Senior Legal Assistant – Tax & Revenue Unit

Job Description

Company Description
A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

Impact – The work you do here matters to millions.
Growth – Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it?
Diversity & Inclusion – Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
Benefits – We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The City of Philadelphia Law Department acts as general counsel for the entire City government structure. We provide legal advice to all City officials, employees, departments, agencies, boards, and commissions concerning any matters related to the exercise of their official powers.  The Law Department is comprised of over 220 lawyers and 100 support staff.  The Law Department provides legal representation for the City in matters involving federal, state, and local agency litigation, commercial and real estate transactions, tax, regulatory issues, social services, and legislation.

The Law Department’s Tax Unit represents the City, as plaintiff, seeking to collect taxes and certain other amounts owed to the City, and represents the City as defendant in cases where taxpayers dispute their liabilities.   The Department of Revenue is responsible for collecting all taxes due to the City and to the School District of Philadelphia, and for collecting water and sewer charges and certain other debts to the City.  From time to time, the Law Department seeks professional services providers to assist it in its work, including third-party collection services.  The Department of Revenue is selected to administer these contracts, in conjunction with the Law Department’s Tax Unit, because of its expertise in the field of taxation and because of its experience in hiring tax collectors.
Job Description
The Law Department’s Tax Unit seeks to hire a Senior Legal Assistant to work with Tax Unit attorneys and Revenue department staff in the day-to-day management and oversight of the City’s professional collection services contracts.  The Department presently has eight (8) collection contracts.  The Senior Legal Assistant’s place of work will be the Collections Unit of the Department of Revenue.  The Senior Legal Assistant will have dual reporting responsibilities to the Chief Revenue Counsel and to the Deputy Revenue Commissioner for Collections.

As the Senior Legal Assistant masters the primary position responsibilities for professional collection services contracts, the managers will assign other duties and projects to the legal assistant as may be feasible.

Essential Functions

Create, oversee, evaluate and amend contracts; monitor contracts for conformance.
Help to establish controls for accounting, processing of invoices including approvals, monitoring and reporting.
Serve as liaison between high level officials/department heads, executive vendors, and others to facilitate disputes and resolutions in the City’s interest.
Collaborate with collection agencies regarding customer needs, data sharing, increased revenue, reduced costs, contract conformance and improved communications.
Monitor and compare collection agency performance.
Develop statistical reporting and communicate findings to allow stakeholders to better monitor and strategize collection efforts.
Supervise staff of three (3) employees.
Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Familiarity with contracts required
Excellent written and oral communication
Excellent organizational skills
Excellent time management skills
Ability to work in a demanding and fast-paced setting
Ability to work collaboratively with diverse team members
Experience with Word and its redlining function required
Experience with DocuSign preferred
Ability to learn promptly to use custom City applications (ACIS and APMS) required
Work-Life

The Law Department supports a robust work-life balance. Working hours are 37.5 hours per week, Monday through Friday.  Our team is currently hybrid with both virtual and in-office days.  The in-office requirement is 15 hours per week – essentially two days – or as otherwise needed, based on business needs, such as in-person hearings or client meetings.  Staff can opt to come into the office each day if desired.
Qualifications
Preferred candidate will possess a Bachelor’s degree, paralegal certificate or equivalent and have three or more years’ experience in a legal setting, preferably in a law firm or an in-house legal department.
Additional Information
TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.

Salary Range: Up to $65,972 – Commensurate with education and experience

Did you know?

We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program qualified employer
25% tuition discount program for City employees (and sometimes spouses and dependents as well) in partnership with area colleges and universities
We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
Generous retirement savings options are available
*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Please note that effective September 1, 2021 the City of Philadelphia is requiring all new employees to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx