Description:

Move forward with us! At NJ TRANSIT, you'll join us in transforming the third-largest transportation agency in North America. We are committed to delivering safe, reliable service that gets customers to their destinations on time--and we're looking to hire talented folks with a love of learning to make it all possible.

Rules and Regulations:

Serve as NJ TRANSIT's principal legal advisor on employment, labor, and transportation-safety workforce requirements, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, accommodation, leave, wage-and-hour compliance, privacy, whistleblower protections, collective bargaining, public sector labor relations, workplace conduct, drug-and-alcohol testing, safety-sensitive positions, fitness-for-duty standards, employee certifications, hours-of-service rules, safety-related discipline, and related compliance obligations.
Provide timely, practical, and privileged legal advice to executive leadership, Human Resources, Equal Employment Opportunity, Risk Management, Safety, and operational business units throughout the employment lifecycle, including recruitment, hiring, accommodations, performance management, discipline, leave, compensation, workplace conduct, and separation.
Advise operational business units on labor-law compliance and collective bargaining agreement interpretation, including management rights, past practice, union representation rights, information requests, disciplinary standards, contract implementation, protected activity, and statutory or contractual notice and bargaining obligations.
Direct and manage employment litigation and administrative proceedings in federal and state courts and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR), federal and state Departments of Labor, civil service bodies, and other governmental agencies or tribunals.
Direct and manage labor arbitrations, administrative labor proceedings, and labor-related litigation, including grievance and disciplinary arbitrations, matters before the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC), proceedings under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), National Mediation Board (NMB) matters, and related judicial proceedings.
Develop and oversee litigation strategy from initial claim assessment through final disposition, including pleadings, written and electronic discovery, depositions, motion practice, hearings, trials, appeals, mediation, settlement negotiations, and post-matter review.
Oversee legally sensitive workplace investigations, including allegations of discrimination harassment, retaliation, misconduct, policy violations, employee dishonesty, conflicts of interest, and other significant workplace concerns; assess investigative findings and advise on appropriate corrective or remedial action.
Advise on significant workforce and operational initiatives, including reorganizations, changes in schedules or work rules, implementation of new technologies, emergency operational measures, and other actions having employment or labor-law implications.
Oversee the drafting and of employment and labor policies, procedures, agreements, guidance documents, and employee communications, ensuring legal compliance, consistency with applicable collective bargaining obligations, and practical implementation across NJ TRANSIT's operating units.
Supervise, mentor, and develop attorneys and support personnel assigned to employment and labor matters, including assigning work, establishing priorities, reviewing work product, evaluating performance, and ensuring timely, consistent, and high-quality legal services.
Manage outside counsel, experts, investigators, and legal vendors and support the General Counsel in Law Department leadership, including matter reporting, budgeting, strategic planning, staffing, and cross-functional initiatives.
Direct and manage the monitoring of developments in employment, labor, civil-service, and transportation workforce law, assess their potential impact on NJ TRANSIT, and work with business leaders to implement appropriate changes to policies, practices, training, and compliance controls.
Represent the General Counsel at meetings, task forces, or committees as assigned.

Education, Experience and Qualifications:

Juris Doctorate degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association or otherwise recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Admission to practice law in the State of New Jersey and good standing with the New Jersey Bar.
Admission to practice before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey is preferred.
Ten (10) years of progressively responsible legal experience involving employment and labor law.
Extensive experience providing employment-law advice to Human Resources, executive leadership, and operational management.
Extensive experience handling employment litigation and administrative proceedings, including matters before federal and state courts; the EEOC; DCR; federal and state Departments of Labor; PERC; labor arbitrators; the National Mediation Board; and other comparable courts, agencies, or tribunals.
Extensive experience representing employers in grievance and disciplinary arbitrations, administrative labor proceedings, and labor-related judicial matters.
Experience interpreting and advising on collective bargaining agreements, bargaining obligations, management rights, past practice, and public-sector labor-law requirements.
Experience overseeing workplace investigations and advising on discipline and corrective action.
Experience directing and managing outside counsel and leading complex, high-risk legal matters.

Knowledge and Skills:

Comprehensive knowledge of federal and New Jersey employment law, including Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the New Jersey Family Leave Act, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, wage-and-hour laws, and related requirements.
Comprehensive knowledge of applicable labor law, including the New Jersey Employer Employee Relations Act, the Railway Labor Act, and other public-sector and transportation labor requirements.
Knowledge of Federal Transit Administration and Federal Railroad Administration workforce requirements and their interaction with employment, discipline, accommodation, testing, and labor obligations.
Demonstrated ability to translate complex legal requirements into practical and operationally workable advice.
Ability to evaluate legal, operational, financial, precedential, and reputational risk and present clear recommendations to senior leadership.
Excellent judgment, discretion, integrity, and ability to handle privileged and highly sensitive information.
Strong interpersonal and relationship-management skills, including the ability to work effectively with executives, operational leaders, government agencies, and outside counsel.
A combination of public-sector, transportation, in-house, and sophisticated law-firm experience is preferred.
Trial, evidentiary-hearing, and appellate experience is preferred.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

Juris Doctorate from a U.S. Department of Education accredited institution, licensed and in good standing in the State of New Jersey.
Licensed to practice law in the State of New Jersey.