• Job Description

  Req#: 16859

  About

  Job Classification: 9988
  Salary: $208,107.26 - $295,991.10/annually commensurate with experience in similar position
  Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt (what does this mean?)
  Length of Appointment: Three Years
  Hours: Full Time
  

  Who We Are

  With an annual budget of $1.17 billion, the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) is California's seventh-largest school district, serving 50,000 students who speak more than 44 documented languages across 136 schools in the City of San Francisco every year. We aim for All SFUSD students to graduate as independent thinkers with a sense of agency who have attained academic and creative skills to lead productive lives and contribute to our community.

  Overview of the Position

  The General Counsel will provide direct, professional legal counsel and representation to the Superintendent, Board of Education, and administrative staff on legal matters affecting the district. The General Counsel will lead the 26-person Legal Division and oversee litigation and administrative law hearings, outside counsel, and the Labor Relations and Equity Assurance teams.

  The General Counsel will report to the Superintendent and Board of Education and be part of a cabinet that advises the superintendent and makes critical decisions about the district's strategic direction. They will also play a critical role in shepherding the organization through mindset shifts and structural changes to best serve its students.

  As with other senior district leaders, the General Counsel will work in person from the district headquarters in downtown San Francisco daily, traveling to other sites as needed.
  

  Qualifications of the Ideal Candidate

  • Deep knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local legislation, statutes, codes, and procedures, including the California Education Code
  • Knowledge of San Francisco’s public schools and urban public schools
  • Legal experience in support of public schools
  • A proven record of effectively planning, organizing, and using resources and systems to provide top-notch legal services to an administration and governing body in a large public agency ∙ Success leading effective teams and individuals, managing organizational change, and initiating key innovations
  • Experience with electronic legal research, legal matter management, and document management software
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey complex information to a variety of audiences (e.g., large groups, staff meetings, executive briefings, public board meetings, memos)
  • Strong analytic and systems thinking necessary to inform strategy, adopt or recommend effective courses of action and prepare comprehensive narrative and statistical reports
  • Well-developed cultural humility, awareness of their own identity, and understanding of internalized, interpersonal, and systemic racism and other forms of oppression
    

  Responsibilities

  • Articulate a compelling vision for the Legal Division, including drawing explicit connections between the contributions of its team members to SFUSD’s vision, values, goals, and guardrails.
  • Proactively advise and provide technical expertise, information, and assistance to the Board of Education and Superintendent in all district matters with legal implications and in formulating and developing policies, procedures, and programs to support responsible legal management controls or corrective action.
  • Direct the day-to-day operations and work processes of the Legal Division and Labor Relations and Equity Assurance teams, including the preparation and rendering of legal opinions upon request, reviewing existing and pending legislation related to district procedural guidelines and policies, interpreting, applying and explaining rules, regulations policies and procedures to a variety of stakeholders, and maintaining accurate reports and documentation related to district legal and labor matters.
  • Lead the preparation of litigation and administrative law hearings, including the preparation of pleadings, trial, and appellate briefs, negotiations between parties, the conduct of trials and hearings at the level of original jurisdiction or on appeal, and other court or hearing appearances to effectively represent the interests of the district as interpreted by the Superintendent and Board of Education.
  • Spearhead the drafting of state legislation proposed by the district for presentation to the California State Legislature; interpret the impact of legislation on the district’s interests as the State legislature is considering legislation.
  • Using an equity lens, develop and implement a strong talent strategy for the Legal Division and Equity Assurance and Labor Relations teams, including attracting, developing, evaluating, and motivating staff.
  • Lead direct reports and other staff members in setting goals, facilitating cross-functional cooperation, and maintaining current knowledge of provisions of applicable federal, state, and district laws, rules, and regulations.
  • Strategically build a strong, cohesive, and collaborative Legal Division through strategic team development and regular one-to-one meetings with direct reports to ensure shared decision-making, commitment, and implementation of priorities and to model healthy and productive adult culture.
    

  Minimum Qualifications

  Juris Doctor degree from an American Bar Association accredited institution. AND

  Six years of experience in the practice of law, including substantial responsible experience as Counsel for a large urban public jurisdiction. Directly related school law experience is highly desirable. AND

  Active membership, in good standing of the California State Bar Association.

  What It Means to Work Here

  When you join our team at SFUSD, you can expect to be part of a collaborative, inclusive, and equity-oriented organization that is intensely focused on achieving our student outcome goals.

  The SFUSD community is unified by our Core Values :

  • Student-centered: We put students’ needs first
  • Fearless: We persist through challenges
  • United: We celebrate and build on each other’s strengths
  • Social Justice: We stand with those most vulnerable in our community
  • Diversity-driven: We respect and seek to understand each person

  Who We Want

  We want talented people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, who are committed to and will champion our Core Values, are inspired by our mission, steeped in equity, and motivated to unleash our students’ potential. We want strong collaborators, skilled communicators, and problem solvers comfortable in a continuous learning community.

  The strongest candidates will have:

  • Knowledge of San Francisco’s public schools/urban public schools and a passionate belief in SFUSD’s commitment to instructional leadership as a lever toward delivering on the SFUSD Graduate Profile
  • A strong record of managing organizational change and initiating key innovations
  • Strong analytic and systems thinking necessary to interpret data to inform goals and strategy, as well as build infrastructure where none exists
  • Ability to work effectively across multiple functions and roles within a complex organization
  • A proven record of effectively planning, organizing and using resources to take action and achieve goals
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective working relationships with senior level district staff and colleagues
  • Success leading effective teams and individuals
  • Experience and success with effective written and verbal communication, facilitation and presentations to large groups and a variety of audiences (e.g., staff meetings, executive briefings, public board meetings, memos)
  • Ability to work effectively in difficult situations that involve confidential and sensitive matters
  • Strong computer skills including GSuite and Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
  • Ten years of experience in the practice of law, including substantial experience as Counsel for a large urban public jurisdiction and five years in leading a legal department, division, or team
  • Demonstrated experience and training in educational administration and school and labor laws, industrial relations, public administration, and business administration
  • Possession of a valid California driver's license and be able to provide own transportation in the conduct of work assignments; willingness to travel as needed
    

  What We Offer

  SFUSD offers a competitive salary of $208,107.26 - $295,991.10/annually commensurate with experience in a similar position. We offer a comprehensive benefits plan including dental and vision plans, a defined benefit pension plan, disability, life insurance, flexible spending account options and vacation time. We also offer an inclusive and equity-centered environment where we encourage staff to bring their whole selves to work.

  How to Apply

  • Visit www.careers.sfusd.edu and create a new account to begin your application.
  • If you have previously applied to a job on JobAps, you will be prompted to “select an application to copy;” please select any previous application: you will have the opportunity to update the application and your resume; if you have not previously applied you will be prompted to create a new account
  • You will be prompted to electronically attach a letter of interest, resume, list of professional references and any applicable credentials or licenses
  • Our Human Resources team will then review your entire application to determine your eligibility status and contact you directly should you move forward in the process\

  Please check back often to connect your application to specific openings as they are posted. Applicants will be contacted based on the needs of the district. For more information about careers at SFUSD, please visit this website. For more information about SFUSD’s vision, values, goals, and guardrails, please visit this website. For other questions, contact us at (415) 241-6101.

  Verification

  Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements .

  Note : Falsifying one’s education, training, or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification from this and future job opportunities with the San Francisco Unified School District.

  What to Expect in the Application Process

  SFUSD is committed to providing a transparent, fair, rigorous, and expedient selection process. At a minimum, the selection process will include the following steps:

  1. Application screening
  2. Phone screen
  3. In-person or Zoom panel interview 1
  4. In-person or Zoom panel interview 2
  5. Offer extended
  6. Contract negotiation, including compensation and start date

  
  Candidates will be notified whether they will advance to the next step within 72 hours of completing their last step.
  

  Non-Discrimination Policy

  San Francisco Unified School District programs, activities, and practices shall be free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression; or on the basis of a person’s association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. This policy extends to San Francisco County Office of Education, including community school programs and activities.

  
  For more information about the District's non-discrimination policy, please review Board Policy 4030 .

• About the company

  San Francisco Unified School District, established in 1851, is the only public school district within the City and County of San Francisco, and the first in the state of California.

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