Legal Counsel - Labor and Employment (PUBLIC SERVICE ADMINISTRATOR)

Essential Functions

• Subject to management approval of the Deputy General Counsel, serves as the Legal Counsel - Labor and Employment for the Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC).


• Engages with Union business representatives as needed throughout the grievance process, using them as a resource and involving them when contractually appropriate.


• Conducts extensive, complex legal research on legal issues related to all Legal Division functions, State and Federal Law, and IDEC Policy and Procedures.


• Serves as secondary Legal Division Contact regarding Freedom of Information Act requests with a primary focus on labor, personnel, and discrimination requests.


• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires graduation from an accredited school of law.


• Requires possession of a valid license to practice law in Illinois.


• Requires three (3) years of progressively responsible administrative experience in the practice of law.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience providing legal representation in labor and employment matters, including handling discrimination charges before entities such as the Illinois Department of Human Rights, Illinois Human Rights Commission, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.


• Proven experience conducting thorough workplace investigations, including interviewing employees and management, analyzing evidence, and preparing legally sound findings and recommendations consistent with policy, past practice, and collective bargaining agreements.


• Knowledge of labor relations and experience working within a unionized environment, including engaging with union representatives, supporting grievance processes, and fostering collaborative labor-management relationships.


• Demonstrated ability to conduct complex legal research and draft legal analyses, policies, or procedures involving State and Federal laws, particularly in areas related to labor, personnel, discrimination, or administrative law.


• Experience responding to or advising on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, especially those involving labor, personnel, or discrimination matters, with the ability to review, analyze, and appropriately apply statutory disclosure and exemption requirements.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires the ability to successfully pass a criminal history check through the Illinois State Police.


• Requires the ability to successfully pass a Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System (CANTS) background check.


• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate.  Requires appropriate, valid driver's license.


• Requires the ability to use and maintain state-issued equipment, such as a cell phone, laptop, and other necessary equipment as required.


• Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested or required/mandated to work overtime including scheduled, unscheduled, or last-minute overtime.  This may require the ability to work evenings and weekends.


• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position.  As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during State employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OIEG) or may be subject to a fine.


• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest.  The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public.  All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission.  (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.


• The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency

The Illinois Department of Early Childhood (IDEC) is the state's first standalone agency dedicated exclusively to advancing equitable access to high-quality early childhood programs and services for young children, their families, and the professionals who support them.  Established in 2024 and operational as of July 1, 2026, IDEC brings together early childhood programs and services previously administered by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) into one unified agency.  
IDEC works to make Illinois' early childhood system simpler, fairer, and more accessible by improving access to services, strengthening program quality, supporting the early childhood workforce, and streamlining the experience for families, providers, and communities.  Through collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence, IDEC is building a stronger early childhood system that helps every child thrive and every family succeed.