Assistant County Attorney - Property Tax Division

Position Description The Harris County Attorney's Office (HCAO) is seeking a highly self-motivated and energetic attorney to join the Property Tax Division, which specializes in lawsuits for debt collection and enforcement of laws that protect the interests of Harris County. The property tax collections Attorney in this role is responsible for providing legal counsel, researching, negotiating, and drafting legal documents, including, but not limited to, the job duties listed below, and ensuring the smooth and timely preparation of cases from inception through trial, which requires an understanding of legal principles and procedures. Duties and Responsibilities: * Provide legal counsel for Harris County. * Assist in the development and creation of the team's processes and procedures. * Supervise and train support staff. * Research and analyze legal issues related to the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector ("HCTO") policies and procedures relevant to property tax collections. * Draft, prepare, review, and negotiate settlement agreements relevant to property tax collections. * Act as liaison regarding legal issues affecting client departments and other departments and/or governmental entities. * Develop and manage relationships with clients, the public, attorneys, and other work groups related to assigned cases. * Client development and client interaction. * Strong work ethic, great organizational skills, superb inter-personal and social skills, self-starter, responsible, and enjoy working as part of a team. * Work closely with staff on collection and litigation activities. * Suit preparation and review, motion practice, discovery, large caseload management, substantial trial work in tax court, District Courts, and appellate process. * Review all facts, legal issues, and documents in a case prior to court appearance. * Assist with appellate and complex matters. * Perform multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining an effective balance of priorities and high productivity. * Maintains knowledge of the procedures to open, close, and update files and notes accurately using the case management database and run reports. * Respond promptly to phone calls, emails, and other correspondence. * Participate in one-on-one sessions with management to give and receive feedback. * Encourage and mentor attorneys, paralegals, interns, and law clerks. * Participate in Division staff meetings. * Perform other duties as assigned. Other Duties: * This Job Description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Management may, at its discretion, assign, or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email ADACoordinator@bmd.hctx.net. This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate. Requirements Supporting Job Application Documents: * Applicants should provide a cover letter and resume with three (3) professional references. Education and Experience: * Active Bar License in Good Standing for the State of Texas. * A minimum of three (3) years of legal experience. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: * Excellent research, writing, and communication skills. * Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to communicate and work in a collaborative group. * Proficiency with technology and legal tools such as Windows 10, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat Software, PowerPoint, JIMS, TLO, and DEEDS. * Knowledge of The Texas Tax Code, the Local Government Code, the Texas and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Bankruptcy, and the Texas Rules of Professional Conduct. * Knowledge of Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector ("HCTO") policies and procedures relevant to toll road violations. * Ability to comply with the Harris County Personnel Policies and Procedures and the policies of the County Attorney. * Ability to gather, organize, and summarize legal issues quickly for clients or management, in person or via email. * Ability to perform thorough legal and factual analyses and exercise good judgment. * Occasional ability to work extended hours to accommodate case load demands. * Ability to problem solve, organize, and prioritize assignments to meet deadlines. * Ability to comply with office training requirements. NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications. General Information Located in downtown Houston, the Harris County Attorney's Office represents Harris County government, the Harris County Flood Control District, the Harris County Toll Road Authority, and the Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network in all civil matters, including lawsuits. The office also provides legal advice to county officials and employees. Position Type and Typical Hours of Work: * This is a full-time position. * Days and hours of work are typically Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with occasional weekends and holidays as necessary. Hours may vary based on the business needs of the HCAO. Work Environment and Physical Demands: * This position primarily operates in a professional office environment. The individual in this role uses standard office equipment such as computers, printers, scanners/copiers, and phones. * This is largely a sedentary role that requires standing or sitting for prolonged periods, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body, repetitive motions requiring dexterity such as keyboarding that may include the wrists, hands, and/or fingers, communicating with others to exchange concepts and information, problem-solving, decision-making, organization, the ability to read/write, and the ability to manage workplace stressors such as adversarial interactions. Compensation: * The base compensation for this position will be determined on the candidate's qualifications and the pay of other employees in the job function. Total compensation includes attractive paid leave programs, health benefits, and retirement plans. * In addition, the position is eligible for the accrual of compensatory time off for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, consistent with Harris County personnel policies and procedures. Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards. Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department. HARRIS COUNTY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS Harris County offers a highly competitive benefits program, featuring a comprehensive group health plan and defined benefit retirement plan. The following benefits are offered only to Harris County employees in regular (full-time) positions: Health & Wellness Benefits * Medical Coverage * Dental Coverage * Vision Coverage * Wellness Plan * Life Insurance * Long-Term Disability (LTD) Insurance * Employee Assistance Program (EAP) * Healthcare Flexible Spending Account * Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account Paid Time Off (PTO) * Ten (10) days of vacation leave per year (accrual rate increases after 5 years of service) * Eleven (11) County-observed holidays * One (1) floating holiday per year * Paid Parental Leave* * Sick Leave Retirement Savings Benefit * 457 Deferred Compensation Plan The following benefits are available to Harris County employees in full-time and select part-time positions: * Professional learning & development opportunities * Retirement pension (TCDRS defined benefit plan) * Flexible work schedule* * METRO RideSponsor Program* * Participation may vary by County department. The employee benefits plans of Harris County are extended to all eligible participants across various departments with the exception of the Harris County Community Supervision and Corrections Department, for which the cited Health & Wellness Benefits are administered through the State of Texas. In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, group health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Harris County Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the County's behalf as needed. For plan details, visit the Harris County Benefits & Wellness website: www.benefitsathctx.com 01 Do you have an active Bar License in good Standing for the State of Texas? * Yes * No 02 Which of the following best describes your verifiable legal experience? (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your application's employment history) * Less than three (3) years * Three (3) years but less than four (4) years * Four (4) years but less than five (5) years * Five (5) years or more * I do not have this experience 03 Do you have proficiency with technology and legal tools such as Windows 10, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat Software, PowerPoint, JIMS, TLO, and DEEDS? * Yes * No 04 Which of the following describes your level of proficiency using a personal computer and common office software such as MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Please select your level of proficiency based on the following descriptions: Advanced: A person with this level of skills is able to produce very large, complex formal documents that require a table of contents, footnotes, endnotes, bookmarks, and other special elements; a wide range of graphic effects, and use advanced techniques for analyzing and manipulating data. Has full mastery of Macro commands and skills to tie the objects together into a cohesive system by using Macros and Visual Basic for Applications code. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons. Intermediate: A person with this level of skills is able to customize toolbars, import and insert graphs, embed Excel data, and elaborate reports. Understands the concepts of databases and is able to work with charts and to use the list management capabilities of Excel. Able to use complex query techniques, create efficient forms and reports, and create Macros to automate these forms. Makes interactive presentations by using hyperlinks and action buttons. Basic: A person with this level of skills is able to use basic formatting, editing, printing functions, and understands the document page setup. Has the ability to enter and correct data, modify a workbook, format a worksheet, and use printing functions. Understands the different database concepts and structures and is familiar with data validation and is able to create a simple presentation in PowerPoint, run it, and print it. Entry Level: A person with this level of skills has the ability to open, create, save and modify documents in Word, send and receive email in Outlook and create spreadsheets in Excel. Format documents for printing, comfortable using the printer menu to preview documents. Has ability to change the font, the margins, insert or delete pages and use the built-in spellchecker and grammar check. * Advanced * Intermediate * Basic * Entry Level * Not proficient 05 Applicants should provide a cover letter and resume with three (3) professional references. Did you provide these supporting documents along with your application? * Yes Required Question Employer Harris County Address 1111 Fannin St Ste. 600 Houston, Texas, 77002 Phone 713-274-5445 Website https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/harriscountytx