Senior Solicitor - Commercial Procurement

The Senior Solicitor for Commercial Procurement is a newly established position that will be responsible for overseeing the County's large transactions, including real estate transactions, construction contracts, finance, bonds, and development projects.

Candidates should have experience in advising clients in high-risk and high-profile matters, alongside excellent research, writing, and analytical skills. The ideal candidate will have the ability to work independently while also drawing on colleagues as a resource as well as outside counsel where appropriate. The Solicitor's Office maintains a collaborative work environment, with solicitors from all practice areas working together to develop the best solutions for clients. The Assistant Solicitor for Commercial Procurement will report directly to the Chief Solicitor of the Transactional Practice.

About the County and Agency Description
Located in southeast Pennsylvania, Montgomery County (Montco) is the third largest County in Pennsylvania, home to more than 850,000 residents, 62 distinctive municipalities, and has a wide array of parks, historical attractions, arts organizations, outdoor markets, and special events, including the International Spring Festival, the largest diversity event in the state. Since 2010, the County has become more racially and ethnically diverse, with significant growth in Latinx and Asian populations and the County recognizes that serving a more diverse community necessitates increasing its cultural responsiveness and equity-mindedness and is continuing to focus on these areas.

The County has a workforce of 2900 people working as public servants to make a positive impact. As both local government and employer, MontCo works to align its culture and business practices to be a vibrant example of equity, inclusion, and belonging for all. The County is committed to: (1) maintaining an inclusive, productive, supportive, open, innovative, and equitable workplace where every individual is valued for their unique characteristics; (2) fostering respect, understanding and acceptance of differences; and (3) enabling employees to reach their full potential, thus, enhancing and nurturing the relationships among staff and optimizing the quality of services to its residents and the public. Working for the County is a great career step and offers a strong workplace environment.

The Montgomery County Solicitor's Office acts as the civil lawyers for the County government, providing legal advice to the County Commissioners and the County's departments, agencies, boards, and commissions related to the exercise of their official powers. In this capacity, our team of 15 attorneys works on complex and cutting-edge issues ranging from public health and safety to commerce, parks and infrastructure, community development, and elections. The Office orients its work towards partnership with our clients and creates a positive and concrete impact for the County and its residents through our work as public service attorneys. We promote an inclusive environment that values collaboration, collegiality and accountability. The Solicitor's Office attorneys work together across practice areas to develop the best solutions for clients. The Office is committed to continued development of our attorneys' legal skills and careers.

• Provide legal advice and represent County Departments in connection with all commercial transactions for the County of Montgomery.
• This may include procurement, real estate, construction, bonds and financing, and other County business and operational matters, assigned. This includes reviewing, negotiating, drafting, advising, and managing documentation related to these areas.
• Assert, respond to, and resolve commercial disputes including representation in litigation or arbitration where appropriate.
• Provide legal advice on federal, state and local regulatory matters, including issues involving the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs.
• Assist clients with process development, documents, and templates to optimize business approaches.
• Provide advice and counsel on a variety of other issues as needed.

Law degree from an accredited law school and member in good standing of the Pennsylvania Bar or another state bar with commitment to become a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.

• 5+ years of legal experience with a focus on commercial contract drafting and negotiations.
• Experience assisting with compliance efforts with respect to federal, state and local laws and regulations. Experience with HUD related issues is preferred.
• Prior employment in a government setting and thorough understanding of contracting and procurement requirements for Pennsylvania government agencies preferred.
• State of Pennsylvania law license or eligibility for licensure
• Proficiency and experience in drafting and negotiating agreements.
• Strong research and analytical skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, capable of effectively communicating at all levels within the County and externally.

• Strong client service orientation and skills.
• Demonstrated ability to identify potential legal issues or long-term implications of policy and legal decisions.
• Capacity to thrive in a collaborative, diverse environment and work independently with a high degree of motivation.
• Substantial expertise advising on and negotiating a variety of agreements.
• High ethical standards, reflecting honesty, integrity, and reliability.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others in a team.
• Commitment to fostering a workplace culture of belonging, where diversity is celebrated, and equity is a core value.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; sit; and talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands or arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision and depth perception. This position requires a valid driver's license and reliable transportation for off-site meetings.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential function.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.