Senior Assistant General Counsel – Employment & Labor

Senior Assistant General Counsel – Employment & Labor

Requirements

• Five to seven years of legal practice at a firm or in-house legal team or government agency.
• Licensed to practice in at least one jurisdiction and eligible for admission in the District of Columbia.
• Experience in negotiation of complex and sophisticated contracts, including ability to assess and articulate appropriate risk/reward analysis.
• Extensive knowledge of labor and employment law and regulations including, anti-discrimination laws, anti-retaliation and other whistleblower protection laws. FMLA and other leave laws, wage hour and wage payment laws, employment tax rules, labor laws, as well as basic understanding of immigration, workplace safety, and employee benefits laws.
• Ability to quickly establish credibility with management as an effective resource and problem-solver; ability to work well in a team environment and in collaboration with Human Resources staff.
• Considerable ability to exercise independent judgment and make analyses and recommendations on difficult and sensitive employee relations matters.
• Exceptional communication, influencing, facilitation and presentation skills, including strong negotiation and dispute resolution skills.

Responsibilities

• Advise leaders and HR professionals in a complex environment supporting more than 1000 journalists and support staff.
• Provide advice and counsel on employment law issues including hiring, discipline, terminations, pay, and benefits.
• Provide legal advice and support to NPR’s People Team on accommodations and internal investigations.
• Counsel HR, management, and supervisors on handling employee relations matters, including employee counseling, discipline, and benefits issues.
• Negotiate and draft employment agreements and other personal service contracts, including severance and separation agreements, fixed-term employment agreements, and other employment-related agreements.
• Provide legal interpretation, guidance, and editing/drafting on HR policies, forms, and templates.
• Advise managers and International Desk staff on compliance with applicable international employment matters.
• Prepare materials for and conduct employment law training.
• Manage outside counsel in defense of employment related claims and legal actions, including making recommendations on defense strategy and negotiations with opposing counsel.
• Contribute to the development of compliance programs and associated training.
• Maintain an ongoing and current working knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations applicable to the employment function including but not limited to Title VII, ADEA, OWBPA, ADA, FMLA, ERISA, FLSA, workers’ compensation, and employee classification issues, as well as state and local employment laws and regulations in multiple state and local jurisdictions.
• Assist the Associate General Counsel for Labor & Employment in setting the Company’s labor strategy.
• Advise the Retirement Committee and benefits personnel on ERISA compliance, with assistance from outside counsel as needed.
• Advising and updating internal leadership and NPR’s Board of Directors on relevant employment and labor related matters.
• Participate in Crisis Management Team meetings, advising on security and safety issues, as requested.
• Perform special projects and other duties as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications

No preferred qualifications provided.