Overview
This role involves providing strategic, practical guidance on employment matters across a growing, geographically diverse organization. The Employment Counsel partners closely with Human Resources, business leaders, and senior leadership on complex workforce issues.
Employment law is the primary focus, with approximately 25–30% of the role potentially involving broader corporate, contractual, and compliance matters.
Responsibilities
- Serve as a trusted legal advisor to Human Resources and business leadership on complex and sensitive employment matters.
- Translate evolving federal, state, and applicable Canadian employment requirements into practical, business-focused guidance.
- Proactively manage employment risk while supporting an engaging and compliant workplace.
- Manage employment disputes, administrative matters, and litigation in partnership with internal stakeholders and outside counsel.
- Advise on employment-related requirements as the workforce, policies, and employment practices evolve.
- Provide legal guidance beyond employment law by contributing to broader corporate, contractual, and compliance matters.
Specific employment-related responsibilities include:
- Advise HR and business leaders on employee relations matters, including performance management, discipline, accommodations, terminations, organizational changes, and workforce planning.
- Monitor employment and labor law developments and advise on updates to company policies, handbooks, practices, and employee communications.
- Partner with HR on sensitive employee complaints involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and workplace misconduct.
- Manage responses to administrative charges and employment claims, including EEOC, state agency, and applicable Canadian matters, and oversee employment litigation with outside counsel.
- Draft, review, and negotiate executive employment agreements, severance agreements, releases, restrictive covenants, confidentiality agreements, and other employment-related documents.
- Advise on non-compete, non-solicitation, confidentiality, intellectual property, independent contractor, employee privacy, and post-employment obligations.
- Counsel Talent Acquisition and HR on employment-related agreements with executive search, staffing, and recruiting partners.
- Develop and deliver employment law training and practical guidance for HR professionals, managers, and business leaders.
- Advise on employment-related requirements involving prevailing wage, workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, and other workforce compliance matters.
- Support the Chief Legal Officer/Ethics Officer and Compliance team on ethics, investigations, policies, and related compliance initiatives.
- Collaborate with Legal colleagues on corporate and commercial matters, including project and vendor contract review and broader compliance initiatives (approximately 25–30% of the role may involve non-employment legal matters).
Requirements
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and active admission to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
- 3–8 years of relevant employment law experience (a combination of law firm and in-house experience is preferred).
- Strong knowledge of U.S. federal and multi-state employment laws and regulations.
- Demonstrated experience advising on employee relations, workplace investigations, administrative charges, and employment litigation.
- Experience drafting and negotiating executive employment, severance, restrictive covenant, and other employment-related agreements.
- Ability to provide clear, practical, business-oriented legal advice on complex and sensitive matters.
- Strong judgment, discretion, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively advise stakeholders at multiple organizational levels.
- Ability and interest in supporting general corporate, commercial contract, and compliance matters as business needs require.
Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with Canadian employment law, particularly Ontario, and cross-border employment arrangements.
- Prior in-house legal experience.
- Experience supporting a geographically dispersed or multi-state workforce.
- Experience within the AEC, engineering, consulting, or broader professional services industry.
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range: $150,000 - $200,000. Salary is dependent upon experience and geographic location.
Additional details provided in the posting:
- Salary Range: $135–190K (Salary dependent upon experience and geographic location).
Location
- Remote or from one of several office locations.
Additional Information
- Full-time employment status.
- Core business hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
- Criminal background check is required for all advertised positions.
California Applicants
- Applicants in the County of Los Angeles: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
- Applicants in the City of San Francisco: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.
- Applicants in the State of California: Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act.
Equal Opportunity
The employer is an equal opportunity employer and provides consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veterans’ status, or other characteristics protected by law.
Unsolicited resumes from third-party agencies will be considered the property of the employer.