Will Onuoha, a long-time leader in City of Boston housing, utility and other departments, has announced he will run for a City Council At-Large seat, looking to bring “professionalism” to the embattled council.

“I’ve worked in city government for over two decades,” said Onuoha. “I’ve run some city departments. I know how to make this a better city. I know how things move. And bringing that level of institutional wisdom to the council, I think will definitely help focus the council and help us stay on task for things that we really need to do to push the city forward.”

Onuoha, an attorney and Boston native, has served in city leadership roles for over 15 years under the last four mayors. The candidate is currently the Assistant General Counsel and Director of Health and Safety for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission.

Within city government, Onuoha previously worked as the Executive Director of the Office of Fair Housing, Equity and Civil Rights, Deputy Commissioner/Director of Housing at the Inspectional Services Department and the neighborhood coordinator for Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Mission Hill, Fenway and Kenmore.

The Boston City Council At-Large seats are currently held by Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia, Erin Murphy and Henry Santana.

Onuoha said he aims to bring professionalism and work on “really restoring the public trust” following the council’s slew of issues in the last few years. Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson’s arrest on federal corruption charges marked the council’s latest scandal in recent weeks, following other scandals in City Hall over ethics violations, sexual assault allegations, and a car crash arrest.

The new council candidate cited housing as his number one issue, saying “affordable, equitable workforce housing is super important to me.” Onuoha also argued the city could do a “better job” with Boston Public Schools, the “humanitarian issue” at Mass and Cass, and public safety, the latter through both supporting young people with opportunities and working with police.

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Onuoha grew up in a large Nigerian family in Mission Hill, attended BPS schools and received a BA from University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a law degree from New England School of Law.

He spoke highly of opportunities that put his life on a “different path” than some friends and neighbors growing up, including being on the Mayor’s Youth Council and receiving a Carol DiMaiti Stuart scholarship, which stemmed from a dark chapter in Mission Hill history.

“Boston, to me, is the best city in the world,” said Onuoha. “It is important not just to celebrate our successes, but also to identify our challenges, and, in a more timely way, to fix them. This is what I committed my professional life to doing, and it’s what I would like to bring to the Boston City Council.”