Employment Counsel

Lambda; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision

401k match

Paid time off: sick days and holidays

Flexible PTO

Parental, medical, and caregiver leave

Job summary

Lambda is seeking an Employment Counsel to partner with the People team and business leaders on employment matters across a fast-growing, global workforce.

You’ll advise on the full employee lifecycle in the U.S. and abroad, including hiring in new countries via EOR/PEO partners and, as Lambda scales, through local entities, while building policies and playbooks to move quickly with prudent risk management.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and bar admission in at least one US jurisdiction (CA preferred)
• 7+ years of employment law experience, ideally at a law firm and in-house
• Proven ability to advise across US and international employment frameworks

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary Employment Counsel to People team and business leaders
• Advise on full employee lifecycle in the US and abroad
• Decide hiring structures in new countries (EOR/PEO, local entities)
• Draft and negotiate employment, contractor, and advisor agreements
• Own templates and standard forms (offer letters, conformity agreements)
• Lead or oversee workplace investigations and employment litigation matters
• Partner with Recruiting on offers and hiring, align with compensation programs
• Manage cross-border compliance including wage/hour and multi-state rules
• Support M&A and reorganizations with employment implications
• Develop scalable processes, templates, and self-serve resources

Skills

Employment law

Wage & hour compliance

Contract negotiation

Global mobility

EORE/PEO knowledge

Litigation management

Policy development

HRIS familiarity

Education

JD from an accredited law school

Tools

Immigration & mobility filings

EOR/PEO platforms

Job description

• As Employment Counsel at Lambda, you will be the primary legal partner to our People team and business leaders on employment matters across a fast-growing and increasingly global workforce
• You’ll advise on the full employee lifecycle in the U.S. and abroad, help decide how Lambda hires in new countries (through Employer of Record and PEO partners and, as we scale, through our own local entities), and build the policies, playbooks, and training that let the company move quickly without taking on unnecessary risk
• You will report to Lambda’s Associate General Counsel, Corporate
• Provide practical, day-to-day advice to People Partners, Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, and managers across the employee lifecycle, including hiring, onboarding, compensation, leave and accommodation, performance management, discipline, and separation
• Advise on wage and hour compliance (including exempt/non-exempt classification and California-specific requirements), contractor and consultant classification, and multi-state employment compliance
• Handle sensitive employee relations matters and separations, including drafting and negotiating separation and release agreements
• Partner with Recruiting and the People team on offers and hiring, and own Lambda’s employment templates, including offer letters, employment agreements, and confidentiality and invention assignment agreements
• Draft and negotiate bespoke employment agreements for senior and specialized hires as needed
• Draft and maintain contractor, consultant, and advisor agreements, and advise on the right engagement model for each role
• Partner with People, Finance, Tax, and Corporate on how Lambda hires in new countries, including when to use an EOR or PEO and when to establish a local entity, and manage those providers and the transitions between models
• Own the employment side of building out local entities, including country-specific documentation, policies, and compliance
• Advise on international employment matters across the employee lifecycle and manage local outside counsel
• Conduct or oversee workplace investigations into complaints of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and misconduct
• Manage agency charges, demand letters, arbitrations, and litigation with outside counsel, with a focus on cost-effective outcomes
• Own and update the employee handbook, policies, and required notices across U.S. states and international locations
• Advise on compensation programs with employment implications, including incentive and commission plans, pay transparency, and pay equity requirements
• Support employment compliance for our data center and operations workforce, including scheduling, overtime, and workplace safety matters
• Design and deliver training for managers and the People team
• Support the employment aspects of M&A, reorganizations, and reductions in force, including WARN and international collective consultation requirements
• Partner with corporate and securities counsel on employment matters tied to Lambda’s growth and public company readiness
• Build scalable processes, templates, and self-serve resources so the People team can handle routine matters and knows when to escape

Benefits

• Health, dental vision
• 401k match
• 5 sick days and 12 paid holidays
• Flexible PTO
• Paid parental, medical, and caregiver leave

Experience conducting workplace investigations and managing employment litigation and agency mattersSound judgment and the ability to give clear, practical advice that balances legal risk against business objectives, including when information is incompleteHands-on experience supporting international expansion, including hiring through EOR and/or PEO providers, hiring directly through local entities, and moving employees between those modelsLow ego, high ownership, and comfortable building structure in a fast-moving environmentJD from an accredited law school and active admission to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (California bar preferred, or eligibility for California Registered In-House Counsel)Deep knowledge of U.S. federal and California employment law, plus working familiarity with employment frameworks in key international markets such as the UK, EU, Canada, and APAC7+ years of employment law experience, ideally including time at a law firm with a recognized labor and employment practice and time in-house at a technology or other high-growth companyExcellent written and verbal communication skills; able to explain complex issues simply to HR partners, managers, and executivesExperience at a company scaling from several hundred to several thousand employees, or through an IPOExperience with equity compensation, including working with Recruiting and Equity Administration teams on employee and candidate equity questionsExperience with employment issues for data center, hardware, or other operational and field-based workforcesExperience coordinating with immigration and global mobility counselFamiliarity with global HRIS and EOR platforms