Description:

A Cane Sugar Refining Company is a leading domestic sugar producer and North America's first fully integrated cane sugar company, guiding our sugar from farm to table. We are America's first and only producer of certified organic sugar, grown and harvested in the United States. Our renewable energy facility is the largest of its kind in North America and provides clean energy that powers our sugar operations, which helps us reduce our use of fossil fuels. A Cane Sugar Refining Company also sustainably farms rice, sweet corn and other vegetables in rotation with our sugarcane. Our rice mill is the only rice mill in Florida.

Overview:
The Senior Labor and Employment Counsel will report to the Chief Litigation Counsel, with a dotted line to the VP, Human Resources. This position will provide employment and labor relations legal support, collaborating with legal colleagues, HR professionals, executive management, and other key stakeholders. This position will be responsible for developing and implementing labor relations strategies that align with the organization's goals and objectives, managing labor and employment related dispute resolution, and advising HR professionals and business managers on all aspects of day-to-day employment-related matters, including hiring and termination issues, reductions in force, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, reasonable accommodations, leaves of absence, and wage and hour issues.

Detailed Roles & Responsibilities

Develop and implement labor relations strategies: Create and execute comprehensive labor relations strategies that align with the organization's goals and objectives. This includes analyzing labor market trends, assessing potential risks, and identifying opportunities for improvement.
Labor relations and employment policies and procedures: Develop and implement labor relations policies and procedures that comply with applicable labor and employment laws and regulations. Regularly review and update these policies to ensure compliance and alignment with industry best practices.
Employee relations support: Provide guidance and support to management and HR teams on labor relations matters, including disciplinary actions, grievances, and dispute resolution. Advise on strategies to maintain positive employee relations and minimize labor-related risks.
Labor relations and employment law training and communication: Develop and deliver training programs to educate managers and employees on labor relations and employment policies, procedures, and best practices. Facilitate effective communication between management, employees, and labor unions to foster a collaborative work environment.
Stay updated on labor and employment laws and regulations: Stay abreast of changes in labor and employment laws, regulations, and industry trends. Proactively assess the impact of these changes on the organization's labor relations and employment strategies and recommend necessary adjustments.
Review and respond to labor and employment related claims, including employment related charges, complaints, and attorney demand letters; developing a strategy to address them, draft responses to charges and attorney demand letters, and reviewing and approving court filing.
Manage and supervise outside counsel, including the RFP process related to selecting outside counsel, experts and vendors in litigation, claims, and other disputes, the budgeting and invoice review for these matters, and evaluating the performance of outside counsel.
Provide evaluations of liability and damage issues and negotiates fair and equitable settlements for employment matters.
Manage and coordinate discovery, including litigation holds, information gathering, e-discovery, documents collection witness preparation, depositions, and privilege reviews for employment matters, including responding to information requests.
Work with investigative teams to ensure thorough and complete privileged investigations of employment related matters, and provide legal advice related to such investigations.

Required Qualifications:

7-10 Years of experience in employment and labor law, including at least two years at a law firm or in house legal position.
Broad subject matter expertise in federal and state employment laws and regulations.
Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
Bilingual a plus.
Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office suite
The candidate must have a J.D. degree from an ABA-approved law school and be an active member in good standing of the Bar (Florida or New York preferred).

Essential Capabilities (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Personal Attributes)

Impeccable integrity and trust.
Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to effectively collaborate in a multicultural setting with fellow members of the legal department and employees in other departments.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and excellent drafting skills.
Ability to set priorities and effectively, efficiently, and calmly manage multiple time-sensitive projects.
Practical and business-minded with an ability to present a business partner with real-world, pragmatic advice.