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About the Role

As the Employment Law Counsel, you will serve as the number two Employment and Labor Counsel, reporting directly to the Head of Employment Law. You will provide practical, business-focused legal advice on a broad range of employment matters affecting Guardian’s employees and field force, partnering closely with Human Resources, business leaders, and Law Department colleagues to manage legal risk, support sound decision-making, and advance Guardian’s business priorities.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Head of Employment Law to lead and advance enterprise-wide legal strategy for employment matters.
Provide counsel to Human Resources leadership, and business leaders on complex and high-impact issues, including hiring and termination, harassment, discrimination and retaliation, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodations, pay equity, wage and hour requirements, compensation plans, restrictive covenants, conflicts of interest, worker classification, employee investigations, performance management, and affirmative action compliance.
Lead and oversee the company’s response to administrative agency matters, including investigations and proceedings before the EEOC, DOL, and equivalent state and local agencies.
Partner and consult with the Colleague Relations team, Human Resources Business Partners, and business leaders to assess involuntary terminations and develop separation packages.
Advise on organizational restructurings, reorganizations, and reductions in force, including WARN Act and state notice requirements, selection-process design, and adverse-impact review.
Counsel the business on workforce transformation driven by automation and AI, including role redesign, up-skilling and redeployment terms, and review of technology-related position eliminations.
Manage employment and labor litigation and/or arbitration, including reviewing pleadings, developing strategy, facilitating information gathering, and making recommendations.
Direct outside counsel, determine case strategy, oversee the development of the factual record, and provide senior leaders with clear recommendations.
Conduct legal research, develop well-reasoned legal opinions, and provide clear, practical recommendations on novel and high-impact employment-law matters.
Anticipate and assess emerging employment law developments and translate them into enterprise-wide legal strategy, advising senior leaders and Human Resources leadership on implications for the company.
Stay abreast of evolving employment-related legislation and provide strategic guidance on required policy, process, and operational changes.
Provide guidance on the development, interpretation, and implementation of company policies and procedures.
Advise Human Resources and business leaders on the legal risks of AI and automated decision tools used in hiring, promotion, performance management, and workplace monitoring.
Partner with key stakeholders to develop and deliver internal training on a range of employment-law topics.
Provide strategic employment-law counsel in support of acquisitions, divestitures, and other enterprise transactions, advising on due diligence, workforce risks, and integration matters.
Bring deep labor and employment law expertise, a business-oriented and client-focused approach, and the ability to build trusted relationships and collaborate effectively.
Undertake additional strategic initiatives and responsibilities consistent with the evolving needs of the Law Department and the business.

Requirements

A Juris Doctor degree with active bar admittance
Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional legal experience practicing employment law in a large law firm or an in-house legal department
Must have significant experience handling administrative matters, and single-plaintiff litigation/arbitration
Strong oral and written communication skills
Outstanding organizational and analytical skills
Strong negotiation skills and business acumen
Track record of structuring separation agreements, settlements, and resolutions that balance legal risk with business objectives
Work independently, but collaboratively in a team setting
Display a high level of self-direction and sound judgment
Must be a self-starter, have a proactive approach to address issues before they create legal exposure
Able to handle a multitude of complex and challenging situations
Desktop computer competency to include proficiency in MS Office Suite, Westlaw and Harvey
Demonstrated AI literacy, including using AI-enabled legal tools for research and drafting, with the judgment to critically evaluate and verify AI-generated output against primary sources
NYS bar admission preferred or eligible to be admitted with NYS bar under its in-house counsel admission program
Familiarity with compensation and benefit plans governed by ERISA, including plan language drafting and ERISA litigation
Experience defending employment class and collective actions
Comfort working with workforce data and analytics (e.g., pay equity, worker classification, and adverse-impact analyses) to support evidence-based legal advice
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Skills

Employment law
Labor law
ERISA plans
Sales compensation
Incentive plans
Oral communication
Written communication
Organizational skills
Analytical skills
Negotiation skills
Business acumen
MS Office Suite
Westlaw
Harvey
AI literacy
AI-enabled legal tools
Legal research
Legal opinions
Strategic planning
Policy development
Procedure development
Risk assessment
Training development
Due diligence
Workforce analysis
Interpersonal effectiveness
Business savvy
Legal expertise
Leadership

Location

Hudson Yards, NYC

Work Type

Hybrid
Full-time

Experience Level

Minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional legal experience

Education Level

Juris Doctor degree

Salary/Compensations

$152,290.00 - $250,195.00

Benefits

Support and flexibility to achieve professional and personal goals
Skill-building
Leadership development
Philanthropic opportunities
Contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources

About the Company

Guided by our company Purpose of “Inspiring well-being for our colleagues, consumers, and communities”, we are committed to building a best-in-class Law Department.
We drive a high-performance culture across our Legal, Compliance, and Government Affairs functions.
Our colleagues, and the candidates we hire are key to the continuing success of our department.

Equal Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.
Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.
Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship.