and litigation.
• Promote interagency cooperation and maintain timely, accurate correspondence.
• Prepare and review legal documents, research applicable laws, and draft explanatory materials for agency and public use.
• Lead special projects and perform administrative duties as directed.
• Serve as acting supervisor during temporary absences.

• The selected candidate will be assigned to an on‑call Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team and will be expected to work non‑business hours during some emergencies. These non‑business hours include nights, weekends, holidays, and extended week hours outside of a 9 AM‑5 PM schedule. The selected candidate will also participate in trainings to build skills and competencies in emergency response; will participate in drills and exercises associated with the on‑call EOC team;
  
  and may volunteer to assist with Ready NY emergency preparedness presentations to external groups. EOC teams are on call for three weeks at a time, with six weeks off in between.
• Funding – This position is supported with a federal Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG)…