Deputy City Attorney - Construction Law

Full Job Description

Job Appointment: Full-Time, At Will.

This position is exempt from Civil Service and is an "At Will" position. It serves at the discretion of the hiring authority, subject to the City of Portland Human Resources Administrative Rules and the Portland City Charter and Code.

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8 am-5 pm. An alternate schedule may be available.

Work Location: 1221 SW 4TH AVE, PORTLAND OR 97204

Benefits: Please check our benefit tab for an overview of benefits for this position.

Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.

Union Representation: This classification was recently recognized as represented by AFSCME-189. Terms and Conditions are currently being negotiated.

To view labor agreements, current and future, please visit the Current City Labor Agreements page.Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal.

You will need to attach a resume, cover letter, and a supplemental attachment.

Position Summary:

The Portland City Attorney’s Office seeks an attorney with at least four years of experience as a transactional attorney in the areas of construction (capital improvements) and procurement, to include general advice work for governmental or private entity clients that engage in public contracting.Typical work includes pre-claims disputes, litigation, and insurance coverage assessments and other work as assigned by the City Attorney.

Litigation experience, knowledge of state or local public contracting code, insurance and property transaction experience, and municipal law experience are preferred.The City of Portland requires candidates have a commitment to racial equity as applied to legal analysis, policy, and institutional systems.

Virtual Zoom Meet & Greet Opportunity

Come meet the hiring manager and the senior recruiter! We'll be talking about the position duties and responsibilities, day to day life in the role, review the announcement, discuss how to apply, and answer questions you may have about the position.

10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Zoom Meeting Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/II2QXDL1TbeMiGObLbzukw

*Please note: AI Notetaking apps will not be allowed into virtual sessions hosted by the Bureau of Human Resources Recruitment Team. If you need accommodations as defined by the American Disabilities Act, then please contact the Recruiter for assistance.

Have a question?

Contact Information:

Tamela Ressler, Senior Recruiter

Bureau of Human Resources

Tamela.Ressler@portlandoregon.gov

Requirements

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:

1. A minimum of 4 years’ construction law experience as a licensed attorney, including both transactional and litigation experience, or other combination of experience demonstrating a capacity to perform the essential functions of the position.
2. A Juris Doctor from an accredited law school; AND
3. Oregon State Bar Membership, in good standing, or membership in good standing in the Bar of another jurisdiction, with the ability to obtain Oregon State Bar Membership.

An ideal candidate will have:

• Experience in/knowledge of construction law and real estate transactions; business and workforce equity programs in construction contracting; and alternative contracting methods including construction manager/general contractor, design-build and progressive design-build.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent writing ability.
• Proficiency in time and case management.

Qualifications

Applicant Instructions:

In your application, include your Resume, Cover Letter, and a Supplemental Attachment in accordance with the following instructions:

• Cover Letter: Competitive candidates will provide details in their cover letter addressing current practice areas, ratio of transactional, advice, and litigation work in their current practice, unique or sophisticated transactions that may highlight level of experience and expertise, and how they meet the ideal candidate qualities in the above position description.
  

Resume: Your resume should support the details described in your cover letter and include all experience that is directly related and equivalent to the position.

Note: Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school.

Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.

• Supplemental Attachment: In addition to the cover letter and resume, submit a separate statement in approximately 500 words or less describing:
  1) Your experiences or participation with one or more of the following, and 2) What you learned:
  • Experiences living, working, and/or interacting with individuals from diverse backgrounds and identities.
  • Situations in which you have taken action to address or help resolve unlawful discrimination, racial inequities, and other disparities based on protected class status.
  • Steps you have taken to make workplaces and/or public spaces more inclusive and welcoming for all persons.
  • Advocacy or support to all communities, including those that may be underrepresented in their participation of government decision-making.

If you share the City’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, civil rights, racial justice, environmental justice, equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws, and your experiences are different from those listed above, please explain how you have and would demonstrate your efforts to align with these important and core City values.

Optional Application Materials

Requesting Veteran's Preference

• If you wish to request Veteran's Preference, please submit your veteran documents (e.g., DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter) by the recruitment's closing date.

Effective January 1, 2026, the State of Oregon law ORS 408.225 - 408.238 is amended to expand eligibility for Veterans’ Preference to current and former Oregon National Guard service members.

If applicants are existing state or former Oregon National Guard servicemembers, they are encouraged to attach appropriate documentation to their applications.

• Your veteran preference from prior applications with the City of Portland will carry over to future applications. If you need to update or remove your veteran preference for a specific recruitment or from your master profile, please contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

Application Tips:

• Your cover letter can exceed one page, to ensure you are able to provide the detailed information for every qualification. A subject matter expert will evaluate your application to confirm that you meet the minimum requirements.

How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act.

Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying.

It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.

• Do not attach any additional documents.

Recruitment Timeline:

STEP 1: Apply online between Monday, March 2 – Monday, March 23, 2026

• Please note, all completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than on the closing date and time of this recruitment.
• All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process.
• E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.

Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: March 24-March 27, 2026

• An evaluation of each applicant's training, paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their cover letter, and resume, weighted 100%.
• Your cover letter and résumé will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of March 30, 2026

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

Step 4: Selection (Interview): Mid-to-Late April

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview

Step 5: Offer of Employment: Late April / Early May

• Some positions will require those offered employment to complete and sign a criminal background statement before being considered for employment.
  

Step 6: Start Date: Late May

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

*Timeline is approximate and subject to change.

Additional Information

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• City of Portland Core Values
• Recruitment Process - Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations

An Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer