City Attorney

Position Summary

The Manassas school system, accredited as an AdvancED institution for their leadership in advancing excellence through improvement and organizational effectiveness, serves approximately 7,600 students and is equipped with 1,000 full and part-time teachers, support staff and administrators. The City offers five elementary, one middle, two intermediate and one high school. In addition, the City is served by nearly a dozen quality private schools.

Additionally, Manassas is home to vast opportunities for higher education learning. Northern Virginia Community College is the largest public educational institute in Virginia and the second largest community college in the United States, offering over 160 degrees at the Associates’ level as well as certificate programs. Major universities in close proximity to Manassas include George Mason University, a premier college in Virginia; Georgetown University, Howard University, The George Washington University, and American University, four prestigious private institutions located in Washington, D.C just thirty miles away; and an additional twenty (20) colleges and universities are within one hour’s drive from Manassas.

As part of the Northern Virginia regional center, Manassas has extensive healthcare offerings within the City and in close proximity. Prince William Medical Center, a nationally accredited UVA Health System location, is the primary care facility for the City and surrounding local area. The 170-bed acute care hospital provides a full range of services with nearly 400 physicians representing forty-three (43) medical professions on staff.

In addition to Prince William Medical Center, Manassas’ residents have access to twelve local and national hospitals in Northern Virginia and the metropolitan area. A short drive to Washington D.C. provides access to additional facilities such as George Washington University Hospital, Washington Hospital Center and Children's National Medical Center.

The highly populated, diverse and historic location of Manassas has provided the City with a host of year round activities, events, festivals, recreational ventures, and productions within the City and surrounding area of Northern Virginia. The City boasts over 300 acres of parks, six historic sites, the Manassas Museum and newly opened Manassas Community Center. The City jointly funds the Hylton Performing Arts Center and the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center. Additionally, Prince William National Forest provides 17,000 acres for year-round hiking and camping.

The Manassas area includes endless locations to shop, dine, or enjoy entertainment, as well as historic Washington, D.C. within a short drive. The community is home to the Prince William Symphony Orchestra, Manassas Ballet Theatre, which is the resident ballet company of the Hylton Performing Arts Center, and several art galleries. Historic Downtown Manassas, Potomac Mills, and Manassas Mall are popular shopping locations, with Potomac Mills being the number one tourist location in Virginia and one of the largest malls in the nation.

For its premier location, historic richness, and endless recreational and leisure activities, the City of Manassas is a vibrant and energetic place to live and work in the Northern Virginia area.

Manassas City Government
The City of Manassas operates under a General Assembly approved Charter which defines the Mayor and Councils’ powers and outlines the responsibilities of the governing body and Manager under the Council-Manager form of government. The City Council consists of an independently elected Mayor and six members who are elected at large by voters. Council members serve four-year overlapping terms, which are staggered. The Mayor and City Council form the governing body of the City, enacting ordinances, levying taxes, and setting policy for the City. The City Council meets regularly on the second and fourth Mondays of each month. The Council appoints the City Manager who serves at the pleasure of the Council, carries out its policies, directs business procedures and may appoint or remove City employees and heads of City Departments. The City Council has adopted a series of strategic priorities for the City, which include major focal points related to:

• Economic Prosperity
• Educational Success
• Community Vitality
• Advancing Mobility
• Sustaining Excellence

Essential Job Functions

The City Attorney as outlined in §26 of the City Charter is appointed by the council, the scope of whose duties and whose compensation shall be fixed by the council and who shall serve at the pleasure of the council. As a member of the City’s management team, the City Attorney serves as chief legal counsel for the City government and is independently responsible for providing legal advice and guidance to the City Council, the City Manager, and City departments. The position encounters a wide diversity of work situations involving a high degree of complexity due to various legal issues, which may include land use planning and engineering, employment and labor law, Social Services administrative and litigation matters, construction of public infrastructure, purchasing and procurement, purchase and sale of property, and code development, administration and compliance. The City Attorney is responsible for the preparation of ordinances, regulations, contracts and other legal documents, ensuring compliance with local, state and federal law. They resolve legal questions which arise during the development and implementation of City projects and programs, and provide legal opinions and advice as requested. Reliance on outside counsel is limited to those instances where specialized expertise is needed or it is more efficient or cost-effective to outsource. In those instances where the City contracts with outside counsel for special legal services, the City Attorney manages and coordinates these services. Decisions are made within a broad interpretation of applicable laws and governmental guidelines. The City Attorney has a high level of visibility and interaction with elected officials, the City Manager, and other City leaders.

The City Attorney will:

• Represent the City in a positive and influential manner, willing to embrace and support City goals and initiatives.
• Be a proactive, effective, and straightforward communicator able to actively engage coworkers, management, elected officials, and the general public.
• Display excellent interpersonal skills and awareness of controversial and/or sensitive issues.
• Be a leader with a high level of initiative who demonstrates uncompromising integrity and dedication to promoting an ethical, fair, and positive team.
• Be a motivator with commitment to excellence.
• Have the ability to work independently and prioritize work to meet the needs of the City.
• Be a strategic thinker and problem-solver able to facilitate consensus.
• Be a team leader and team builder with a successful track record of collaboration.
• Be a leader who has demonstrated continued personal growth and development.
• Be an accomplished strategic thinker to assess current and future needs of the City and to devise and implement plans to meet and manage change.
• Be well versed in Virginia and Federal law as it relates to local government, and be a member in good standing with the Virginia State Bar Association

The Ideal Candidate will understand the Council-Manager form of government and the dual role of counsel to both the City Manager and City Council. The individual we seek will be proactive and will focus on problem avoidance, as well as problem remediation. Our candidate will have been a successful City/County Attorney, or Assistant City/County Attorney, and will have had previous experience in an organization recognized for excellent customer service and continuous improvement. The selected candidate will be able to accept and support decisions in a positive manner and have a collaborative approach to fostering cooperation between the City’s departments. Our candidate will be a good listener who consistently works well with personnel throughout all levels of the city. They will demonstrate excellent leadership and management skills. Our candidate reviews legislation coming before the City Council with an eye toward accuracy and consistency with other laws and regulations. They are able to respond to last minute changes in legislation, sometimes as the City Council is deliberating during a public meeting and uses care in quickly drafting corrections and amendments. Our candidate possesses superior research skills and has the ability to shift gears between projects by rapidly multitasking, and has extensive experience making analytical and reasoned judgements on issues of public sensibility. They will have an excellent understanding of state and federal laws, and the principles of municipal law.

Minimum Required Qualifications

Education and Experience

Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctorate degree followed by admission to the Virginia State Bar is required. Candidates should have a minimum of seven to ten years of progressively responsible related experience in all aspects of municipal law, such as that gained as a City/County Attorney or Assistant City/County Attorney, as well as senior supervisory experience; or any equivalent combination of education, experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Skills and Past Performance

Administrative Ability: Strong communication skills, both verbal and written. Ability to communicate complex legal issues to a variety of audiences in a clear, comprehensive and effective manner. Must be highly organized, have excellent follow-through without being prompted, and use collaborative approaches with staff to reach conclusions. Must possess superior research skills and have the ability to shift gears between projects by rapidly multitasking, and have extensive experience making analytical and reasoned judgments on issues of public sensibility. Must be proficient with personal computers and have the ability to coordinate technology applications pertinent to the Department’s operations and management systems.

City Council/City Manager Relations: Ability to take time and interest in working with the City Manager and elected officials to keep them informed and to explain technical and sensitive concepts related to City issues. The successful candidate must be able to work with elected officials on complex legal and policy issues in a setting where different objectives and/or adversarial viewpoints may exist. Must have the ability to accept constructive criticism and to implement needed changes where identified by the City Council. Candidate must be open and honest with the City Council and City Manager and able to use discretion in handling very high-level confidential information ranging from litigation strategy, negotiations, personnel issues, and strategic planning for projects or acquisitions being considered by the City.

Management: Must have a demonstrated record or knowledge of planning, developing, organizing, implementing and coordinating budgets and financial activities of a municipal department. Should have demonstrated significant experience in successfully managing a government or private sector office with considerable knowledge of municipal laws, statutes and policies.

Intergovernmental Relations: Must stay current on legal trends and issues pertaining to the City and make good use of professional connections, maintaining a network of peers that can be called upon to advise the City on specialized areas of law. Must relate to and develop a good working relationship with other local, state, regional and federal agencies to advocate on behalf of the City.

Professional Skills and Management Style

• Thorough knowledge of administrative practices, laws and regulations relating to local government operations
• Clearly understands and tactfully explains the role of the City in complex issues
• Well-versed in use of technology and its current and future importance to the City and its operations
• Critical thinker who provides no surprises to the City Council, City Manager and City staff
• A “hands on” leader; willing to communicate and develop a strong sense of coordination and cooperation with employees and other departments
• Develops and maintains good public relations with the City Council, City Manager, City staff, and the City’s elected and appointed officials
• Embraces ideas from outside sources; ability to communicate with various customers, groups and agencies openly
• Highly motivated to provide excellent internal and external customer service
• Good analytical skills; creative; an idea person
• Self-starter, hard working
• Cognizant of role as a public servant and service oriented
• Ability to manage with confidence; courage to do what is right, even in the face of adversity
• Accessible to City Council, City Manager, and City departments as needed
• Is able to plan, direct, and coordinate the work of a highly competent professional staff

Personal Traits

• Creative, visionary; a big picture person related to City issues; able to ‘think outside the box’
• Absolutely honest and ethical; impeccable integrity and the highest degree of moral character
• Able to maintain highly confidential information
• Unbiased in all dealings, regardless of the individual
• Firm, yet tactful
• Emotional intelligence
• Motivated as an individual to get the task complete and improve the organization
• Apolitical, discreet, diplomatic and courteous
• Able to motivate staff to reach higher level of performance through effort and example
• Open and candid; excellent listener
• Team player
• Confident in abilities with good common sense

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for the position is negotiable based on qualifications and experience. Excellent benefits package includes participation in the Virginia Retirement System, annual leave, discretionary leave, sick leave, group life insurance, medical insurance, professional dues and conference expenses. Relocation allowance is negotiable.

Special Requirements

Application and Selection Process

Resumes received by January 30, 2026 will receive priority consideration. To be considered, please submit a cover letter and résumé online by visiting the City of Manassas website at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/manassas.

Following the filing date, résumés will be screened by the City of Manassas based on pre-established criteria. This process will include interviews and reference checks for those candidates who are determined to be best suited for the position. A group of semi-finalists will be presented to the City Council for further consideration. The finalists will be interviewed by City Council in Manassas in late March 2026. For more information, please contact Darla Hicks, Human Resources Director, dhicks@manassasva.gov.

The City of Manassas offers a variety of comprehensive benefits packages, participation in the Virginia State Retirement program, generous annual and sick leave and 13 paid holidays for full-time employees! For a full review of the City's benefits plans, please visit our Human Resources website at: https://www.manassasva.gov/human_resources/benefits.php