Description:
Position Summary:The Corporate Counsel – Employment will join the legal team based in Springfield, Missouri, and will report directly to the General Counsel. You will support all areas of A Retail Company business with respect to employment and labor law, providing day-to-day employment law advice and counseling to Human Resources professionals and internal business partners and managing all aspects of employment litigation and agency matters relating to employees in retail, distribution centers, manufacturing, corporate, and hospitality.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Provide proactive, practical, and timely day-to-day advice to the HR team and internal business partners across all areas of A Retail Company and its affiliates' businesses on a wide variety of multi-jurisdictional employment issues, including but not limited to: wage and hour; leaves of absence and accommodations; drug testing and background screenings; discrimination and retaliation; investigations; performance management; employment health and safety; and other labor and employment related matters, policies, and procedures
- Monitor legislative and regulatory developments affecting employment obligations; identify and assess legal risks and opportunities relating to employment law; advise HR and internal business partners regarding same
- Review and draft company policies and handbooks to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws
- Assist in developing, preparing, and providing training to HR and internal business partners regarding employment law compliance and best practices
- Represent the company in employment matters filed with state and federal agencies, including preparation and review of company responses to charges and complaints of discrimination
- Supervise and manage outside counsel on employment matters, including litigation
- Draft and negotiate employment-related documents including separation agreements
- Support the existing A Retail Company legal team needs as well as new or special projects consistent with the evolving needs of the business
- Partner with other members of the legal team and other internal stakeholders to drive strategic initiatives and execute improvements
Qualifications:
- J.D. from ABA accredited law school
- Admitted and member in good standing in at least one state bar and ability to become licensed as in-house counsel in Missouri
- Minimum 6 years' experience in a dedicated employment law practice, either with a law firm or in-house legal department. Recent experience with retail and/or manufacturing industries preferred.
- Experience handling employment matters before federal/state courts and administrative agencies
Knowledge, Skills & Ability:
- Strong working knowledge of federal and state employment laws, including but not limited to Title VII, FMLA, FLSA, OSHA, ADA, ERISA, and other relevant statutes; experience with labor, workers' compensation, and/or immigration laws a plus
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent legal analysis, reasoning, and writing skills, including the ability to quickly integrate and synthesize facts and law to make legally sound decisions in compressed timeframes
- Ability to balance and prioritize multiple time-sensitive issues involving business partners in various locations
- Ability to provide direct and timely advice and counseling to business clients at various levels of the organization
- Ability to think strategically and evaluate potential risks to the company, including economic, legal, and reputational
- Practical mindset with ability to balance legal risk with business impact
- Ability to cut through complexity to distill the most important issues
- Self-motivated and able to work with minimal supervision and assume significant responsibility
- Excellent interpersonal skills; team player who is flexible and adaptable