Director of Legal Department - Greater Cleveland RTA

About the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) provides transportation services for 150,000-200,000 customers on a typical week day, or about 45 million rides annually, through a variety of services. In 2016, RTA provided 18.1 million vehicle-miles of service on all modes -- HealthLine, bus, Paratransit, light rail, heavy rail, and vanpools. RTA is the 2019 recipient of the prestigious American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Gold award for Bus Safety & Security Excellence. We are proud to be one of northeast Ohio’s major employers with a workforce of over 2,100 employees carrying out our mission of Connecting the Community.

We offer a wide range of comprehensive benefits and programs to support the health and wellness of employees and family members including health benefits (medical, dental and vision), a wellness incentive program and participation in the Ohio Public Employee Retirement System (OPERS.)

GCRTA is seeking a seasoned legal professional to manage the Legal Department of the Legal Affairs Division. This position will lead and manage in-house legal staff in key areas including labor & employment, administrative law, contracts, real estate, litigation, claims and workers’ compensation. This role also involves overseeing all legal matters for GCRTA, as well as directing and monitoring the management of outside legal counsel, claims settlements, workers' compensation, and labor union interactions. Additionally, the successful candidate will provide legal guidance to the Authority’s executive leadership, Board of Trustees, and other stakeholders.

The position reports to the General Counsel, Deputy General Manager for Legal Affairs and perform other duties as directed by the General Counsel.

The Deputy General Counsel, Director of Law, will ensure that all legal matters are handled with the highest level of professionalism, efficiency, and timeliness, providing high-quality legal advice, consultation and work product. The role may also include participation on committees and review panels within the Authority.

Duties:

• Manage the overall provision of legal services by the Legal Department team.
• Provide expert legal assistance to executive leadership, the Board of Trustees and all operational areas regarding labor & employment, contracts, real estate, litigation, claims, workers' compensation and administrative law.
• Ensure the Authority is effectively represented in all legal matters, including litigation, arbitration, and administrative hearings.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws governing public transportation, civil rights, and workers' compensation.
• Oversee the preparation of high-quality contracts, pleadings, legal opinions and other legal documents.
• Provide leadership in the development and implementation of legal strategies, policies, and procedures to mitigate risks and advance the mission of the Authority, with special attention to customer and employee safety.
• Collaborate with other GCRTA departments to address operational, employment, and related legal issues.
• Monitor legislative, court and regulatory changes impacting public transportation, funding and operations.
• Oversee the agency's workers' compensation program, managing the handling of claims, return-to-work initiatives, and litigation strategy.
• Ensure professional development and mentoring of the Legal Department team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, Outlook or similar email communication. Intermediate knowledge of Westlaw, Lexis or other legal research software.

Minimum Requirements:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school, with a license to practice law in the State of Ohio.
• Active member in good standing with the Ohio Supreme Court.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of legal experience, with at least five (5) years in legal leadership positions involving labor and employment, contracts and real estate, civil litigation, workers' compensation, and administrative law. In some cases, relevant transferable skills may be considered in lieu of five (5) years of legal leadership experience.
• Supervisory experience including setting and monitoring business goals, developing strategic plans, and preparing policies and procedures.
• Experience in local government law, public administration and workers’ compensation practice is preferred.
• Exceptional analytical, research, writing, oral communication and interpersonal skills.

Working Conditions: The working environment will primarily be in an office setting, with reasonable accommodation available for people with disabilities.

Environmental Conditions: This role will operate predominantly in an office environment.

Physical Demands: The employee will frequently be required to sit for extended periods, work at a computer for more than 5 hours a day, and engage in activities such as seeing, hearing, and speaking regularly.

Mental Demands: The role demands concentration for reading, listening, auditing, proofreading, and evaluating materials. The ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, interpret policies and procedures, and analyze complex information is essential.

All communications regarding your application will be sent through the I-Recruitment site, you will receive an email from "Oracle Administrator (OR15)" sysadmin@gcrta.org to let you know there has been a change to the status of your application or that you have received a communication regarding your application.

To check the status of your application: Log into the GCRTA I-Recruitment site, look under “Status” column. To check your communications: Log into the GCRTA I-Recruitment site, click on the icon below “Application Details” of the job posting, click on the “Communications” tab to view communications.

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