THE OPPORTUNITY

The City of McKinney, Texas, presents a rare opportunity to join the executive leadership team of one of the nation’s highest-performing cities as its First Assistant City Attorney. This position is the first step of a multi-year succession plan to transition to an in-house legal department and provides a potential pathway to its leadership. This year, the City of McKinney was recently recognized as a Top Workplace by USA Today.

ABOUT McKINNEY

McKinney, Texas, population of 222,441, has a unique, rich, and diverse spirit with a vibrant and promising future. Located along US 75, in the northeastern corner of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, McKinney’s population has more than doubled every ten years since 1990 and is expected to reach 350,000 once the community is built out. McKinney is just 30 miles north of downtown Dallas and is the county seat of Collin County.

Throughout its growth, McKinney has maintained its sense of community and dedication to community engagement. The City’s Unique by Nature brand is more than a tagline – it represents a way of life in a community that willingly works together to make McKinney a great place in which to live, work and raise a family.

CITY GOVERNMENT

The City of McKinney operates under the council–manager form of government with home rule status, and the current City Manager was appointed in 2016. The City Council also appoints the City Attorney and has contracted with the same firm for nearly forty years, demonstrating incredible stability. The City Council consists of seven voting members, four of which are elected from districts and two members plus the mayor elected at large. All members are elected for four-year terms, with a limit of two terms per office. The City of McKinney is a large organization with 1,340 FTEs, a $219 million General Fund budget, and a total budget of $888 million. The City’s fiscal policies have resulted in a AAA bond rating from S&P and Moody's.

Working for the City of McKinney is more than a job. It is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. It is also an opportunity to be a part of a High-Performing Organization that values collaboration and works at a fast and dynamic pace.

THE POSITION

Reporting to the appointed/contract City Attorney, the successful candidate will be expected to provide professional legal services to the Mayor, City Council, City management, City departments, and various City boards and commissions. The position will also provide assistance to the City Attorney, and supervise attorneys, paralegals, and administrative support staff. Key responsibilities include advising City Council Members, the City Manager, departments, municipal court, and employees on legal questions and procedures; responding to difficult and sensitive citizen inquiries and complaints, including reviewing and supervising investigations, and recommending resolutions; drafting, evaluating, and negotiating transactional documents for the City, investigating contract disputes, and settling disputes in the interest of the City; monitoring, coordinating, and assigning lawsuits, including taking responsibility for the strategy and effective representation of the City in lawsuits; and representing the City, in conjunction with outside litigation counsel, before courts and/or legislative and regulatory bodies.

The most successful candidates will have a leadership style founded upon team building, collaboration, and facilitation; a strong work ethic and comfort level in a fast-moving environment; and political astuteness and comfort interacting with elected officials, stakeholders, and business leaders.

The First Assistant City Attorney will be the City’s first position hired as it begins to build an in-house City Attorney’s Office. Importantly, the City’s longstanding contracted City Attorney will remain in place over the short term. During this transition, additional attorneys and staff are anticipated to be onboarded. The First Assistant City Attorney will play a pivotal role in this transition, while ensuring the continuation of excellent legal services.

QUALIFICATIONS

The following are the minimum qualifications for the position of First Assistant City Attorney:

• Education: A Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school.

• Experience: Fifteen years of previous legal experience, including at least twelve years of municipal law or related experience, and five years of supervisory experience.

• Licensure and Registrations: Must be a member in good standing of the State Bar of Texas. Licensure to practice before U.S. District Courts (Eastern and Northern) is preferred.

SALARY & BENEFITS

The City of McKinney is offering a salary range of $196,000 to $244,000 for this position, commensurate with experience and qualifications. In addition, the City provides an excellent executive benefit plan with retirement provided by the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) with a 7% employee contribution. The City of McKinney matches member deposits and interest at retirement at a rate of 2 to 1. The City of McKinney also participates in Social Security.

Interested candidates are encouraged to review additional benefit information in the detailed recruitment brochure by clicking on the .pdf link on this page.

APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS

To be considered for this position, interested candidates must submit a cover letter and résumé below no later than Monday, April 7, 2025.

Confidential inquiries are welcomed to:

Greg Nelson | greg@mosaicpublic.com | (916) 550-4100

Bryan Noblett | bryan@mosaicpublic.com | (916) 550-4100