Cary offers an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, thoughtful, and service driven legal professional to join our team as a Senior Assistant Town Attorney. This position plays a pivotal role in supporting one of North Carolina’s fastest growing and most forward-thinking communities. Meaningful municipal law is practiced within a collaborative environment where your expertise directly shapes policy, protects public interests, and helps guide a thriving town committed to excellence, innovation, and exceptional public service.
Cary is a thriving and progressive community with more than 190,000 residents, making it the seventh-largest municipality in North Carolina. Cary is conveniently located in the heart of the Triangle area of North Carolina between Raleigh and the renowned Research Triangle Park offering exceptional access to innovation, education, and opportunity. With a vibrant community, a commitment to progress, and remarkable quality of life, Cary is a place where people can work, lead, and live inspired.
The Senior Assistant Town Attorney serves as an advisor and counselor, analyzing complex legal issues, evaluating alternative approaches to problems, and performing advanced professional legal work, requiring a high level of responsibility and decision making. Work includes significant contact with staff, boards and commissions, community organizations, outside counsel, and representatives of other local and state agencies.
Work is performed under the general supervision of the Town Attorney and requires independent judgment and discretion in the performance of duties.
If this opportunity resonates with you and inspires you to contribute your legal expertise to the Town, we encourage you to submit your application.
- Provides complex and comprehensive legal advice and representation primarily to the Manager’s Office and Directors on routine and complex operational and strategic matters. Such advice includes risk assessments and advice on current legal issues and advice and direction to ensure compliance with legal requirements;
- Develops creative solutions to legal issues and problems, often with differing policy objectives at play;
- Builds strong relationships that reflect Cary’s adaptive leadership and collaborative culture to support and advise Cary, working collaboratively with the Manager’s office, Directors, and other staff;
- Researches various legal issues, as assigned by the Town Attorney or Deputy Town Attorney: analyzes statutes, regulations, case law, and other legal materials; provides legal opinions and interpretations to Town Attorney, Directors, and staff;
- Maintains current knowledge of changes in state and federal legislation and case law regarding municipal operations, such as public records and open meetings law, public personnel law, law enforcement, public contract and financing law, state and federal land use law, etc;
- Proactively evaluates current ordinances and practices against new and proposed legislation;
- Drafts, reviews, revises, negotiates, and interprets routine and complex legal documents such as contracts, legislation, ordinances, and policies and procedures;
- Provides support and assistance to the Town Attorney and Deputy Town Attorney;
- Serves as attorney for the Planning and Zoning Board and as staff’s attorney in quasi-judicial cases before the Zoning Board of Adjustment or Historic Preservation Commission;
- Attends Council meetings and board and commission meetings as needed; may present closed session items to Town Council;
- Assists outside counsel as directed the Town Attorney or Deputy Town Attorney. Provides litigation support activities such as reviewing and preparing documents, collecting evidence, and interviewing and preparing witnesses;
- Participates in Cary organizational activities, such as serving on interdepartmental teams, attending and leading training courses, and attending special events;
- Participates in activities to further the legal profession, such as serving on committees for the State Bar, Bar Association, North Carolina Association of Municipal Attorneys (NCAMA) or International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA);
- Undertakes special projects for the department as directed by the Town Attorney;
- Performs other duties as assigned or required.
Considerable knowledge of North Carolina laws, regulations, and case law affecting municipalities, including knowledge of laws governing public records, contracts, planning and zoning, economic development, employment, real property, eminent domain, nuisance code, minimum housing code, and torts; some knowledge of the ordinances, regulations, and policies of the Town; ability to give sound legal advice and consultation on complex matters while respecting the authority and capability of the client; ability to quickly analyze complex factual situations; ability to effectively communicate and present ideas in written and oral form and produce legal work product of the highest caliber; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Town management and staff and the general public; ability to represent the Town's interest before a wide range of public bodies; demonstrated skill as a negotiator and a contract and ordinance drafter; ability to distinguish between and navigate situations that should be solved with technical fixes and those that require more adaptive approaches; ability to operate in a dynamic fast-paced environment with high expectations for producing work; ability to encourage and support engagement in cross-departmental work; ability to maintain effective time management and multi-tasking skills with the ability to prioritize competing tasks and deadlines; and thorough knowledge of Microsoft Office products.
Any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctorate degree, licensure by the North Carolina State Bar, and a minimum of five years of progressively responsible legal experience, which includes a minimum of three years' experience in municipal law.
Special Requirements
Licensure by the North Carolina State Bar.
Possession of a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record.
Drug testing and background check (which may include criminal history check, SBI finger printing, motor vehicle records check, education verification, and credit history review) and satisfactory reference checks prior to employment
Physical Requirements
Work in this class is generally inside and sedentary. The ability to read and talk is required in order to communicate with employees and others. Visual acuity is necessary to read handwritten and typewritten materials and view a computer screen. Some dexterity is needed for typing and the operation of computers and standard office equipment.
