Description:
Swiss Re is seeking a highly experienced employment law professional to join our global Legal team as Senior Legal Counsel, US & Canada Employment Advisory. This is a senior individual contributor role with significant scope and visibility, offering the opportunity to act as the primary employment law advisor for the United States and Canada within a highly collaborative, global legal function.You will partner closely with HR, Legal & Compliance colleagues, and business leaders to navigate a complex and evolving employment law landscape, delivering pragmatic, business-oriented legal advice in support of Swiss Re's most valuable asset—its people.
About the role:
Reporting directly to the Global Head of Employment Advisory, this role serves as the primary employment law advisor for Swiss Re's US and Canadian operations, supporting approximately 2,400 employees as part of an integrated global employment law team collectively supporting a workforce of over 15,000 employees worldwide.
This is a hands-on advisory role covering the full spectrum of employment law matters, from day-to-day guidance through complex employee relations issues and strategic projects, including cross-border initiatives and organizational change. While the role does not include formal people management, it carries meaningful leadership through expertise, influence, and mentorship, including active development of a junior legal colleague based in Kansas City.
This role is ideally suited for a proactive, solutions-oriented professional able to both dive into the details and communicate the big picture to drive effective legal outcomes in a dynamic and matrixed global environment.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide practical, solution-oriented legal advice across the full employee lifecycle, including hiring, performance management, investigations, accommodations, separations, and post-employment matters
- Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of employment and HR-related agreements and policies
- Advise on complex employment law aspects of restructurings, acquisitions, and other organizational changes, including cross-border and multinational projects
- Ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations, e.g. wage and hour, discrimination and harassment prevention, pay equity, workplace safety, data protection, and mobility-related matters
- Act as a trusted advisor to HR and business stakeholders; monitor and interpret legal and regulatory developments in US and Canadian employment law, providing ad hoc and formal guidance and training
- Manage employment-related disputes, including coordinating effectively with internal Litigation colleagues and outside counsel as necessary
- Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of global and local employment law frameworks, processes, and best practices
- Represent Swiss Re in external forums, conferences, or professional groups as appropriate
About You:
You are an exceptional employment law professional with strong judgment and a strategic mindset who thrives in complex, regulated environments. Your ability to balance legal considerations with practical business solutions makes you a trusted advisor. You excel at managing multiple priorities with competing deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.
You communicate clearly and confidently, are able to translate complex legal concepts into actionable guidance, and value thoughtful dialogue and constructive challenge. You take ownership of your work, manage competing priorities effectively, and approach problems with curiosity and a continuous-improvement mindset.
Key Requirements:
- Minimum of 10+ years relevant employment law experience, ideally within a global, regulated organization; JD required
- Deep knowledge of US employment law; experience advising on Canadian employment law matters strongly preferred
- Strong familiarity with corporate HR operations and the employee lifecycle
- Outstanding presentation, written, and oral communication skills, including drafting and negotiation
- Ability to lead through influence and collaboration across jurisdictions, cultures, and time zones in a global, matrixed, cross-functional environment
- Interest in mentoring and developing junior legal colleagues
- Strong analytical skills and continuous learner mentality with commitment to timely, and solution-oriented client advisory on current and emerging legal issues and technologies
- Organizational and project management skills; prior experience managing outside counsel preferred
Our company has a hybrid work model where the expectation is that you will be in the office (or at a site outside of the office involved in business activities) at least three days per week.
