Job Description

Posting number: 26-00545

Department: Office of County Attorney

Job classification: ASST COUNTY ATTORNEY V

Posting type: Open

Categories: Legal, Attorney

Summary

This job opportunity is being re-announced. Applicants who wish to revise their original application are encouraged to reapply with a revised application. Otherwise, all applicants who previously applied do not need to reapply to be considered.

Shape the future of our community. The County Attorney’s Office is seeking a skilled transactional attorney to lead complex real estate development and financing projects, with a meaningful focus on expanding housing in Fairfax County. If you want challenging transactional work with the stability, purpose, and balance of public service, this is your next career step. This is a collaborative, intellectually challenging work environment with a predictable schedule that includes the ability to telework. As a core member of our P5 Section, you will focus primarily on transactional real estate and housing work, while collaborating on broader public finance, procurement, and pension matters.

Daily responsibilities include:

• Deal Structuring & Drafting: Negotiate and draft high-level agreements for all phases of real estate development (acquisitions, dispositions, complex loans, and development agreements).
• Due Diligence Leadership: Review and analyze title, survey, zoning, and environmental factors for major county development projects.
• Strategic Advising: Conduct legal research, present findings to public officials, and independently manage project deadlines from inception to closing.

What We Are Looking For

• Substantial experience in complex real estate transactions and development financing.
• Proven capability in negotiating and drafting intricate real estate documents independently.
• Strong due diligence skills (title, survey, and zoning analysis).

Bonus Points: Familiarity with federal affordable housing programs (e.g., low-income housing tax credits, Housing Choice Vouchers, CDBG), landlord-tenant law, or fair housing issues.

For experienced candidates, upon approval of the Director of Human Resources, the salary may start above the midpoint of the L5 scale, beginning at $157,939.18. In addition to excellent array of benefits, there are opportunities for promotion and career advancement. While we ideally seek an experienced candidate, we are highly open to underfilling the position with a less experienced, high-potential attorney who has a demonstrated passion for real estate development and financing. We will train the right person.

The Office of the County Attorney functions as in-house counsel to the Board of Supervisors, the County Executive, and County departments. Led by County Attorney Elizabeth D. Teare—the County’s first female County Attorney appointed in 2016—our office has a distinguished history. Multiple alumni have been appointed by the General Assembly to serve as judges in local courts. Our attorneys actively lead the Virgina State Bar, the Fairfax Bar Association, the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, and the Virginia Law Foundation. The LGA Cherin Award is named after retired Deputy County Attorney Bob Cherin for his distinguished public service. The Virginia Law Foundation’s Bobzien-Gaither Education Center is, in part, named after former County Attorney David P. Bobzien, who served as the president of the Virginia State Bar and the Virginia Law Foundation.

Fairfax County is the largest jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia (1.2m+ residents and more than 13,000 employees). and is widely recognized for superior management, earning the prestigious ICMA Certificate of Excellence for 13 consecutive years. County employees are eligible for superb benefits. Highlights of the county's benefits packages are: Retirement: A defined-benefit pension plan plus a deferred compensation plan (457); Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance, alongside a robust workforce wellness program and Employee Assistance Program. Generous Time Off: Including paid holidays, paid family leave (up to 6 weeks per 12-month period for qualified events), sick leave, and annual leave.

Supplemental information

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Must be an active member in good standing of the Virginia State Bar. Any combination of education and experience equivalent to four years of experience as a practicing attorney.

For specific, specialized County Attorney positions, at the request of the County Attorney, the Human Resources Director may approve consideration of candidates who are members of a Bar Association in a state other than Virginia. For these approved positions, membership in the Virginia State Bar must be obtained within 9 months of hire.

UNDERFILL REQUIREMENTS:

• This vacancy may be filled at the level of Assistant County Attorney III (Grade L03 – $93,964.42 to $164,437.73). The employment standards for Assistant County Attorney III are: Must be an active member in good standing of the Virginia State Bar. Any combination of education and experience equivalent to one year of experience as a practicing attorney. Upon the successful completion of the 12-month probationary period and after reaching a total of 4 years of experience, Assistant County Attorney III employees are eligible for a non-competitive appointment to the Assistant County Attorney V level.
• Click here to view the complete details and KSAs for the Assistant County Attorney III.
• Upon completion of an underfill agreement (which will require that the employee meets the employment standards above, in addition to attaining competencies defined by the hiring agency), the employee will be elevated to the level of Assistant County Attorney V.
• Underfill candidates must be able to meet the minimum qualifications of Assistant County Attorney V within one year of the job announcement’s closing date of October 16, 2027.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

License to practice law in the state of Virginia.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• The appointee to the position will be required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer.
• The appointee to the position must complete a Statement of Economic Interest form prior to starting work.
• All positions allocated to the County Attorney series are under the Fairfax County Merit System of personnel administration and are limited to full-time employment and preclude the private practice of law. However, the phrase "private practice of law" does not include the provision of pro bono public legal services in a pro bono legal services program approved by the County Attorney and in accordance with the policy of the County Attorney governing participation in an approved program.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Demonstrated experience in complex real estate and affordable housing transactional matters, affordable housing programs, fair housing matters, public financing, and general local government law.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to travel to various locations throughout Fairfax County, Northern Virginia, and other areas to attending meetings, conferences and court hearings.
• Ability to input, access and retrieve information from a computer.
• Ability to communicate with others.
• All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview and may include a practical exercise. Applicants must include a writing sample attached to their application to receive full consideration.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home — including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others. We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.

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Requisition 26-00545