Senior Legal Counsel (Employment)

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Senior Legal Counsel (Employment) based in United States.

This role offers the opportunity to serve as a strategic legal advisor within a mission-driven higher education environment. You will provide expert guidance on complex employment, labor, compliance, and risk management matters. Working closely with leadership, HR teams, and institutional stakeholders, you will help shape policies and support sound organizational decisions. The position combines legal strategy, investigations, dispute resolution, and proactive risk mitigation. You will collaborate with an experienced in-house legal team while managing high-impact matters across a distributed workforce. This fully remote opportunity is ideal for an experienced employment attorney who values autonomy, partnership, and meaningful organizational impact.

Accountabilities:: The Senior Legal Counsel will provide comprehensive legal support on employment and labor matters while partnering with internal stakeholders to navigate complex legal challenges. This role requires strong judgment, practical problem-solving, and the ability to balance legal risk with organizational goals.

Serve as a trusted legal advisor on employment, labor, administrative, and operational matters affecting a higher education organization.

Provide strategic counsel on workplace issues, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour matters, accommodations, and workers’ compensation claims.

Lead and support workplace and student-related investigations, providing recommendations and legally sound resolutions.

Manage employment-related disputes, including pre-litigation and litigation matters, settlement negotiations, insurance claims, and collaboration with external counsel when needed.

Advise on compliance with federal and state employment regulations, including FLSA, ADA, FMLA, California employment laws, and regulatory requirements.

Support labor relations activities, including collective bargaining considerations and workforce-related legal matters.

Draft, review, and implement employment policies, procedures, and internal guidance materials.

Partner with HR, leadership teams, and other stakeholders to identify risks, improve practices, and support organizational objectives.

Provide legal research, analysis, and recommendations on evolving employment and regulatory issues.

Work effectively in a remote environment with changing priorities, deadlines, and collaboration across multiple locations and time zones.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate is an experienced employment attorney with strong expertise in labor law, investigations, compliance, and strategic legal counseling. They should be comfortable working independently while collaborating with diverse internal teams.

Minimum of 10 years of experience practicing employment law, either as a litigator or within a higher education, nonprofit, or organizational environment.

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an ABA-accredited law school.

Active license to practice law in California.

Demonstrated experience advising organizations on employment, labor, workplace investigations, compliance, and dispute resolution matters.

Strong knowledge of federal and state employment laws, including FLSA, ADA, FMLA, and California-specific employment regulations.

Experience managing complex legal matters and advising senior leaders on strategic decisions.

Strong litigation, negotiation, and risk assessment capabilities.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal concepts clearly.

Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and adapt in a fast-paced environment.

Experience drafting and implementing organizational policies and procedures.

Preferred experience combining law firm practice with in-house legal experience.

Preferred experience supporting corporate, regulatory, or higher education legal matters.

Benefits:

Competitive base compensation range of approximately $175,000–$180,000.

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage.

Employer-paid life insurance and disability insurance.

Retirement plan contributions.

Flexible spending account options.

Employee assistance program.

Fully remote work environment with flexibility across locations and time zones.

Biweekly remote work stipend.

20 days of paid time off and 11 paid holidays annually.

Tuition reimbursement for eligible external degree programs.

Tuition waivers at participating institutions within the organization.

Opportunity to contribute to a mission-focused environment supporting student success and educational access.

How Jobgether works: We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team. We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!  Why Apply Through Jobgether?    Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time.     #LI-CL1