Position Information

NY HELPSNo

55-b/c EligibleYes

AgencyFinancial Services, Department of

TitleSenior Attorney Financial Services (Life), SG-25

Occupational CategoryLegal

Salary Grade25

Bargaining UnitPS&T - Professional, Scientific, and Technical (PEF)

Salary RangeFrom $69964 to $126875 Annually

Employment Type Full-Time

Appointment Type Contingent Permanent

InternshipNo

Jurisdictional Class Competitive Class

Travel Percentage 0%

Schedule

Workweek Mon-Fri

Hours Per Week 37.5

Workday

From 9 AM

To 5 PM

Flextime allowed? No

Mandatory overtime? No

Compressed workweek allowed? Yes

Telecommuting allowed? Yes

Location

County Albany

Street Address One Commerce Plaza, Suite 301

City Albany

StateNY

Zip Code12222

Job Specifics

Duties Description The Department of Financial Services is seeking candidates for the position of Senior Attorney Financial Services in the Life Bureau. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Reviews individual and/or group annuity contracts, individual and/or group life insurance policies, credit life policies, credit disability policies, credit unemployment policies, life settlement contracts and other product filings submitted for approval by authorized insurers or subject to market conduct review to determine compliance with applicable statutes, regulations and circular letter;

• Evaluates industry trade practices, identifying legal issues and applying public policy in determining acceptability of the content and marketing of policy forms;

• Prepares memoranda on new legal or public policy issues identified in policy form submission or market conduct review and makes proper recommendations in formulation of new Department position. Prepares memoranda and supporting material and assists the Office of General Counsel in preparation of administrative hearing regarding disapproval or withdrawal of approval of forms;

• Attends meetings or participates in telephone conferences with industry representatives to discuss policy form filings or marked conduct matters;

• Drafts legislative proposals with supporting memoranda, regulations with required SAPA materials, and circular letters;

• Critiques or assists in the analysis of draft legislation or regulations proposed by other bureaus, agencies, insurance companies, trade groups or legislators, which affect insurance products and the marketing of such products in New York;

• Assist in the revision of Department product outlines and other guidance documents;

• Participates in Department task forces with industry or other governmental agencies in drafting legislation and regulations;

• Prepares reports on new industry practices, new distribution methods, new products and compliance issues;

• Performs legal research of statutes, regulations, and court decisions that are pertinent to the life insurance industry;

• Responds to consumer complaints and legislative inquiries, inquiries from industry representatives or from within the Department concerning life insurance policies and annuity contracts including interpretation of contract provisions and rights and obligations of the parties to the contract;

• Assists field examiners in the identification and research of various issues arising during market conduct examinations;

• Assists in the processing of violations of the Insurance Law relating to the approval process including coordination with other units or Bureaus such as the Office of General Counsel, Enforcement Unit, and Consumer Assistance Unit;

• Processes policy forms in a timely and efficient manner in view of the Bureau's present volume of submissions;

• Maintains files in an orderly fashion to ensure proper response times and makes efficient use of support staff;

• Coordinates review of files with actuaries and other Life Bureau personnel;

• Performs other duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications Appointment Method:
Minimum Qualifications:
Senior Attorney, SG-25: One year as an Assistant Attorney 3 or admission to the NYS Bar and two years of subsequent professional legal experience. Assistant Attorney 3, SG-22: One year as Assistant Attorney 2 or admission to the NYS Bar and one year of subsequent professional legal experience. Assistant Attorney 2, SG-20: Admission to NYS Bar. Assistant Attorney 1, SG-18: Law School Graduation (or other eligibility to take the NYS Bar Examination). Note: If you are appointed as an Assistant Attorney 1, you will be automatically advanced to Assistant Attorney 2 upon admission to the New York State Bar. If you are not admitted to the New York State Bar within two years of appointment, your appointment will be terminated.
The Traineeship: If you are appointed to one of the entry levels of the Attorney Traineeship, you will normally be advanced after each twelve months of satisfactory service to the next higher title (with salary based on performance) until you reach the full performance level of a Senior Attorney. If your final performance evaluation as an Assistant Attorney 2, and your six-month performance evaluation as an Assistant Attorney 3 are rated outstanding, you may be eligible for early advancement to Senior Attorney, reducing your traineeship by six months. All service during the traineeship will be in probationary status. Performance will be evaluated every six months against established standards set by the individual agencies which reflect a timetable for gaining the knowledge and skills necessary so that appointees are able to function at the Senior Attorney level at the completion of the traineeship.
NY HELPS: This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).
For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title maybe filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply (see minimum qualifications above). At this time, agencies may recruit and hire employees by making permanent non-competitive appointments.
At a future date (within one year of appointment), it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.
List Appointment: Candidates must be reachable on the Civil Service eligible list for 20-620010.
55 b/c Appointment: Candidates must meet the eligibility requirements of the Governor's Program to Hire Individuals and Veterans with Disabilities as described in Civil Service Law § 55b/c. Information about this program can be found here: https://www.cs.ny.gov/rp55/
Transfer: Candidates must have one year of permanent competitive service in a title eligible for transfer via Section 70.1 or 52.6 of the Civil Service Law. Information regarding transfer eligibility may be available on the Civil Service Career Mobility Office website at http://careermobilityoffice.cs.ny.gov/cmo/.
Please Note that under Civil Service Law, an employee cannot have two consecutive upward 70.1 or 52.6 transfers without an intervening eligible list appointment if such transfers would exceed two salary grades.

Additional Comments Salary: $100,671-$126,875 (Grade-25 Level)
$86,031 (Grade NS-22)
$77,532 (Grade NS-20)
$69,964 (Grade NS-18)
Positions located within the New York City metropolitan area, as well as Suffolk, Nassau, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, are also eligible to receive an additional $4,150 annual downstate adjustment.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.

How to Apply

Name Christopher Barr

Telephone

Fax (518) 402-5071

Email Address recruitment@dfs.ny.gov

Address

Street One Commerce Plaza, Suite 301

City Albany

State NY

Zip Code 12257

 

Notes on ApplyingTo Apply: Interested qualified candidates must submit a resume and letter of interest no later than December 1, 2026 to the email address listed below. Please include the Box # (Box-SA-MHPAEA) in the subject line of your email to ensure receipt of your application. Email submissions are preferred.
Please be advised that the New York State Department of Financial Services does not offer sponsorship for employment visas.
Christoher Barr
Box-SA-MHPAEA New York State Department of Financial Services Office of Human Resources Management One Commerce Plaza, Suite 301 Albany, NY 12257
Email: Recruitment@dfs.ny.gov Fax: (518) 402-5071
All candidates that apply may not be scheduled for an interview.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
Employment with New York State qualifies an individual for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). This program forgives the remaining balance on any Direct Student Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments while working full-time for a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government or not-for-profit organization. To learn more about the program and whether you would qualify, please visit: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Department of Financial Services is required to provide reasonable accommodation for known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified applicant with a disability if an accommodation would enable the applicant to perform the essential functions of the job. If the accommodation would constitute an undue hardship on the operations of the agency, the agency is not required to provide it.
All people with disabilities are encouraged to apply to all jobs for which they meet the minimum qualifications.