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68063529 - CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL

Date: May 27, 2025

The State Personnel System is an E-Verify employer. For more information click on our E-Verify Website (http://www.dms.myflorida.com/workforce\_operations/human\_resource\_management/for\_job\_applicants/e\_verify) .

Requisition No: 853813

Agency: Agency for Health Care Administration

Working Title: 68063529 - CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL

Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 68063529

Salary: $4,038.46 Biweekly

Posting Closing Date: 06/10/2025

Total Compensation Estimator Tool (https://compcalculator.myflorida.com/)

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT - TALLAHASSEE

SALARY - $104,999.96 Annually ($4,038.46 biweekly/non-negotiable).

Our Organization and Mission:

The Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) is Florida’s chief health policy and planning entity. The Agency is responsible for the oversight and administration of the Florida Medicaid program, the licensure and regulation of nearly 50,000 health care facilities and empowering consumers through health care transparency initiatives.

Under the direction of Agency Secretary Shevaun L. Harris, the Agency is focused on advancing Governor DeSantis’ vision for Florida’s health care system to be the most cost-effective, transparent, and high-quality health care system in the nation.

The General Counsel’s Office provides support to the Agency to assist with carrying out its mission. If you have a desire to use your talent and skills at an organization that provides critical services to millions of individuals and families across the state, AHCA invites you to apply to become an essential member of our team. As one of Florida’s leading state agencies, AHCA’s diverse workforce community of more than 1,400 employees is proud of its efforts to serve the people of Florida.

Agency Objectives:

COST-EFFECTIVE

Leveraging Florida’s buying power in delivering high quality care at the lowest cost to taxpayers.

TRANSPARENT

Supporting initiatives that promote transparency and empower consumers in making well informed healthcare decisions.

HIGH QUALITY

Emphasizing quality in all that we do to improve health outcomes, always putting the individual first.

The Work You Will Do:

Supervision of Attorneys and Other Personnel: Hire and supervise direct reports (a) four Senior Attorneys, (b) one Administrative Assistant II, and (c) four OPS Paralegals. For this function, the Chief Legal Counsel of Facility Licensure spends considerable time mentoring and monitoring, the direct reports about their job functions and answering questions about administrative and legal issues.

Legal Advice to Agency Personnel:

Provide legal advice to the Division of Health Quality Assurance, primarily the Bureau of Health Facility Regulation (Facility Licensure), Bureau of Central Services (Criminal Background Screening), Florida Center for Health Information and Transparency (Data Reporting), and Office of Plans and Construction (Architects and Engineers). The legal advice centers on issues regarding the licensure and regulation of health care facilities, involving statutory and rule interpretation, administrative rule development and rulemaking, responding to third parties including outside counsel, legislative bill analysis, and other functions.

Litigation:

Represent the Agency in civil and administrative proceedings.

The representation is in different forums, including but not limited to: (a) Florida Division of Administrative Hearings ("DOAH"), (b) state trial courts, and (c) federal trial courts and bankruptcy court.

The litigation consists primarily of administrative actions filed by the Agency and referred to DOAH and/or an informal hearing officer regarding health care facility licensure and regulation such as certificate of need actions, the denial and withdrawal of license applications, the imposition of administrative fines, petitions for waivers and variances, petitions for declaratory statements, rule development and rulemaking, federal bankruptcy matters, and the denials of exemptions from disqualification from employment.

Informal Hearing Officer:

Sit as an informal hearing officer on Agency matters, most particularly regulatory actions assigned to the attorneys located in the Agency field offices.

Legislation:

Work with Agency personnel in developing and reviewing proposed rules for both substantive and technical legality. Participate in rule development, rule workshops and rule hearings. Defend proposed rule challenges, rule challenges and unadopted rule challenges.

General Inquiries by the Public, Agency Personnel and Other Government Personnel:

Respond to general inquiries by the public and other agencies and ensures that questions are answered as fully as possible in a professional manner.

Legal Opinions:

Respond to oral and written requests for legal opinions. The legal opinions should specifically address the answer the questions raised and be based on careful research, discussions with all people having relevant information, and an exploration of underlying relevant facts.

Preventative Law:

Seek out and identify potential legal problems for the AHCA. Present identified problems along with any proposed legal advice to the AHCA General Counsel's Office

Other Duties:

Other duties as assigned by the Deputy General Counsel, General Counsel and Agency Secretary.

How You Will Grow:

AHCA employees are expected to uphold the four core values: Accountability, Fairness, Responsiveness, and Teamwork. In turn, we will involve you on important and often complex projects while offering you the opportunity to gain valuable experience quickly.

Where You Will Work:

Tallahassee, Florida’s Capital City, lined with rolling hills, oak trees, and canopied roads combines old world charm with a modern pace of life. Home to two major universities as well as state government, Tallahassee is a mid-sized city in the heart of Florida’s Big Bend. Boasting proximity to the coast and centrally located to popular tourist destinations, Tallahassee is highly desirable location for both those seeking their first job or those ready to enter the next exciting, chapter in their career. Also, with no state income tax, Florida is great place to work regardless of where you find yourself on the career ladder.

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• State Group Insurance Coverage Options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options;

• Flexible Spending Accounts;

• State of Florida retirement options, including employer contributions;

• Generous annual and sick leave benefits;

• 9 paid holidays a year and 1 Personal Holiday each year;

• Career advancement opportunities;

• Tuition waiver for courses offered by Florida’s nationally ranked State University System ;

• Training and professional development opportunities;

• And more!

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

•Knowledge of legal terminology.

•Knowledge of Florida laws and legal procedure.

•Skill in reading comprehension, analysis, research, and organization.

•Ability to provide legal counsel.

•Ability to interpret state and federal legislation, laws, and rules.

•Ability to employ legal reasoning and to foresee possible legal problems.

•Ability to communicate effectively and concisely, both orally and in writing.

•Ability to take action in situations which lack clear direction.

•Ability to take initiative on independent research projects.

•Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments.

•Ability to use available technology to perform assigned duties, including computer software, hardware, and data systems.

•Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.

•Ability to use independent judgement when releasing information to the public.

•Ability to collect and analyze data.

•Ability to conduct meetings and to make presentations.

•Ability to perform legal writing and prepare various legal documents.

•Ability to research legal documents and legal references.

•Ability to travel with or without accommodations.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENTS

•Membership in good standing with the Florida bar; and

•Five years of professional experience in the practice of law and two years experience as a supervisor.

LICENSURE, CERTIFICATION, OR REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

Florida Bar License

CONTACT : THOMAS HOELER 850-412-3630

BACKGROUND SCREENING

It is the policy of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and, if applicable, also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and Chapter 408, F.S. No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency. Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement agencies.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

Location:

TALLAHASSEE, FL, US, 32308

Nearest Major Market:Tallahassee