Associate Director - Employment Legal Counsel

Guidehouse; Chennai; Sur place; INR 6 000 000 - 9 000 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Health benefits

Learning & development programs

Résumé du poste

Guidehouse India is seeking an Associate Director, Employment Counsel to serve as the primary advisor on Indian employment law matters across operations. You will guide HR, Talent Acquisition, and senior leaders, monitor evolving labor codes, and draft and negotiate key employment agreements.

You will also lead training on compliance, support investigations and disputes, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement effective policies and controls.

Qualifications

• LL.B. and qualification to practice law in India.
• 15+ years of experience in employment and labor law, preferably with a leading law firm or multinational.
• Deep knowledge of Indian employment and labor laws and related processes.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating employment-related agreements.
• Ability to provide practical, business-oriented solutions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong research, analytical, and communication skills.

Responsabilités

• Serve as primary legal advisor on employment law matters for India operations.
• Provide guidance to HR, Talent Acquisition, and leadership; monitor Indian labor laws and court decisions.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and maintain employment-related agreements and documents.
• Advise on lifecycle matters including hiring, performance, disciplinary actions, leaves, and terminations.
• Partner with HR and leaders on workforce initiatives, restructurings, and compliance programs.
• Conduct legal research and deliver recommendations on complex issues; manage external counsel relationships.
• Support disputes, inquiries, audits, investigations, and litigation; gather facts and develop strategy.
• Develop training for HR and leaders on employment law obligations and best practices.
• Collaborate with Legal, Privacy, and Compliance on workplace regulatory matters.

Formation

LL.B. and bar admission in India

15+ years experience in employment and labor law

Description du poste

Associate Director, Employment Counsel

Job Family : Legal Counsel (India) Travel Required : Up to 10% Clearance Required : None

What You Will Do

Serve as the primary legal advisor on employment law matters affecting the Company's operations in India, providing practical, risk-based guidance to Human Resources, Talent Acquisition, business leaders, and other stakeholders. Monitor, analyze, and communicate developments in Indian labor and employment laws, regulations, and court decisions, including emerging requirements under the Labour Codes and other employment-related legislation. Draft, review, negotiate, and maintain employment-related agreements and documents, including offer letters, employment agreements, restrictive covenant agreements, separation documents, contractor agreements, and employment policies. Advise on employee lifecycle matters, including hiring, performance management, disciplinary actions, accommodations, investigations, leaves of absence, employee relations issues, and terminations. Partner with HR and business leaders to support workforce initiatives, organizational changes, restructurings, policy implementation, and compliance programs. Conduct legal research and provide clear, actionable recommendations on complex or novel employment law issues. Manage relationships with external counsel and coordinate legal advice on specialized employment, labor, compliance, and litigation matters. Support employment-related disputes, government inquiries, audits, investigations, and litigation by gathering facts, assessing risk, and developing legal strategy. Develop and deliver training and guidance to HR professionals and business leaders on employment law obligations and best practices. Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of policies, processes, templates, and controls designed to promote legal compliance and operational efficiency. Collaborate with Legal, Ethics & Compliance, Privacy, and other corporate functions on matters involving workplace compliance, investigations, data protection, and regulatory requirements.

What You Will Need

• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and qualification to practice law in India; additional legal credentials or certifications are a plus.
• 15+ years of experience practicing employment and labor law, preferably with a leading law firm, multinational corporation, or a combination of both.
• Deep knowledge of Indian employment and labor laws, including employee relations, disciplinary processes, terminations, wages and benefits, social security requirements, workplace investigations, and workplace harassment obligations.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating employment-related agreements, policies, and other legal documents.
• Demonstrated ability to identify legal risks and provide practical, business-oriented solutions in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong legal research, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience advising senior business leaders, HR professionals, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex legal concepts to non-legal audiences.
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.
• Ability to work effectively with stakeholders across different geographies, functions, and levels of the organization.

What Would Be Nice To Have

• Experience supporting multinational organizations with global or regional employment law matters.
• Familiarity with the implementation and ongoing developments relating to India's Labour Codes and other evolving employment law reforms.
• Experience conducting internal investigations and advising on employee misconduct, whistleblower, ethics, or workplace concerns.
• Exposure to corporate compliance programs, including policy development, training, risk assessments, and regulatory compliance initiatives.
• Experience managing employment litigation, labor disputes, government inspections, or regulatory inquiries.
• Knowledge of data privacy requirements affecting the employment relationship, including India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP).
• Experience supporting cross-border employment issues, workforce transitions, contingent worker programs, or employment aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and reorganizations.
• In-house legal experience within a professional services, consulting, technology, or multinational corporate environment.
• Experience developing and delivering training programs for HR and business leadership teams.

About Guidehouse India

About Guidehouse India At Guidehouse India, we’re redefining what’s possible by creating opportunities that change lives. Guidehouse is a global professional services firm that delivers advisory, technology, and managed services to clients across both the commercial and public sectors. Our teams turn bold ideas into solutions that transform industries, strengthen communities, and drive meaningful impact worldwide. Across our Chennai, Trivandrum, and Gurugram locations, you’ll find opportunities where your passion and curiosity help shape what comes next. With cutting edge benefits, innovative learning and development programs, and a people first culture, we empower our people to lead with purpose. We continue to expand our teams and capabilities across India, investing in state-of-the-art offices and high impact work. Here, you’ll collaborate with experts from around the world, build deep expertise, explore new domains, and accelerate your professional growth while making a real impact.

What We Offer

We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package designed to help you thrive both inside and outside the workplace. Our benefits include resources such as in house physician consultations, nutritious food options at the workplace, and confidential counseling through our Employee Assistance Program, along with other wellness focused offerings that support your overall well being. Our comprehensive learning and development programs ensure you’re continuously upskilled and ready to tackle what’s next, so you can shape your own career path while contributing to meaningful, purpose driven work.

Experience Level

Executive Level