Overview
Associate General Counsel (Remote)
This role provides legal services for the benefit of the organization and its affiliated entities located in the United States and abroad. The position has a specialized focus on employee benefits, executive benefits, executive compensation, and related regulatory, transactional, governance, and litigation matters.
The Associate General Counsel serves as a principal legal advisor and subject matter expert for employee benefits, executive compensation, and fiduciary governance matters, advising on applicable laws, regulations, and risk considerations, including ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, Department of Labor guidance, Affordable Care Act requirements, COBRA, church plan issues, and executive compensation rules.
This position provides legal counsel to Human Resources, Finance, Compliance, governance committees, and other business stakeholders. Operational administration, compliance monitoring, corrective action implementation, and plan operations remain with the applicable business, Human Resources, Finance, and Compliance functions.
Responsibilities
Benefits, Executive Benefits, and Executive Compensation Counsel
- Provide legal advice regarding employee benefit plans, executive compensation arrangements, fiduciary governance, transactions, contracting, litigation, and regulatory matters.
- Advise on legal implications of plan design proposals, plan administration issues, compliance correction strategies, fiduciary obligations, participant communications, and governance activities.
- Review and provide legal input regarding plan documents, summary plan descriptions, amendments, policies, and procedures.
- Review employee communications for legal sufficiency and regulatory compliance.
- Advise on tax-exempt executive compensation, physician compensation interactions, deferred compensation arrangements, and incentive compensation arrangements.
Regulatory, Compliance, and Risk Management
- Stay current with legal and regulatory developments affecting employee benefits and executive compensation, as well as Human Resources programs that impact healthcare employers.
- Identify, evaluate, and advise on legal risks and external regulatory influences, including issues under ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, IRS guidance, Department of Labor guidance, Affordable Care Act, COBRA, church plan rules, Internal Revenue Code section 409A, and Internal Revenue Code section 4958.
- Provide legal advice regarding compliance obligations, corrective action alternatives, policy development, and governance requirements.
Transactional, Contracting, and M&A Support
- Review, revise, draft, and negotiate contracts, agreements, letters, and other documents related to benefit plans, Human Resources programs, vendors, consultants, third-party administrators, recordkeepers, insurers, and other business partners.
- Support transactional attorneys with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions by advising on benefit plan due diligence, successor liability, recognition of service, plan integration, and post-closing implementation matters.
- Assist with structuring transactions and preparing template or form documents to promote consistency, efficiency, and risk mitigation.
Governance, Committees, and HR Leadership Support
- Provide legal advice regarding benefit plan and executive compensation governance, including the Retirement Plan Committee, Retirement Administrative Sub-Committee, Defined Contribution Investment Committee, People and Culture Committee, and other committees or leadership groups as assigned.
- Prepare or review committee materials, governance documents, resolutions, minutes, fiduciary education, and recommendations for leadership decision-making.
- Participate in meetings, committees, presentations, and training sessions; provide education to leaders, teammates, professional staff, and other stakeholders.
Litigation, Investigations, and Outside Counsel Management
- Assist with or manage litigation, regulatory inquiries, audits, and claims; provide legal advice regarding correction programs and remediation strategies.
- Supervise and collaborate with outside counsel on legal, regulatory, litigation, transactional, and compliance matters, including scope management, strategy, budgets, and work product review.
- Negotiate with third parties relating to contracts, settlements, plan administration issues, and other transactions.
Quality Management and Operational Support
- Support high reliability by working closely with leadership, Legal Network colleagues, Human Resources, Compliance, Finance, and other departments to promote ethical business practices, legal compliance, and safe, reliable operations.
- Assist Legal Network with budgeting, project oversight, process improvement, documentation of policies and procedures, and implementation of Legal Network and system efficiency measures.
- Perform other job-related duties as required by the Legal Network supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodation.
Requirements
- Law license in good standing and admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (required).
- Eligibility for registration or admission as in-house counsel in applicable jurisdiction, if required by state law or organizational policy (required).
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited U.S. law school (required).
- Ten (10) years of relevant legal experience (required).
- Ten (10) years of employee benefits, executive compensation, Human Resources, ERISA, tax or related regulatory experience (required).
- Experience advising complex health systems, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, church plans, or large multi-entity employers on benefit plan, executive benefits, executive compensation, or Human Resources matters (required).
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience managing outside counsel, vendors, audits, compliance corrections, litigation, or significant legal projects (preferred).
- Continuing Legal Education in employee benefits, executive compensation, ERISA, tax, healthcare law, compliance, or Human Resources legal issues (preferred).
- Training in fiduciary governance, benefit plan administration, compliance correction programs, contract negotiation, or project management (preferred).
Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range
Benefits (may vary by market and employment status)
- Competitive pay, incentives, referral bonuses, and 403(b) with employer contributions (when eligible)
- Medical, dental, vision, prescription coverage, HSA/FSA options, life insurance, mental health resources, and discounts
- Paid time off, parental and FMLA leave, short- and long-term disability, backup care for children and elders
- Tuition assistance, professional development, and continuing education support
Location
Remote