Assistant Director of Law I (s)

Overview: The City of Cleveland is seeking an enthusiastic and skilled real estate attorney to support and advance transformative real estate initiatives across the Department of Community Development, Department of Economic Development, and the Division of Real Estate. This role is critical to the city’s efforts to strategically manage its real estate assets and catalyze meaningful development.
Cleveland has undertaken several groundbreaking initiatives, including participating in the Putting Assets to Work program to assess and optimize city-owned properties, transforming the Land Reutilization Program by digitizing transactions, creating clear disposition pathways,  introducing competitive bidding for high-impact sites, and establishing the Site Readiness Fund for Good Jobs, which oversees $50 million in  funding to activate 1,000 acres of vacant land and create quality jobs for Cleveland residents. This attorney will be instrumental in advancing these efforts, ensuring the efficient, strategic, and legally sound transition of vacant properties into productive community and economic assets.
As an Assistant Director of Law, the position involves managing complex real estate transactions, drafting and negotiating agreements, and ensuring compliance with state and municipal laws. Acting as a key liaison, the attorney will foster collaboration across departments to align strategies, streamline processes, and enhance Cleveland’s capacity to drive community development and economic growth.Key Responsibilities:

• Provide expert guidance on real estate matters, including purchase and sale agreements, title work, leases, and financing agreements, ensuring alignment with city goals and compliance with municipal requirements.
• Serve as a strategic partner in shaping the city’s legal philosophy on development and managing significant deal flow.
• Contribute to long-term strategies for legal aspects of development projects, aligning legal requirements with broader organizational goals.
• Facilitate cross-department collaboration and standardize processes to enhance efficiency across the city’s Integrated Development cluster (the Departments of Community Development, Economic Development, and City Planning).
• Oversee complex real estate transactions from negotiation to closing, ensuring compliance, risk mitigation, and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Lead efforts to streamline legal and transactional processes, particularly for asset dispositions, by identifying and addressing inefficiencies.
• Resolve complex legal challenges involving multiple stakeholders, balancing competing interests and organizational priorities.
• Proactively identify and mitigate legal risks while maintaining compliance with relevant municipal laws and policies.
• Research, draft, and negotiate agreements, including development, license, lease, and financing documents.
• Conduct legal analyses of state laws and municipal ordinances and draft legal opinions and legislation to support city initiatives.
• Communicate legal strategies and decisions effectively to stakeholders, ensuring transparency and alignment.
• Perform other tasks as needed to support the city’s real estate and development objectives.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school, licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio, be in good standing with the Ohio Supreme Court
• Minimum of four (4) years of transactional experience in a law firm or public sector entity focused on real estate.
• Strong drafting, research, and writing skills, along with excellent verbal communication abilities.
• Proven project management experience and the ability to effectively communicate with clients and the general public
• Experience developing broad organizational strategies that promote effectiveness, collaboration, and efficiency..
• Knowledge of real estate matters, including easements, encroachments, development agreements, license agreements, and disposition and acquisition procedures. Familiarity with land use planning and zoning is a plus.

Salary : $75,000 - $106,836