Employment Law Counsel at Guardian in New York, NY

Job description

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. Aligned to “what” we deliver, our goals and “how” we deliver, our values and behaviors demonstrated in delivering against our goals. We do this through leveraging a series of core capabilities, which includes interpersonal effectiveness , ability to demonstrate business savvy , being a subject matter expert in your practice area, and leading people and teams where applicable. Our colleagues, and the candidates we hire are key to the continuing success of our department. Position Summary In this 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. As Employment Law Counsel, you will partner closely with Human Resources, business leaders, and Law Department colleagues to manage legal risk, support sound decision-making, and advance Guardian’s business priorities. You are You are an enterprise thought leader on employment law. You independently identify emerging legal and business risks, establish strategic direction, and provide practical, business-focused counsel to senior leaders on complex and precedent-setting matters. You bring expertise in ERISA plans, sales compensation, and incentive plans and exercise a high degree of autonomy while aligning with the Head of Employment Law and the Law Department’s commitment to technical excellence, client service, collaboration, and ethics. You have Required: 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; labor law experience a plus, but not necessary Must have significant experience handling administrative matters, and single-plaintiff litigation/arbitration Strong oral and written communication skills as well as outstanding organizational and analytical skills required Strong negotiation skills and business acumen, with a track record of structuring separation agreements, settlements, and resolutions that balance legal risk with business objectives Work independently, but collaboratively in a team setting while displaying 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 (such as Harvey) for research and drafting, with the judgment to critically evaluate and verify AI-generated output against primary sources Preferred: 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 You will: Partner with the Head of Employment Law to lead and advance enterprise-wide legal strategy for employment matters, and 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