Senior Counsel, EMEA Employment

Overview

This role is based in the United Kingdom and reports to the VP, Employment, Compliance, and Sustainability. The position provides practical, risk-based advice on global employment matters, primarily supporting Europe, Middle East and Africa, with opportunities to partner on matters in other regions and global projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal counseling to the People & Culture team, management, and other stakeholders on global employment matters, including:
  • Hiring
  • Classification
  • Accommodations
  • Leaves
  • Discipline
  • Terminations
  • Works council, collective bargaining, and trade union interactions
• Draft, review, and negotiate employment-related agreements and documents, including:
  • Offer terms
  • Separation and settlement agreements
  • Policies/templates
  • Develop templates and guides
• Manage employment-related claims, charges, and litigation (including pre-litigation demands), including strategy and partnership with internal stakeholders; supervise outside counsel through resolution
• Partner with People & Culture and business leaders on employee relations matters and workplace investigations, including advising on process, privilege, findings, and recommended corrective actions
• Conduct employment law training for People & Culture professionals and review other training materials for compliance with applicable law
• Advise People & Culture and business leaders on immigration and other employee mobility matters, and supervise outside immigration counsel

Requirements

• LLB, LLM, or equivalent law degree (QLD) and active bar membership in at least one EMEA jurisdiction (or ability to obtain as required for the role)
• 8+ years of relevant employment law experience, either in-house and/or at a law firm
• Exposure to multi-jurisdictional or global employment issues strongly preferred
• Strong legal judgment; ability to own projects without supervision and communicate complex issues clearly and pragmatically to non-lawyers
• Proven ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced environment with strong organizational skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools and matter/document management systems a plus

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to multi-jurisdictional or global employment issues

Compensation & Benefits

• 25 paid vacation days, plus 4 extra global VeeaMe Days for self-care and 24 paid volunteer hours annually
• Private medical, dental, and vision insurance with dependent enrolment
• Life insurance with enhanced coverage and global 24/7 protection
• Income protection after 26 weeks, covering a portion of salary
• Defined contribution pension plan with employer match
• Worldwide travel insurance for business and leisure, with option to enroll dependents
• Employee Assistance Program with therapy, legal, and financial support, plus online GP services and wellbeing programs
• Opportunities to learn and grow through on-demand libraries, mentoring, workshops, and learning events like an annual Global Day of Learning

Location

• Based in the United Kingdom
• If an applicant is permanently located outside of the UK, the employer reserves the right to decline the application for this position.

Equal Opportunity

An equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics under applicable law.