Description:
Job Description:The Senior Associate General Counsel, Ethics Data & Employment serves as a strategic legal advisor responsible for leading the organization's ethics, compliance, employment, and labor legal functions. This role provides expert legal guidance to senior leadership, Human Resources, and business teams, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations while proactively mitigating legal risk.
This position oversees the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Company's ethics and compliance programs, employment practices, and data privacy initiatives. The role also manages complex investigations, litigation matters, regulatory interactions, and external counsel, while promoting a culture of integrity and accountability across the organization.
Responsibilities:
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Global Employment & Labor
- Provide strategic legal advice on a wide range of labor and employment matters, balancing legal risk with business objectives.
- Advise Human Resources and business leaders on employment law compliance, workplace investigations, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Conduct and oversee internal investigations, including responses to administrative charges and regulatory inquiries.
- Participate in union-related matters and negotiations, as applicable.
- Manage employment-related litigation, including oversight of outside counsel, review of pleadings, and participation in depositions, mediations, and hearings.
- Draft, review, and negotiate employment-related agreements and advise on contractual risks.
- Anticipate and mitigate legal risks, developing proactive strategies to prevent disputes and litigation.
- Lead and maintain a comprehensive ethics and compliance program aligned with regulatory requirements and industry best practices.
- Promote a culture of ethical conduct and compliance, including establishing and reinforcing “tone from the top.”
- Conduct compliance risk assessments and implement mitigation strategies.
- Develop, update, and oversee policies, including the Code of Conduct and related procedures.
- Manage and investigate compliance-related concerns, including administration of the compliance helpline.
- Deliver and oversee compliance training and awareness initiatives across the organization.
- Provide regular updates and strategic recommendations to executive leadership and governance bodies on compliance performance.
- Lead the Company's data privacy and protection program, ensuring compliance with global data protection laws and frameworks (e.g., GDPR, CCPA/CPRA).
- Advise on data lifecycle practices, including collection, use, transfer, and retention of personal data.
- Conduct privacy impact and risk assessments and oversee third-party data compliance.
- Support incident response, including breach investigations and regulatory notifications.
- Partner with IT, security, and business teams to embed privacy-by-design principles.
- Collaborate with HR, Internal Audit, IT, and other stakeholders to align legal strategies with organizational priorities.
- Support mergers, acquisitions, and corporate initiatives through due diligence and legal advisory.
- Advise on general corporate and regulatory matters, including agency interactions.
- Develop and deliver training programs on employment, compliance, and legal risk topics.
- Drive continuous improvement of legal processes, policies, and systems to enhance operational effectiveness.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Deep expertise in labor & employment law, compliance frameworks, and regulatory requirements.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess risk and provide practical, business-oriented solutions.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, including interaction with senior leadership.
- Experience leading investigations and managing sensitive issues with discretion and integrity.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Strong project management and cross-functional collaboration capabilities.
- High degree of professional ethics, judgment, and accountability.
Preferred:
- Privacy certifications (e.g., CIPP/US, CIPP/E).
- Experience with global compliance regulations (e.g., FCPA, UK Bribery Act).
- Prior experience in a global, publicly traded company.
Travel:
Up to 10% travel required.
Physical Demands:
Standard office environment; ability to perform essential duties with reasonable accommodation as needed.
Qualifications:
Education / Experience:
- Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited U.S. law school.
- Active bar membership in good standing.
- Minimum of 15+ years of relevant legal experience, preferably combining law firm and in-house practice.
- Experience in employment law, ethics and compliance, and data privacy.