The Office of the General Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as legal counsel on regulatory, contractual, and compliance issues for the Department, with a primary focus on the Office of Local and Regional Health (OLRH). OLRH provides local public health with the resources, tools, and support needed to promote and protect the health of their communities. In addition, OLRH offers training and technical assistance in response to the unique challenges and needs faced by local public health.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Provide legal services, direction, and guidance to the Department, with a primary focus on the Directors and staff of OLRH, and other Department programs with significant interaction with local health authorities.
• Draft and review legislation and regulations.
• Provide legal advice and direction regarding state ethics law, conflict of interest law, open meeting law, public records law, and record retention.
• Work with counsel and staff of federal agencies and the Office of the Attorney General as needed in connection with regulatory issues and related litigation.
• Prioritize and manage assigned workload and caseload.
• Coordinate, oversee, and assist with special projects.
• Identify potential privacy concerns and confidentiality obligations and safeguard confidential information.
• Provide effective legal guidance to other DPH staff on the application of privacy rules to confidential information.
• Consult with DPH Privacy and Data Compliance Office where appropriate.
• Comply with all state and agency rules of conduct including applicable human resource, ethics, and DPH standards.
• Comply with all rules of professional responsibility.
• Participate in professional development programs to hone professional competence and support the professional development of other DPH counsel.
• Promote a professional, respectful, and non-discriminatory work environment.
• Collaborate with agency staff to identify and articulate policy goals.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Knowledge of the theory, principles, and practices of law.
• Applicants must have a Juris Doctor (JD) degree, admission to the Massachusetts Bar, and a minimum of three years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, professional experience in the practice of law.
• Understanding of the methods and ability to conduct legal research and technical report writing.
• Ability to read and interpret legal documents and apply the laws, rules, and regulations governing agency operations.
• Able to exercise discretion and sound judgment.
• Capability to interact effectively with diverse groups of people.
• Capable to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, to clearly and concisely express thoughts and develop ideas in a logical manner.
• Able to use a computer to conduct research, manage databases, and produce written documents. Ability to lead or work with cross-functional project teams.
• Capable to manage multiple projects and project teams. Ability to exercise discretion in safeguarding information through compliance with rules of disclosure.
• Able to work independently.
• Capability to maintain a calm manner in stressful and/or emergency situations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated understanding and experience in counseling clients, legal research and analysis, oral and written advocacy, and creative problem solving preferably in an in-house or outside counsel to public agencies, private businesses, or other organizations.
• A solid desire to work in a fast-paced and collaborative legal department and work independently.
• Ability to create a positive and inclusive environment for people from different backgrounds with a focus on accessibility, equity, and diversity.
• Aptitude in analyzing, interpreting, and applying facts, rules, policies, and decisions while analyzing legal problems and offering legal opinions.
• Strong critical thinking, and problem-solving with the ability to manage relationships both internally and externally.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, Teams, and Outlook.

About the Department of Public Health:

The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high-quality public health and healthcare services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth.

We envision a Commonwealth in which all people enjoy optimal health. Massachusetts ranks among the healthiest of states according to comparative analyses, but we face numerous challenges, including chronic and infectious diseases, substance abuse, violence, preventable hospitalizations, and health disparities.

DPH coordinates programs and policies to address specific diseases and conditions and offers services to address the needs of vulnerable populations. We also develop, implement, promote, and enforce regulations and policies to assure that the conditions under which people live are most conducive to health and enable people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families. We license health professionals, healthcare facilities, and a variety of businesses that impact public health. We operate the state laboratory and four public health hospitals. We monitor health status and manage vital records including births, marriages, and deaths. We educate people about public health issues and work closely with local boards of health and community partners to identify and solve public health problems.

More information can be found at: MA Department of Public Health

Pre-Offer Process:

A criminal background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services prior to the candidate being hired. For more information, please visit http://www.mass.gov/hhs/cori

Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines.

Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.

If you require assistance with the application/interview process and would like to request an ADA accommodation, please click on the link and complete the Reasonable Accommodation Online Request Form

For questions regarding this requisition, please contact the Executive Office of Health and Human Services Human Resources at 1-800- 510-4122 Ext. #2

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