Regulatory Officer 1 (Farmland Preservation Staff Attorney)

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

NOTICE OF JOB VACANCY

TITLE: Regulatory Officer 1 (Farmland Preservation Staff Attorney)

ANNOUNCEMENT #: 26-25

ISSUE DATE: 07/24/2025

CLOSING DATE: 08/28/2025

SALARY RANGE: $80,755.57-$118,678.17

LOCATION: State Agricultural Development Committee (SADC), Trenton, NJ

[X]  GENERAL PUBLIC

ELECTRONIC FILING INSTRUCTIONS

Interested candidates must email a cover letter, including the announcement number, resume and transcripts by the closing date of this Notice of Job Vacancy to njdajobs@ag.nj.gov.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Under the direction of the Deputy Chief of Legal Affairs, the primary responsibilities of this position are to support, coordinate, and review all components of farmland preservation real estate transactions for the acquisition of development easements and fee simple title on farmland by the SADC or through the county, municipal, and nonprofit grant programs. The work includes:  preparing contracts, deeds of easement and other necessary legal documents; and reviewing all closing documents, surveys, title work, title commitments, and title policies; coordinating directly with SADC staff, outside counsel, title companies, and all other relevant state, county, local, and nonprofit personnel to resolve issues quickly and effectively; identifying and handling complex legal questions,   recurring problems, and recommending policy or regulatory solutions to expedite current and future real estate reviews; effectively managing documents and information in various platforms and databases; assuring transactions adhere to SADC statutes, rules and policies; performing research as needed to understand and resolve questions;  and the ability to prioritize work according to SADC standards and requirements.  Responsibilities also include tracking correspondence, closing documents and other materials to assure timely completion of the closing process,  accurately scanning,  distributing and saving all related closing documents in compliance with SADC program and record retention requirements;  assisting in other areas of SADC business, including Right to Farm, Agricultural Mediation, Deed of Easement compliance,  and other program matters involving legal review and action; and performing other related duties as required.   The ideal candidate is a team player who values collegiality and possesses excellent written and verbal skills.

REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION: Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) Degree.

  EXPERIENCE:One (1) year of experience performing any of the following: conducting legal research; analyzing, reviewing, and evaluating legal documents, rules, regulations, legislation, and/or regulatory matters.

OR

  One (1) year of experience as an attorney.

  LICENSE:

  Appointee must be eligible to practice as an Attorney-At-Law in the State of New Jersey.

  Appointee must possess a current Certificate of Good Standing issued by the New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners, or other license to practice law issued by any state in the United States.

  Appointee will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

SPECIAL NOTE: The ideal candidate will have a proven ability to successfully manage and expedite multiple acquisition projects simultaneously, meet critical deadlines, pay strict attention to detail, possess excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills, and demonstrate computer literacy, including proficiency in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, OneNote, and SharePoint.

FOREIGN DEGREES: Degrees and/or transcripts issued by a college or university outside of the United States must be

evaluated by a reputable evaluation service at your expense. The evaluation must be included with your submission, and failure to submit the required evaluation may result in an ineligibility determination.

NOTE: All college degrees (both U.S. and non-U.S.) and/or transcripts from a college or university must be evaluated for accreditation by the closing date of this posting. Transcripts must be submitted with a resume. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in ineligibility.

AUTHORIZATION TO WORK:  Selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States according to the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations. 

NOTE:  The State of New Jersey does not provide sponsorships for permanent residency to the United States or work visa. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Effective September 1, 2011, NJ PL 70 (NJ First Act), requires all State employees to reside in New Jersey, unless exempted under the law, or current employees who live out-of-state and do not have a break-in service of more than 7 calendar days, as they are "grandfathered."  New employees or current employees who were not grandfathered and who live out-of-state have one year after the date of employment to relocate their residence to New Jersey or request an exemption.  Current employees who reside in NJ must retain NJ residency, unless an exemption is obtained. Employees who fail to meet the residency requirements or obtain an exemption will be removed from employment.

SAME PROGRAM INFORMATION

SAME APPLICANTS: If you are applying under the NJ “SAME” program, your supporting documents (Schedule A or B letter), must be submitted to njdajobs@ag.nj.gov along with your resume, cover letter, announcement number, and transcript (if position has a degree requirement) by the closing date indicated above. For more information on the SAME Program visit their website at: https://nj.gov/csc/same/overview/index.shtml, email: CSC-SAME@csc.nj.gov, or call CSC at (609) 292-4144, option 3.

BENEFIT(S)*

*Pursuant to the State/Department’s policy, procedures and/or guidelines.

Statewide benefits include:

Deferred Compensation

Health and Life Insurance

Flexible and Health Savings Accounts (FSA) (HSA)

Alternate Work Week available for some positions

Paid Time Off

State Holidays

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer