Description

Position Closes July 5, 2026 

If you are a highly accomplished legal professional with a passion for public service and a humble desire to impact a vibrant, sustainable community, the City of Concord invites you to consider applying to serve as its next City Attorney. Concord’s next City Attorney is recognized by their peers and superiors as a highly accomplished, decisive, and knowledgeable professional who is: 

• Creative and Responsive: A proactive problem-solver who actively researches innovative solutions, collaborates with and supports staff and Department Heads, and is confident in tackling complex issues, even at the state level.
• A Professional Advisor: Someone who upholds integrity, demonstrates a commitment to protect the City’s interests and assets, and legally supports the Mayor and Council in making informed decisions, while remaining supportive and professional even when their advice is not followed. This person also serves as a legal advisor to staff on City-related matters, takes initiative promptly and shows curiosity about others' legal concerns and their impact.  
• Skilled Interpersonally: A personable leader with high emotional intelligence who can engage with a diverse group of individuals and communicate complex legal matters in layman’s terms.  
• Community-Minded: Someone who maintains a visible presence in the community, not out of duty but from desire; this individual is not just “the City Attorney" but a known and trusted neighbor. 

Concord’s City Attorney will lead its legal services during a period of unprecedented growth, joining a stable, thriving organization with hard-working, dedicated public servants. The successful candidate will easily integrate into the organization’s collaborative, cross-departmental culture of engagement. As a visible representative of the City of Concord, the successful candidate must demonstrate impeccable professionalism in demeanor and communication when advising the Mayor, City Council, staff and the community.

The ideal City Attorney has experience helping local governments maintain stability while preparing for growth. Concord has grown from its humble roots as a small, 26-acre rural community into a modern, thriving city spanning 65 square miles. Concord’s next City Attorney has a unique opportunity to support the organization's vitality by navigating growth-related challenges, including impacts to City utility capacities, managing litigation related to interlocal agreements, and vetting increasingly frequent public records requests.  The successful candidate will demonstrate vision and strategy to strengthen the legal department’s infrastructure, ensuring the team is proactive, cross-trained, and equipped to deliver more legal services in-house. 

About the Organization, Department, and Position: 

Ranked among the Healthiest Employers by the Charlotte Business Journal for the 9th consecutive year, the 
City of Concord is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life by providing excellent service, planning for the future, and collaborating with our community. The city operates under the council-manager form of government. The Mayor and City Council serve part-time and are elected at-large on a non-partisan basis to four-year terms. Concord’s FY26-27 budget of $402M supports nearly 1,300 full-time employees across 23 departments and is united around the values of accountability, communication, and teamwork. Concord envisions a vibrant and sustainable community where innovation, inclusion, and partnerships provide opportunities for all to thrive. 

The City’s Partnership For Stronger Neighborhood program, established in 2000, is evidence of its vision of a vibrant and sustainable community. Within this award-winning neighborhood program, City staff serve as liaisons across the city’s 71 recognized neighborhoods to foster open communication, build relationships, and enhance the quality of life. Learn more information about this program here. View the full job posting via the link below for detailed information about the community of Concord. 

The Concord Legal Department provides legal services to the City Council, City administration, other City employees, and several City boards and commissions. The City Attorney and legal staff serve as advocates for the City’s legal interests before the courts, the General Assembly, and quasi-judicial bodies. Reporting to the Mayor and City Council, the City Attorney manages a $1.5M budget and oversees 5 direct reports: a Deputy City Attorney, an Assistant City Attorney, 2 Paralegals, and an Executive Assistant. Concord’s City Manager provides functional supervision of the Legal Department. 

The City Attorney serves as the official legal advisor to the Mayor and City Council, as well as the City Manager, other staff, boards, commissions, and committees of the City. Responsibilities for this position include the development, review, and revision of City contracts, representing the City in litigation by conducting thorough investigations, drafting and filing legal documents, appearing in court proceedings, and representing the City at trial and post-trial proceedings. 

Key Priorities for the next City Attorney:   

• Establish a consistent, legally sound process for vetting and managing public records requests to improve efficiency and ensure organizational compliance while serving as the primary expert on public records statutes - educating and guiding Department Heads on the public records release process to increase competency and mitigate legal risks.
• Effectively manage current contracts, including interlocal agreements, while strategically preparing for an increase in volume and complexity of contractual obligations and organizational needs as the city navigates expansion; Provide in-house legal oversight and support of contractual agreements to the organization’s departments.
• Increase engagement with internal and external stakeholders, particularly department heads, to foster a culture of collaboration and trust; maintain a physical presence at important City events and attend quasi-judicial board meetings to provide direct legal accessibility; lead the legal department in being a collaborative team player to other departments, establishing trust and credibility across the organization.
• Facilitate litigation management with a hands-on approach to managing both in-house legal matters and those outsourced to external counsel while providing robust support and representation for City staff members who are involved in depositions, mediations, or other litigation proceedings.
• Protect the City Council and the organization from external lawsuits by identifying and mitigating liabilities before they escalate.

Qualifications:

Concord’s next City Attorney must have a Juris Doctor from an American Bar Association-accredited law school, with at least ten (10) years of increasingly responsible professional experience with at least five (5) years of supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job. The following licenses and certifications are required: 

•    North Carolina Law License;
• Admission to practice in North Carolina Courts;
• Admission to practice in federal courts, including the Federal District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina;
• Valid North Carolina Driver’s License.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants must meet the City criteria for an acceptable driving record.

Preferred Qualifications include experience in Municipal or Public Law, Contract Law, Employment Law &/or Environmental Law; successful litigation background; experience as a City Attorney or with other public sector entities. 

Salary and Benefits: The hiring range for this position is $235K - $240K. The starting salary range is dependent on experience and qualifications. The city offers a comprehensive benefits package, including various health insurance plans, an on-site wellness center for the prevention, intervention, and management of acute and chronic illness, multiple free fitness centers, participation in the NC Pension Plan, and a 401(k) Retirement Plan. There is no residency requirement for this position. 

 To apply, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/developmentalassociates and click on the City Attorney – City of Concord, NC title. 

• All applications must be submitted online via the Developmental Associates application portal (link above) – NOT the City’s employment application portal or any other external website.
• Resumes and cover letters must be uploaded with the application.
• Applicants should apply by July 5, 2026.
• The hiring team will invite successful semi-finalists to participate in virtual interviews and skill evaluations on August 4-5, 2026. Candidates are encouraged to reserve these dates for virtual meetings should they be invited to participate.
•  Interviews with the hiring team will follow at a subsequent time.
• Direct inquiries to hiring@developmentalassociates.com.

The City of Concord, NC, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The recruitment and selection process is being managed by Developmental Associates, LLC.  To learn more about our selection process, visit https://developmentalassociates.com/client-openings/ and scroll down to “Important Information for Applicants.”