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Working Title: Assistant Deputy General Counsel

Job Class: Staff Attorney 3

Agency: Department of Children, Youth, & Families

+ **Job ID** : 86196

+ **Location** : St. Paul

+ **Telework Eligible** : Yes

+ **Full/Part Time** : Full-Time

+ **Regular/Temporary** : Unlimited

+ **Who May Apply** : Open to all qualified job seekers. This vacancy is open for bids and for all qualified job seekers simultaneously. Bidders will be considered through 5/28/25 date. _Please note that to be considered a bidder, you must be a permanent non-probationary DCYF employee in the same job classification as the position._

+ **Date Posted** : 05/22/2025

+ **Closing Date** : 06/04/2025

+ **Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit** : Children Youth & Families Dept / DCYF Central Office

+ **Division/Unit** : DCYF / General Counsel

+ **Work Shift:** Day Shift

+ **Work Hours** : 8:00am - 4:30pm

+ **Days of Work** : Monday - Friday

+ **Travel Required** : No

+ **Salary Range:** $42.31 - $62.75 / hourly; $88,343 - $131,022 / annually

+ **Classified Status** : Classified

+ **Bargaining Unit/Union** : 214 - MN Assoc of Professional Empl/MAPE

+ **FLSA Status** : Exempt - Professional

+ Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities (https://mn.gov/mmb/careers/diverse-workforce/people-with-disabilities/connect700/) : Yes

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families is unable to provide sponsorship for work visas. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States at the start of employment. DCYF does not participate in E-Verify.

The work you'll do is more than just a job.

At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

In the 2023 legislative session, the Governor’s Office, Minnesota legislature, and leaders for children and families worked in partnership to pass legislation establishing the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to create a sustainable, public face for children’s issues in state government. This new cabinet-level agency brings together programs centered on children and families, including child care and early learning, child support, child safety and permanency, economic support and food assistance, and youth opportunity. The new Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Agency became effective on July 1, 2024.

_***_ Telework (https://mn.gov/mmb-stat/policies/1422-telework.pdf) _(Wit_ _hin Minne_ _sota or neighboring states only;_ _telework is not allowed in other states_ _) and flexible hours options are available_ _._ _Employees may generally telework up to 50% of their scheduled workdays in a month. Employees that live 50 miles or more from their permanent/principal work location_ **_and_** _live within the State or a county bordering the State may telework more than 50% with approval.***_

_*_ _***This posting may be used to fill multiple vacancies***_

The DCYF General Counsel’s Office is expanding and hiring three senior advising attorneys, which will be classified at the Staff Attorney 3 level. Each attorney hired must have and continue to develop expertise in the substantive work of one of DCYF’s administrations and will become that administration’s primary contact for the administration’s legal needs. The three administrations for which this posting will hire are the following:

+ Family Wellbeing – cash and employment, food and nutrition, and family resource programs, as well as child support

+ Early Childhood – child care and early learning programs

+ Economic Opportunity and Youth Services – foster youth programs and community service grants

These positions will research and provide legal advice and strategies to their specific administration, as well as oversee litigation arising from the administration’s work. The overarching goals of these positions are to ensure that programs are developed and administered consistent with applicable state and federal law and to ensure that creative legal solutions are explored to support each administration’s role in advancing DCYF’s mission, vision, and values in our everchanging legal landscape.

Responsibilities include:

+ Provide legal research and advice on applicability and interpretation of all aspects of state and federal law relevant to Family Wellbeing programs, Early Childhood, or Economic Opportunity Youth Services.

+ Provide legal analysis and legal advice with respect to the application of state and federal statutes, rules, and case law to fact situations.

+ **Conduct legal analysis and provide legal advice and practical assistance to staff and General Counsel’s Office to develop grant programs that include program integrity aspects that are enforceable by Department program integrity staff including the Department’s Compliance Office and Office of Inspector General.**

+ Advise, negotiate, and draft professional and technical contracts, master contracts, work order contracts, annual plans, amendments to contracts, requests for proposals, interagency agreements, and joint powers agreements (collectively herein, “contracts”) as needed.

+ **Serve as the Minnesota Government Data Practices designee.**

+ **Provide legal analysis, legal advice, and practical assistance to all aspects of rulemaking.**

Minimum Qualifications

_**To facilitate proper crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month, day and year for each job held.**_

+ JD degree from an ABA accredited law school;

+ Current license and in good standing to practice law in Minnesota;

+ One (1) year of experience in a leadership role;

+ One (1) year of experience with data privacy and security;

+ Five (5) years of experience as a practicing attorney (up to one year of which may be as a judicial clerk). Experience must demonstrate the following:

+ Experience developing legal strategies and providing legal advice to executive legal leadership.

+ Experience with the legislative process and federal and state laws.

+ Litigation experience, which may include direct litigation experience, judicial clerking, and case adjudication as a criminal, civil, or administrative law judge.

Preferred Qualifications

+ Experience in any of the Family Wellbeing programs, including but not limited to SNAP, MFIP, child support, and other cash-to-family programs, or the underlying federal law for the Early Learning programs.

+ Experience in any of the Early Childhood programs, including but not limited to child care licensing, child care assistance program, Head Start, and other early learning programs, or the underlying federal law for the Early Childhood programs.

+ Experience in any of the Economic Opportunity and Youth Services programs, including community grants and programs that support healthy and stable communities, or the underlying federal law for the Early Learning programs.

+ Variety of experiences working effectively with others from different backgrounds and cultures.

Additional Requirements

REFERENCE/BACKGROUND CHECKS – DCYF will conduct reference checks to verify job-related credentials and a criminal background check prior to appointment.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is an Equal Opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity. We prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or membership in a local commission as defined by law. As an affirmative action employer, we actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to all qualified applicants with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability who needs assistance or cannot access the online job application system, please contact the job information line at 651-259-3637 or email [email protected] . Please indicate what assistance is needed.