Senior Labor & Employment Counsel, USA

Overview

The organization is seeking a Senior Labor & Employment Counsel for the USA. This role supports the development and implementation of Labor & Employment (L&E) strategies to help ensure the business operates within a sound legal, compliance, and regulatory framework on all L&E matters.

This position reports to Head L&E and Corporate Governance.

This role will handle a broad range of L&E activities (directly and/or through local legal counsels) and serve as a strategic business partner across Business Areas (BAs), under the strategic direction of the Global Head of L&E law for Motion.

Location

Remote candidates located within the United States. Preference for candidates in the Eastern or Central Time Zones to facilitate interface with internal customers domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Employment-related litigation

  • Manage employment related litigation (advisory and/or strategic as needed)
  • Participate in forming litigation and/or settlement strategy
  • Handle settlement negotiations
  • Determine outside counsel and oversee fees and costs
  • Serve as a liaison between outside counsel and the business unit involved in litigation

• Labor & employment issues

  • Formulate strategies for union contracts and, depending on the situation, participate in union negotiations
  • Manage union-related matters, including union avoidance, union organizing campaigns, labor arbitrations, etc.
  • Provide legal advice to human resources professionals and company management to minimize potential legal exposure
    • Topics include: severance packages; separation agreements; employee performance issues; vetting decisions to terminate employment; complying with state and federal employment laws; drafting/reviewing employment-related agreements; guidance on employment restrictive covenants (e.g., non-competes, trade secrets, etc.); and labor and employment due diligence related to acquisitions
  • Advise on internal investigations related to code of conduct and human resource compliance issues
  • Review and provide guidance on employment policies and procedures; update as law develops
  • Keep HR and management informed of legal and legislative developments related to employment and labor relations
  • Oversee fiduciary activities for Benefit and Investment Committee matters on a need basis to ensure conformity to ERISA standards
  • Act as a strategic legal advisor on emerging HR and L&E technologies, including digital and behavioral assessments, anticipating regulatory developments and mitigating organizational, reputational, and litigation risk

• Management of legal administrative labor & employment actions

  • Oversee legal administrative charges from external federal or state agencies (such as EEOC and NLRB)
  • Manage and conduct mediations arising from external claims

• Training & audits

  • Provide employment-related compliance training (developing and personally presenting training, or coordinating with appropriate training sources)
  • Develop and execute “train the trainer” programs for workplace compliance training
  • Identify areas of potential risk/exposure and take appropriate actions to minimize risk (including internal audits, training, and policy reviews)
  • Ensure good corporate governance (including structuring, drafting, and negotiation) in areas of accountability within the country, including for Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) / divestiture transactions

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree and at least 10+ years’ experience in US Employment and Labor Law
  • Additional Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Human Resources preferred
• Prior litigation experience or extensive experience managing litigation as an in-house attorney
• Strong ability to research, review, and understand local, state, and federal employment laws and how they apply to business operations
• Strong people skills, including negotiation
• Superior communication skills (verbal and written) with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to multi-task
• Strong organizational, collaborative, and follow-up skills
• Experience in a multinational environment and providing advice for multi-jurisdictional/cross-border projects, including exposure to strategic business decisions
• Willingness to work flexible hours when necessary to connect with colleagues abroad
• Ability to travel as needed
• Candidates must already possess authorization to work for ABB in the US.

Preferred Qualifications

• Additional Bachelor’s Degree in Business or Human Resources

Compensation & Benefits

• Expected base pay: between $191,300 and $306,080 annually
• Incentive: eligible for a short-term incentive plan/annual bonus

Benefit Summary (for eligible US employees)

• Excludes ABB E-mobility, Athens union, Puerto Rico

Health, Life & Disability

• Choice between two medical plan options: a PPO plan called the Copay Plan OR a High Deductible Health Plan (with a Health Savings Account) called the High Deductible Plan
• Choice between two dental plan options: Core and Core Plus
• Vision benefit
• Company paid life insurance (2X base pay)
• Company paid AD&D (1X base pay)
• Voluntary life and AD&D – 100% employee paid up to maximums
• Short Term Disability – up to 26 weeks – Company paid
• Long Term Disability – 60% of pay – Company paid
  • Ability to “buy-up” to 66 2/3% of pay
• Supplemental benefits – 100% employee paid (Accident insurance, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Health Advocate support resources for mental/behavioral health, general health navigation and virtual health, and infertility/adoption
• Employee discount program

Retirement

• 401k Savings Plan with Company Contributions
• Employee Stock Acquisition Plan (ESAP)

Time off

• 11 paid holidays
• Salaried exempt positions provided vacation under a permissive time away policy

Equal Employment Opportunity

The employer is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer for protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities.