Associate Legal Director

Alloy Enterprises; Milwaukee (WI); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus plan

Competitive benefits package

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Johnson Controls is seeking an Associate Director- Labor & Employment to join its Global Law & Policy Team. This role reports to the Executive Director for Labor & Employment, Americas and will provide proactive, strategic legal counsel on a broad range of labor and employment matters.

You will collaborate with HR to implement US and global employment policies, manage sensitive investigations, and lead single plaintiff and class action matters while mitigating risk and aligning with business

Qualifications

• JD Degree and bar admission in good standing in a U.S. state.
• Minimum 5 years of labor and employment experience in law firms or in-house counsel, or both.
• Experience litigating single plaintiff and class actions, including first-chair mediations and case resolution.
• Independent client counseling experience on L&E issues (leaves, accommodations, discrimination, wage-and-hour, etc.).
• Experience with traditional labor including bargaining, union campaigns, and arbitrations.
• Strong communication and presentation skills; sound judgment under pressure.
• Demonstrated leadership and ability to drive change in a matrixed organization.
• Ability to build positive relationships with senior management and other legal team members.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical, business-savvy legal advice on a broad range of labor and employment matters.
• Develop, revise and implement US and global employment-related policies with HR.
• Support investigations processes and independently manage sensitive investigations.
• Lead responses to EEOC, NLRB, DOL charges, audits and investigations.
• Manage single plaintiff and class actions; drive strategy and discovery.
• Advise on reorganizations to balance operational goals with legal risk.
• Draft, review, and negotiate employment-related agreements and covenants.
• Prepare regular updates for HR and business leaders on labor-law topics and new laws.
• Provide guidance on global mergers and acquisitions; lead related workstreams.

Skills

Excellent communication

Leadership

Collaboration

Project management

Change management

Legal risk assessment

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) degree

Bar admission (US state) in good standing

Job description

Build your best future with the Johnson Controls team

Johnson Controls, a global leader in thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency, and decarbonization, helps customers use energy more productively, reduce carbon emissions, and operate with the precision and resilience required in rapidly expanding industries such as data centers, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, and higher education.

For more than 140 years, Johnson Controls has delivered performance where it really matters. Backed by advanced technology, lifecycle services and an industry-leading field organization, we elevate customer performance, turn goals into real-world results and help move society forward.

What we offer:

• Competitive salary
• Paid vacation/holidays/sick time
• Comprehensive benefits package including 401K, medical, dental, and vision care
• On the job/cross training opportunities
• Encouraging and collaborative team environment
• Dedication to safety through our Zero Harm policy

What you will do:

The Associate Director- Labor & Employment reports to the Executive Director for Labor & Employment, Americas. The Associate Director serves as a member of JCI’s Global Law & Policy Team focused on providing proactive, strategic, efficient, and cost-effective advice and counseling on a broad array of labor and employment related issues.

How you will do it:

• Provide practical, business-savvy legal advice with respect to a wide range of labor and employment matters, including employee relations, recruitment and hiring, restrictive covenants, wage and hour, equal pay, leaves of absence, performance management, disciplinary actions, terminations, workplace safety, reorganizations, reductions in force, executive compensation, international assignments, employment agreements and employee benefits.
• In conjunction with HR, develop, revise and implement US and global employment-related policies and procedures to ensure compliance with all laws, regulations and legal standards.
• Support compliance and investigations processes. Independently manage sensitive investigations.
• First-Chair responsibility for responding to charges, audits, compliance reviews, and investigations pending before EEOC, NLRB, DOL and/or corresponding state or local agencies.
• Independently manage single plaintiff and class action employment litigation, developing strategy, facilitating discovery, driving performance, ensuring efficiency and being responsible and accountable for the results.
• Provide strategic advice regarding reorganizations to assist the business in meeting operational goals while mitigating legal risk.
• Draft, review interpret and negotiate employment related agreements, including employment agreements, separation agreements, restrictive covenants, confidentiality agreements, retention bonuses
• Prepare regular communications and updates to human resources and business leaders on labor and employment-related topics, including new laws that impact the workplace.
• Provide legal advice and counsel on global mergers and acquisitions. Serve as work stream leader on employment and labor related topics.

What we look for:

Required

• JD Degree; must be a member in good standing of a U.S. state bar
• Minimum 5 years of labor and employment experience in a law firm or in house counsel role, or both
• Experience litigating single plaintiff and class action employment independently, including first chairing mediations and case resolution efforts.
• Independent client counseling experience on L&E legal issues, including leaves of absences, accommodations, discrimination, retaliation, employment terminations, wage-and-hour compliance, and background checks.
• Experience with traditional labor preferred, including collective bargaining negotiations, union campaigns, and labor arbitrations.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Ability to make sound judgment calls under pressure
• Strong leadership skills
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with others in a matrixed management structure
• Ability to drive process changes, resource efficiencies, and change management in the provision of legal services
• Exceptional and demonstrated project management skills
• Ability to build positive relationships with senior management, the business, and other members of the legal team and to influence outcomes positively

HIRING SALARY RANGE

$145,000-$185,000 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.) This role offers a competitive Bonus plan that will take into account individual, group, and corporate performance. This position includes a competitive benefits package. The posted salary range reflects the target compensation for this role. However, we recognize that exceptional candidates may bring unique skills and experiences that exceed the typical profile. If you believe your background warrants consideration beyond the stated range, we encourage you to apply. To support an efficient and fair hiring process, we may use technology assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to help identify and evaluate candidates. All hiring decisions are ultimately made by human reviewers. For details, please visit the About Us tab on the Johnson Controls Careers site at https://jobs.johnsoncontrols.com/about-us

#LI-Hybrid

Johnson Controls International plc. is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any other characteristic protected by law. To view more information about your equal opportunity and non-discrimination rights as a candidate, visit EEO is the Law. If you are an individual with a disability and you require an accommodation during the application process, please visit here.