Essential Duties

Serve as the chief legal officer for the City of Oshkosh and a strategic, trusted, and apolitical member of the executive leadership team. Oversee Legal Department operations, including strategic goals, policies, procedures, budgets, staffing, procurement, and performance indicators. Interview, train, mentor, and evaluate internal and contracted legal and administrative staff, and provide legal and budget alignment oversight for the City Prosecutor function. Foster a high-trust, innovative department culture and strong cross-departmental collaboration aligned with the City’s mission and strategic goals.

Serve as chief legal advisor to City employees, the Common Council, boards, and commissions by providing sound analysis, interpretation, and practical, option-based legal advice. Balance legal risk with operational needs, community priorities, and organizational progress. Provide proactive legal problem avoidance, policy alignment, and operational clarity. Review accident and incident reports, coordinate insurance claims, analyze and authorize settlements when appropriate, and collaborate with departments to strengthen risk management and reduce liability exposure.

Draft, review, negotiate, approve, execute, and maintain City contracts, agreements, ordinances, resolutions, and other legal documents. Lead legal corrections, amendments, and substitute language as needed. Review municipal codes and recommend updates to ensure compliance with state and federal law. Manage enforcement of City ordinances and ensure legal records are organized, secure, searchable, and maintained using modern legal document management systems.

Prepare and review Common Council agendas and attend all Council meetings. Confer with staff to prepare ordinances, resolutions, and materials submitted to the Council. Provide training and guidance to ensure compliance with open meetings, open records, publication, and notice requirements. Prepare executive session materials, attend board and committee meetings as needed, and clearly communicate complex legal issues to elected officials, staff, and the public.

Represent or coordinate the City’s legal interests in state and federal courts and administrative proceedings. Prepare litigation documents, legal correspondence, motions, strategy, and settlement recommendations. Participate in unemployment, worker’s compensation, and other administrative hearings as requested. Utilize legal technology systems to support organized and defensible litigation workflows, and manage outside counsel relationships when specialized expertise is required.