8177 Deputy City Attorney

Position Summary

The Transportation Team is a collaborative and dynamic group of seven attorneys, one paralegal, and two legal secretaries. The Team serves as General Counsel to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). The SFMTA is the department of the City and County of San Francisco responsible for managing all ground transportation in the City – it plans, designs, builds, operates, regulates, and maintains one of the most diverse transportation networks in the world. With an annual operating budget of over $1 billion and approximately 6,000 employees, the SFMTA has oversight over the Municipal Railway (Muni), the City’s public transit system, as well as paratransit, parking, traffic, taxis, and bicycling and pedestrian facilities. Attorneys on the Transportation Team handle a variety of advice matters, including interpreting City, State, and Federal laws and advising on the legal risks of particular government actions, legislative drafting, and contracting and procurement.

The Team also advises other City departments, including the Mayor’s Office and Board of Supervisors, on transportation-related issues. The Team works closely with other teams in the Office, including the Labor, Government, Land Use, Contracts/Construction, Tax, and Trial Teams. The Team does not handle litigation but provides input or support regarding litigation handled by other Teams in the Office.

Duties and Responsibilities

The ideal candidate for this position would be qualified to advise on complex contracting and procurement matters and would have experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Large purchasing procurements: Experience with large procurements, specifically transit vehicle procurement. Familiarity with the use of consultant agreements and cooperative purchase agreements is a plus.

• Federal and/or State regulatory and grant requirements: Experience with advice on Federal and California grant requirements. Familiarity with conditions on grants from the Federal Transit Administration and the Federal Highway Administration (usually through Caltrans), including Buy America regulations, drug and alcohol testing, and third-party procurement requirements is a plus.

• Construction projects: Experience with large construction projects, including reviewing contract provisions, addressing proposal and bidding issues, and reviewing change orders and claims. Familiarity with alternative project delivery methods, including design-build, Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC), and other alternative delivery methods, is a plus. y

• Technology procurements: Experience drafting and reviewing requests for proposals and contracts for software as a service (SaaS), software design, and related maintenance and professional services. Experience with technology to support public transit systems, parking / speed / traffic enforcement, and other transportation-based technology is a plus.

• Large/Complex Professional Services Contracts: Experience advising on large and complex professional services agreements to support essential government functions. Specific examples include paratransit, engineering, security, and towing services.

• Third-Party Subpoenas: Experience advising and assisting government clients in responding to third-party subpoenas, including reviewing requests, identifying applicable privileges and objections, and coordinating responses with litigation counsel.

• Privacy and Public Records: Experience advising government agencies on privacy and public disclosure issues, including responding to requests under the California Public Records Act and San Francisco Sunshine Ordinance, evaluating applicable disclosure exemptions and privacy protections, and advising on the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.

Minimum Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in California.

Desired Qualifications

• Five or more years of legal experience in government procurement, transportation, municipal or other government law, public works, and technology/systems procurement.

• Ability to assume responsibility quickly and work independently and efficiently.

• Excellent oral and written communication and advocacy skills.

• Ability to manage and appropriately balance an active and varied workload and adjust to occasional workload increases.

• Ability to exercise good judgment, multi-task, and meet deadlines.

• Strong interpersonal skills and a positive attitude.

• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

• Desire and ability to work successfully as part of a team.

• Ability to work closely with clients to assist them in achieving program and policy goals, and provide informed risk analyses and legal options

How to Apply 

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