Salary: Commensurate with Experience

Posting is Open Until Filled

Job Overview

The City of Atlanta is recruiting a Senior Attorney to be a member of its Department of Law’s Contract Management Services Team. This Attorney will serve as a primary resource to review, negotiate, revise and draft construction contracts, general services agreements, professional services agreements, technology services agreements, cooperative agreements, inbound and outbound grants agreements, intergovernmental agreements and other City contracts. A key aspect of the role is supporting the Team to improve existing processes across client groups. Success in the role will be measured by your ability to deliver contracts and legal advice that meet City requirements and applicable law in a collaborative, professional and timely manner.

You will liaise across user agencies in relation to procurement, grant making and other transactional activity. You will participate in projects to improve the City’s overall contractual infrastructure, workflow, and processes and will work independently on assigned matters but will also work collaboratively with other members of the Contract Management Services Team and the Department of Law.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

Specifically, you will:

• Work closely with the Department of Procurement, Department of Enterprise and Assets Management, Atlanta Innovation Management, Department of Grants and Community Development, various executive offices and other client groups to deliver effective support and advice as a key team member in the City’s Department of Law.
• Draft, review, edit, negotiate and advise on a range of procurement arrangements (including commodity and service contracts, solicitation and alternate sourcing documentation, legislation, bid protests and supplier disputes), supporting the City’s user agencies in securing clear and concise contracts with suppliers that meet City requirements and Georgia law.
• Draft and negotiate and grant agreements, Memorandums of Understanding and Intergovernmental Agreements and other contractual arrangements as needed by client groups that meet City requirements and Georgia law.
• Prepare necessary and appropriate addendums and modifications to City contracts.
• Work with other members of the Department of Law to improve practice and protocols.
• Help revise and develop precedents, training, advice notes and other documentation.
• Capture various pieces of information related to contracts and transactional matters that you support.
• Facilitate escalation and resolution of procurement, tranactional and/or contract issues.
• Participate or manage client projects to improve contracting efficiency, cost effectiveness, and knowledge sharing.
• Create reports and make presentations to clients and internal colleagues.
• Participate on task forces to improve how the Contracts Management Services Team provides services to its clients, and that enable the Team to develop and grow.
• Oversee and manage contract disputes, including construction contract claims and change orders

• Minimum 10 years of legal practice, with at least 5 years of active experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating procurement, municipal or other complex contracts.
• Excellent track record in previous client support/engagements.
• ABA-accredited law school required, and in good standing with the Georgia State Bar

Skills for Success

• Ability to adhere to City templates and playbooks for contract drafting and negotiation
• Strong communication, persuasion and negotiation skills
• Excellent critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills
• Ability to balance multiple tasks with changing priorities
• Ability to negotiate conflict and maintain constructive working relationships with people at all levels of the organization
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and written
• Must be a team player and willing to help others in the Department whenever necessary.
• Self-starter capable of working independently and ensuring to meet deadlines
• Practice with the understanding that legal services should embrace business models and processes to create measurable, cost-effective results.
• Enjoy negotiating and drafting contracts of all kinds.
• Like working on lots of different matters, spanning different markets and industries.
• Embrace the use of technology tools to facilitate your work.
• Knowledge-focused rather than task-focused; understand the importance of capturing and re-using information.
• Work well independently as well as with teams.
• Are the kind of person who can be relied upon to get things done.
• Demonstrate the ability to work in a client-centric, deadline driven environment.
• Work effectively from a home office or a remote work environment.
• Dependable, responsive, and committed to producing high quality work.
• Flexible, and willing to pitch in on matters and projects to better serve our clients, even if the work falls outside your normal scope of duties.
• Act independently, and use good judgment, but you also are not afraid to ask questions.
• Professionalism in both verbal and written work.
• High integrity and an ethical compass.
• Excellent listening as well as communication skills, and the judgment to know which skill to use in a given setting.
• Ability to own mistakes and learn from them.

Technical Skills

• Proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.)
• Excellent writing skills, particularly depicting complex ideas clearly and concisely.
• Some experience with contract management software or work-flow tools is a plus.