CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL

Requisition No: 885207 

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL - 60057036

 Pay Plan: SES

Position Number: 60057036 

Salary:  $105,000 - $115,000 

Posting Closing Date: 11/01/2026 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Chief Legal Counsel

Office of General Counsel

Department of Children and Families

401 N.W. 2nd Ave. Suite N-1014, Miami, FL 33128

Open Competitive

Current employees will be compensated in accordance with the DCF salary policy.

What you will do

• The Chief Legal Counsel is a Select Exempt Service legal position which implements the delivery of professional legal services to the region pursuant to the policies, procedures and standards established.  The incumbent in this position reports directly to the Deputy General Counsel and is responsible for hiring, advising, and supervising legal counsel for the region.  This position requires extensive knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations, and rules of procedure.
• This is advanced professional work supervising and directing employees. The primary duty of the incumbent in this position is to spend the majority of their time communicating with, motivating, training and evaluating employees, planning and directing their work; and having the authority to effectively recommend actions such as: hire, transfer, suspend, layoff, promote, discharge, assign, and reward or discipline direct reports.  Evaluates employees against established standards and takes appropriate actions when necessary (i.e. recognition, reward, corrective action, etc.).
• The Chief Legal Counsel directs, plans, manages, implements, operates, and supervises the regional Office of the General Counsel. 
• The Chief Legal Counsel advises regional leadership, as well as all region staff, about legal and policy decisions which affect the day-to-day activities of the region.  This responsibility includes attending meetings as well as providing counseling and advice to staff concerning the legal ramifications of potential and pending litigation legislation, policy decision, court decision, and department legal opinions of statewide importance. 
• The Chief Legal Counsel, through its staff, implements the legal opinions and policies established and issued by the Department’s General Counsel. 
• The Chief Legal Counsel collaborates with the Department's Office of Human Resources to ensure consistent and legally compliant employment practices and procedures in accordance with governing laws and agency standards.  
• Serves as principal legal counsel in region operations involving participation in region policy as a member of the region executive management team and planning, organizing and directing the implementation of legal functions in the region.
• Serves as a member of the Department’s statewide litigation management team to provide maximum collaboration between the Department's General Counsel and the region and coordinating strategies in all statewide lawsuits. 
• Advises General Counsel of legal issues and litigation threats in the region and advises General Counsel of issues or needed statutory changes.
• Represents the Department in legal matters.  At the region level, implements statewide policies enunciated by the General Counsel or the Secretary.
• Supervises or provides oversight and administrative assistance for all litigation functions relating to representing the region in state and federal court.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Member of the Florida Bar

Benefits of Working for the State of Florida

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions

(For more information, please click www.myfrs.com);

• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

SELECTIVE SERVICE:  Male candidates born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion into an authorized position unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS) before their 26th birthday or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS.  Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire.  For more information, please visit the SSS website: http://www.sss.gov.

BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENT: It is the policy of the Florida Department of Children and Families that any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S., and, if applicable, Chapter 408, F.S.  No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.  Background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for State and Federal criminal records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and may include local criminal history checks through local law enforcement ag

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.