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About the Role

NRDC is seeking a Senior Associate General Counsel with expertise in employment law and labor relations to oversee the employment, labor, and benefits vertical within the Office of the General Counsel. This role will manage other attorneys, provide legal counsel, and oversee the implementation and oversight of a collective bargaining agreement.

Responsibilities

• Provide guidance on consistent application of employment policies, including performance management, accommodations, employee classification, engagement structures, outside engagements, and employee relations matters.
• Oversee compliance with employment requirements for NRDC’s multistate U.S. workforce, including wage-and-hour standards, leave laws, pay-transparency obligations, discipline, termination, and hiring and onboarding rules.
• Advise on international staff considerations related to Africa, China, India, and the UK, coordinating with local counsel.
• Develop strong relationships with key People & DEI Team managers and stakeholders to address evolving matters.
• Draft, revise, and maintain employment-related policies, handbooks, and compliance frameworks.
• Review People & DEI-related vendor agreements, including data-processing and confidentiality provisions.
• Develop and deliver training for managers, People & DEI personnel, and staff on employment-law obligations, workplace conduct, and legal changes.
• Coordinate with People & DEI to deliver other Office of the General Counsel trainings.
• Advise on legal requirements relating to employee benefits programs, including health and welfare plans, retirement plans, and disability benefits.
• Provide legal support for compensation-related matters in coordination with HR and senior leadership.
• Evaluate employment and employee-related data practices for legal risk and advise on compliance solutions.
• Monitor legislation, regulations, and judicial developments related to benefits, compensation, and employment law.
• Advise on employee relations matters and manage litigation, investigations, disputes, settlement negotiations, or claims, including managing outside counsel.
• Staff relevant NRDC committees, such as the HR subcommittee and the Benefits Committee.
• Support the implementation of NRDC’s first collective bargaining agreement and future bargaining activities.
• Manage, delegate, and provide guidance and mentorship to direct reports and other colleagues.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Current license in good standing to practice law.
• 8+ years of experience with federal, state, and/or international legal issues in the exempt organization field in employment, labor, and benefits matters.
• At least 4 years of in-house experience and/or subject matter leadership strongly preferred.
• Experience successfully managing junior attorneys and paralegals.
• Experience working within a union environment.
• Ability to travel to NRDC offices as needed, approximately 15-20%.
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles.

Skills

• Experience with federal and state legal issues in the exempt organization field in employment, labor, and benefits matters; in-house experience strongly preferred.
• Communicate complex legal concepts clearly and succinctly to lay audiences.
• High-level of emotional intelligence and ability to collaborate across diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Excellent drafting, research, and written and oral communication skills.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical ability, sound judgment, strategic orientation, and interpersonal maturity.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment, handle multiple assignments, and meet deadlines independently with strong attention to detail.
• Integrity, professional discretion, and ability to handle sensitive/confidential matters.
• Flexibility and ability to work well independently on multiple projects with a wide variety of people at all levels of the organization.
• Competence with and commitment to diversity and inclusion; ability to be an effective partner with diverse colleagues, leaders, and partners.
• Experience in anti-discrimination matters, hiring preferences, immigration, and pay equity audits a plus.

Location

• Chicago
• Los Angeles
• New York City
• San Francisco
• Washington, D.C.
• Beijing
• New Delhi

Work Type

• Hybrid

Experience Level

• 8+ years of experience
• 4+ years in-house experience preferred

Education Level

• Juris Doctor degree

Salary/Compensations

• $180,000 to $200,000

Benefits

• Competitive salaries
• Excellent benefits
• Supportive working environment

About the Company

• NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.
• NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.
• As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.
• Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act.
• Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace.
• Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, and New Delhi.
• Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
• At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world.
• Learn more at nrdc.org

Equal Opportunity

• NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace.
• We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement.
• We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.
• Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.