OVERVIEW

Governors Island is a popular year-round destination located in the middle of New York Harbor. For almost two centuries, the Island was closed to the public, operating as a military base for the U.S. Army and, later, the Coast Guard. Today, an award-winning new park is complemented by dozens of unique historic buildings, educational and cultural facilities, a rich arts and culture program and a 22-acre National Monument managed by the National Park Service. Looking ahead, the Island is envisioned to be further activated as a resource for all of New York City, with expanded educational, nonprofit, and commercial facilities. The Trust is currently in the process of expanding the Island’s arts and cultural program, as well as anchoring its growth through attracting a hub of educational and research partners dedicated to addressing the global climate crisis.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Paralegal is a full-time employee of the Trust responsible for key business and administrative functions within the Trust’s Legal Department, including support of its practicing attorneys. The Paralegal will report directly to the Trust’s General Counsel. The paralegal will work closely with business staff across the Trust’s functional areas, including teams responsible for real estate, capital development, arts, events, public affairs, and finance.

Responsibilities include:

• Support the Legal Department through document preparation, records administration, and workflow management
• Organize preparations for Board of Directors meetings, including drafting of memoranda, minutes, and other materials, as well coordination of necessary logistics and formalities
• Manage the administration of Trust contracts, including preparation of contract drafts and oversight of post-execution workflow
• Develop and execute key Project Management initiatives within the Legal Department
• Lead administration of the Trust insurance program, including review and tracking of all insurance certificates and other required deliverables
• Coordinate Trust governance and compliance functions, including reporting requirements of New York’s Public Authorities Reform Act (“PARA”), Freedom of Information Law (“FOIL”), and procurement records
• Act as liaison to other Trust departments, including support to the Trust’s Senior Staff
• Collaborate with attorneys and other teams to solve business and legal problems, including novel issues involving development, public space, and the Trust’s arts & climate-change programs

 QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• College graduate with strong academic record

Experience:

• Legal, administrative, or project management experience in government agency, not-for-profit entity, law firm, or similar office
• Demonstrated interest in parks & public space, real estate, urban development, land use, arts & culture, and/or climate & environmental issues

Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent communication, writing, task-management, and project-management skills
• Strong capacity for proactive thinking as needed to identify issues and mitigate problems across intersecting subject areas
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively, make sound professional judgments, manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and meet required deadlines
• High level of self-organization, discipline, and mastery of detail
• Comfort working in a small organization, with an eagerness to perform a wide variety of functions as needs shift and arise
• Teamwork mindset, with curiosity and eagerness to learn unfamiliar subject matter
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat required; Airtable a plus

Salary Range: $65,000 to $70,000 per year 

Location and Schedule:?All positions are located on Governors Island. This position is in-person four days a week and remote one day a week. 

Anticipated start date: Late summer 2025

TO APPLY
We realize that not all applicants match 100% of the qualifications for a role. If you meet many but not all the criteria and feel you may be a good fit for this role, we encourage you to apply.

Please send a cover letter and resume as a single PDF document to jobs@govisland.org with “Paralegal” in the subject line. No phone calls please.

The Trust for Governors Island values the importance of inclusion, accessibility and a diverse pool of applicants.  The Trust for Governors Island does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, genetic information, marital status, membership in an employee organization, military service, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including gender identity), sexual orientation, sexual and other reproductive health decisions, or other non-merit factor.

ABOUT THE TRUST FOR GOVERNORS ISLAND

The Trust for Governors Island (The Trust) is a nonprofit corporation created by the City of New York. It is responsible for the redevelopment and operation of 150 acres of Governors Island.  The Trust's mission is to realize the full potential of Governors Island, demonstrating a bold vision for public space. For more information, visit www.govisland.org