Labor and Employment Counsel

Confidential; New Jersey; On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential in the United States seeks a Labor and Employment Counsel to act as a strategic legal advisor on labor, employment, and HR matters. The role focuses on unionized environments, collective bargaining, investigations, and employment litigation, reporting to the CLO/GC and collaborating with HR and operations leadership.

The position requires guiding executive leadership on risk, policy, and workforce strategy while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local laws.

Qualifications

• Minimum of seven (7) years of labor and employment law experience.
• Experience advising employers in unionized environments and with collective bargaining.
• Experience managing employment litigation and administrative proceedings.
• Experience advising senior executives and HR leaders on high‑risk employment matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel on labor relations, collective bargaining, and union‑management matters.
• Advise leadership on disciplinary actions, contracts, staffing, and workplace compliance.
• Oversee employment litigation, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings.
• Lead sensitive workplace investigations and risk mitigation efforts.
• Develop labor strategies aligned with organizational priorities and workforce planning.
• Partner with Legal, Human Resources, Compliance, Finance, and Operations across the organization.

Skills

Labor relations knowledge

Employment law expertise

Negotiation

Workplace investigations

Strategic partnership

Education

Juris Doctor

Bar admission

Job description

The Labor and Employment Counsel serves as a key legal advisor to the organization on a broad range of labor, employment, workforce, and human resources matters. Reporting directly to the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, this position provides practical, business-oriented legal guidance to executive leadership, Human Resources, operational leaders, and management on complex employee relations, labor relations, collective bargaining, regulatory compliance, workplace investigations, employment litigation, and workforce strategy.

The Labor and Employment Counsel will work closely with the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, executive leadership, Human Resources leadership, and operational management to proactively identify and mitigate legal risk while supporting the organization’s strategic, operational, and workforce objectives. In a unionized environment, the position will play a significant role in collective bargaining, grievance and arbitration matters, interpretation and administration of collective bargaining agreements, and development of effective labor‑management strategies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining

• Provide legal counsel and strategic guidance on all aspects of labor relations, collective bargaining, and union‑management matters.
• Advise executive leadership, Human Resources, and operational leaders regarding the interpretation, administration, and enforcement of collective bargaining agreements.
• Serve as legal counsel and strategic advisor during collective bargaining negotiations, including preparation of proposals, counterproposals, bargaining strategies, and tentative agreements.
• Support development of short- and long‑term labor strategies aligned with organizational, financial, workforce, and operational priorities.
• Advise on union organizing activity, representation matters, bargaining‑unit issues, accretion questions, unit clarification matters, and related proceedings.
• Provide guidance regarding employee concerted activity, protected activity, information requests, access rights, past practice, management rights, and other labor law issues.
• Counsel management on compliance with the National Labor Relations Act and applicable federal and state labor laws.
• Represent or coordinate representation of the organization in matters before the National Labor Relations Board and other administrative agencies.
• Develop strategies for maintaining constructive and effective labor‑management relationships while protecting the organization’s legal and operational interests.

Grievances, Arbitrations, and Labor Disputes

• Provide legal guidance on grievances arising under collective bargaining agreements.
• Evaluate grievance exposure and recommend strategies for resolution, settlement, or arbitration.
• Prepare cases for labor arbitration, including witness preparation, document review, legal research, development of arguments, and coordination of hearing strategy.
• Represent the organization in arbitration proceedings where appropriate or manage outside counsel handling such matters.
• Advise leadership on disciplinary actions, terminations, seniority disputes, scheduling matters, overtime, job classifications, subcontracting, bargaining‑unit work, and other issues governed by collective bargaining agreements.
• Identify trends in grievances and arbitrations and recommend proactive operational or policy interventions.
• Support resolution of labor disputes, including threatened or actual strikes, picketing, informational campaigns, and other concerted activity.
• Provide timely and practical legal advice regarding hiring, discipline, termination, reductions in force, organizational restructuring, wage and hour compliance, leaves of absence, disability and religious accommodations, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, employee privacy, workplace safety, compensation practices, restrictive covenants, confidentiality obligations, and separation agreements.
• Counsel Human Resources and management regarding compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
• Provide proactive legal guidance regarding emerging employment law developments and their operational implications.
• Translate complex legal requirements into practical recommendations for leaders and Human Resources professionals.

Workplace Investigations

• Advise on and conduct sensitive workplace investigations involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, workplace misconduct, executive misconduct, conflicts of interest, policy violations, whistleblower complaints, and other significant employee relations concerns.
• Determine appropriate investigative scope, methodology, documentation, and attorney‑client privilege considerations.
• Conduct witness interviews, assess credibility, review relevant records, and prepare investigative findings and recommendations.
• Advise the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel and other appropriate leadership regarding findings, legal exposure, corrective action, and risk mitigation.
• Provide guidance to Human Resources professionals conducting internal investigations to promote consistency, fairness, and legal defensibility.

Employment Litigation and Administrative Proceedings

• Manage and oversee employment‑related litigation, claims, arbitrations, and administrative proceedings.
• Represent the organization directly where appropriate and manage outside counsel when external representation is required.
• Oversee matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Labor Relations Board, departments of labor, state and local civil rights agencies, and other regulatory bodies.
• Review and respond to administrative charges, demand letters, subpoenas, and attorney correspondence.
• Develop litigation and settlement strategy in consultation with the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.
• Manage discovery obligations, litigation holds, document preservation, witness preparation, and settlement strategy.
• Evaluate litigation exposure and provide clear risk assessments and recommendations.
• Monitor outside counsel performance, legal spend, case strategy, and outcomes.

Policies, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Draft, review, and revise employment policies, employee handbooks, procedures, agreements, notices, and other workforce‑related documents.
• Ensure employment policies and practices comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
• Partner with Legal, Human Resources, Compliance, and operational leadership to identify emerging legal risks and implement appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Review employment‑related contracts, separation agreements, settlement agreements, confidentiality agreements, consulting arrangements, and other workforce documents.
• Advise on organizational restructuring, workforce reductions, facility changes, mergers, acquisitions, integrations, and other strategic transactions affecting employees.
• Conduct or support privileged employment‑practices reviews and risk assessments.

Leadership and Strategic Partnership

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, executive leadership, Human Resources leadership, and operational management.
• Provide clear, practical, and solution‑oriented legal advice that balances legal risk with operational realities.
• Participate in strategic discussions involving workforce planning, organizational change, labor strategy, and employee relations.
• Develop strong partnerships across Legal, Human Resources, Compliance, Finance, Operations, and executive leadership.
• Provide training to leaders and Human Resources professionals on labor and employment law developments, workplace investigations, employee relations, disciplinary practices, collective bargaining, and risk mitigation.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory, and judicial developments and advise the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel and other leadership regarding potential organizational impact.
• Escalate significant labor, employment, litigation, regulatory, and reputational risks to the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.

Healthcare‑Specific Responsibilities

• Provide labor and employment counsel within a complex, highly regulated healthcare environment.
• Advise on workforce matters affecting clinical and non‑clinical employees, including nurses, allied health professionals, physicians, residents, support services, and administrative personnel.
• Counsel leadership regarding workforce decisions that may affect patient care, staffing, continuity of operations, and regulatory obligations.
• Support labor strategies involving multiple bargaining units and healthcare unions.
• Advise on employment issues arising from 24/7 operations, emergency staffing, mandatory overtime restrictions, scheduling, call requirements, credentialing‑related employment actions, and workforce shortages.
• Partner with leadership on workforce implications of acquisitions, affiliations, integrations, service‑line changes, and operational restructuring.
• Coordinate with Compliance, Medical Staff leadership, Human Resources, and other stakeholders when employment matters intersect with patient safety, professional conduct, regulatory requirements, or clinical operations.

Qualifications

Education

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school required.
• Admission in good standing to the applicable state bar required.
• Eligibility for admission in additional relevant jurisdictions preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible labor and employment law experience, preferably gained through a combination of law firm and in‑house practice.
• Significant experience advising employers on labor and employment matters required.
• Demonstrated experience in unionized environments strongly preferred.
• Experience with collective bargaining, grievance administration, and labor arbitration strongly preferred.
• Healthcare, hospital, academic medical center, or other highly regulated industry experience strongly preferred.
• Experience managing employment litigation and administrative agency proceedings required.
• Experience conducting complex and sensitive workplace investigations required.
• Experience advising senior executives and Human Resources leaders on high‑risk employment matters required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep knowledge of federal, state, and local labor and employment laws.
• Strong knowledge of the National Labor Relations Act and traditional labor law principles.
• Knowledge of Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, WARN Act, USERRA, and applicable state and local employment laws.
• Strong collective bargaining and labor contract interpretation skills.
• Exceptional legal judgment and ability to assess risk in complex and rapidly evolving situations.
• Ability to provide practical, concise, and actionable legal advice.
• Strong negotiation, advocacy, and dispute‑resolution skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage highly sensitive, confidential, and privileged matters with discretion.
• Strong executive presence and credibility with senior leadership.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, complex, and highly regulated environment.
• Demonstrated ability to balance legal risk, operational needs, employee relations considerations, and organizational objectives.
• Strong project management skills and ability to manage multiple high‑priority matters simultaneously.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience serving as lead labor counsel in a multi‑site organization.
• Experience with multiple collective bargaining units and labor organizations.
• First‑chair or significant experience in labor arbitration.
• Experience participating directly in collective bargaining negotiations.
• Experience supporting workforce integration following mergers, acquisitions, or organizational restructuring.
• Familiarity with healthcare labor relations and hospital workforce operations.
• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with Legal, Human Resources, operational leaders, union representatives, and external counsel.

Reporting Relationship

Reports directly to the Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel.

The Labor and Employment Counsel is a member of the Legal function and works in close partnership with Human Resources, Compliance, executive leadership, and operational management across the organization.

This position operates in a complex, fast‑paced environment and requires the ability to respond to time‑sensitive labor and employment matters. Periodic travel between organizational locations and attendance at bargaining sessions, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, or other meetings may be required.

The organization is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Employment decisions are made based on qualifications, merit, organizational needs, and other lawful considerations.