Assistant General Counsel - Employment Law

ACC San Diego - Association of Corporate Counsel; Marlborough (MA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

ACC San Diego - Association of Corporate Counsel seeks an Assistant General Counsel – Employment Law to act as the organization’s senior legal expert on all employment matters. You will advise HR and senior leadership, lead a small team, and guide policy development, compliance, and investigations.

You will also oversee litigation management, strategic transactions support, and cross-functional collaboration to balance risk with business goals.

Qualifications

• J.D. from a top law school; AmLaw 100 experience strongly preferred.
• Active bar licensure in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 12+ years of employment law experience across litigation, compliance, and advisory work.
• Experience with HR technology platforms and data privacy considerations as they intersect with employment law.
• Proven ability to navigate complex, matrixed organizations and deliver practical, business-oriented legal advice.
• Experience managing and developing attorneys.
• Exceptional negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Team leadership and development experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide employment law advisory to HR and senior leadership on hiring, discipline, termination, compensation, leaves, and accommodations.
• Defend, supervise, and manage employment-related claims and litigation, including outside counsel oversight.
• Develop and implement employment policies and procedures for federal, state, and local compliance.
• Lead HR partnerships on employee relations, performance management, and investigations.
• Provide employment law support for strategic transactions and other commercial matters.
• Directly supervise, develop, and mentor the employment and immigration legal team.

Skills

Negotiation

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Team leadership

Legal tech interest

Education

J.D. from a top law school

Bar admission in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

Tools

HR technology platforms

Job description

The Assistant General Counsel – Employment Law (AGC) serves as the organization’s senior legal expert on all employment law matters. The AGC is a strategic partner to senior leadership and the Human Resources team (HR), providing practical, business-oriented legal counsel. The AGC leads a team of two direct reports and supports broader corporate legal initiatives including contract review, enterprise risk management, and compliance programs. This role reports to the Vice President, Deputy General Counsel.

Key Responsibilities

Employment Law Advisory

• Serve as the organization’s senior legal expert on the full range of employment law matters, including hiring, discipline, termination, compensation, benefits, leaves of absence, and accommodation
• Provide proactive, preventive legal counsel to HR and business leaders to identify and mitigate potential employment law risks
• Stay ahead of evolving federal, state, and local employment legislation and regulatory guidance, and advise the organization on emerging compliance obligations

Litigation & Claims Management

• Defend, supervise, and manage employment-related claims and litigation, including oversight of outside counsel, administrative charges, attorney demand letters, settlement negotiations, and agency complaints
• Negotiate appropriate resolution of disputes and pending matters, balancing legal risk with business priorities

Compliance & Policy Development

• Develop and implement employment policies and procedures to ensure ongoing compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws
• Design and lead risk assessments
• Build and oversee manager and employee training programs on employment law topics, ensuring practical application across the organization
• Support enterprise-wide legal compliance programs, including policy development and risk management initiatives

HR Partnership & Internal Investigations

• Partner closely with HR leaders on employee relations matters, performance management, disciplinary actions, and sensitive personnel decisions
• Guide and conduct internal investigations into workplace complaints, including harassment, discrimination, and retaliation allegations

Transactions & Strategic Initiatives

• Provide employment law support for strategic transactions
• Support commercial and contract matters as needed

People Leadership

• Directly supervise, develop, and mentor the organization’s employment and immigration legal team
• Foster a collaborative, high-performance team culture within the legal department
• Serve as a resource and mentor to junior legal department members on all aspects of in-house legal practice

Qualifications

• J.D. from a top law school; AmLaw 100 experience strongly preferred
• Active bar licensure in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
• 12+ years of employment law experience, with demonstrated expertise across litigation management, compliance, and advisory work
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for legal technology, with a track record of proactively adopting AI tools and workflows to improve efficiency and outcomes
• Experience with traditional labor law matters preferred
• Familiarity with HR technology platforms and data privacy considerations as they intersect with employment law
• Proven track record navigating complex, matrixed organizations and delivering practical, business-oriented legal advice
• Experience managing and developing attorneys
• Exceptional negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Outstanding professional judgment and work ethic, with a team-first approach

This is a hybrid role. Tuesday through Thursday are in-office days at BJ's Club Support Center in Marlborough, MA and Monday and Friday are remote days.