Senior Associate General Counsel - Labor & Employment

WorleyParsons; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Worley is seeking a Senior Associate General Counsel - Labor & Employment to lead Americas labor relations from Houston, TX. The attorney will advise senior leadership and HR on complex employment matters and manage workforce-related legal risk to enable business outcomes.

Reporting to the Group Director, General Counsel, the role oversees U.S. employment policies, regulatory compliance, and collaboration with Compliance, DEI, and project teams to align with local and global requirements.

Qualifications

• Significant labor and employment law experience including U.S. labor relations, wage and hour issues, disputes, agency proceedings, and workforce risk.
• Experience in a complex, matrixed, project-based environment.
• Several years of experience in a leading international law firm and/or in-house with global workforce exposure.
• Deep knowledge of the employment lifecycle and ability to provide pragmatic counsel in fast-paced settings.
• Proven ability to design and implement global employment programs, policies, or frameworks.
• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions and with global teams.
• Experience with union negotiations or managing labor relations in the Americas.
• Familiarity with M&A, joint ventures, and global mobility issues.

Responsibilities

• Primary contact for Americas labor and employment legal program, aligned with business strategy and regional nuances.
• Develop scalable guidance, frameworks, and policies for consistent global employment law compliance.
• Advise senior leadership and HR on complex, high-impact issues including hiring/terminations, discipline, compensation, leaves, and accommodations.
• Oversee organizational restructuring, workforce transitions, and due diligence for M&A.
• Lead employment litigation, claims, proceedings, disputes, and internal investigations.
• Update U.S. employment policies and standards to reflect local laws and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with Compliance and HR to train leaders on employment risks and obligations.
• Oversee labor relations in the U.S., including unionized environments and bargaining strategies.

Skills

Labor relations

Employment law

Regulatory compliance

Dispute resolution

Global teams

Education

Law degree & bar admission

Job description

Job Description - Senior Associate General Counsel - Labor & Employment (HOU04G8)

Senior Associate General Counsel - Labor & Employment - HOU04G8

Company : Worley

Primary Location

USA-TX-Houston

Job

Legal

Schedule

Full-time

Employment Type : Employee

Reporting Manager Title : Group Director, General Counsel

About us
Worley is a global company of energy, chemicals and resources experts headquartered in Australia. We partner with our customers to deliver projects and create value across the life of their assets. We specialize in consulting, engineering, procurement and construction across the project lifecycle, with services extending through to operations and decommissioning. Leveraging extensive experience and AI-enabled delivery, we support customers in navigating complexity as they meet today's needs and transition to more sustainable solutions.

Purpose:

This newly created role reports directly to the Group Director of Legal Labor and Employment. The successful candidate will be responsible for providing strategic, practical legal advice across the Americas, and will work closely with Legal, People teams, project leadership teams, and operational leaders to manage workforce-related legal risk while enabling business outcomes.

The Senior Associate General Counsel will serve as subject matter expert and primary point of contact in the Americas region for labor relations, including union matters, project labor agreements, collective bargaining, grievances, arbitration strategy, and federal contractor compliance. Provides expertise on prevailing wage and workforce compliance, including Davis-Bacon Act requirements.

Responsibilities:

• Primary point of contact for Americas region labor and employment legal program, aligned with business strategy and regional nuances.
• Develop scalable guidance, frameworks, and policies for consistent global employment and labor law compliance.
• Advise senior leadership and HR partners on complex, high-impact employment issues, including:
  • Hiring, terminations, discipline, compensation, benefits, leaves, and accommodations.
  • Organizational restructuring, workforce transitions, and M&A due diligence.
  • Employment litigation, claims, administrative proceedings, dispute resolution, and internal investigations.
  • Proactively identify and mitigate legal risks while enabling business growth.
• Own and update U.S. employment legal policies and standards, ensuring alignment with applicable local laws, regulatory requirements, and cultural expectations.
• Partner with Compliance and HR to train leaders and managers on employment-related risks and obligations.
• Oversee labor relations in the U.S., including unionized environments, collective bargaining strategy, and works council engagement, as applicable.
• Collaborate with regional legal counsel, external advisors, and cross-functional teams (including HR, Compliance, DEI, and Security) to ensure alignment and responsiveness to local requirements.
• Support internal investigations in partnership with Ethics and Compliance.

What you will bring

Technical/Industry Experience and Qualifications Requirements:

• Significant labor and employment law experience, including U.S. labor relations, federal contractor compliance, wage and hour, disputes, agency proceedings, and workforce risk.
• Experience in a complex, matrixed, project-based environment preferred.
• Several years of experience practicing labor and employment law at a leading international law firm and/or in-house legal department, including experience with global workforces.
• Deep expertise across the employment lifecycle and ability to provide pragmatic counsel in fast-paced, high-stakes environments.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement global employment legal programs, frameworks, or policies.
• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions and collaborating with global teams.
• Experience with union negotiations or managing labor relations in the Americas.
• Familiarity with employment law issues in the context of M&A, joint ventures, and global mobility.

Education – Qualifications, Accreditation, Training:

Required:

• Law degree and active license to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction required.

Preferred:

• Degree in Law.
  

Moving forward together

We want our people to be energized and empowered to drive sustainable impact. So, our focus is on a values-inspired culture that unlocks brilliance through belonging, connection and innovation. We're building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace. Creating a space where everyone feels they belong, can be themselves, and are heard.

And we're not just talking about it; we're doing it. We're reskilling our people, leveraging transferable skills, and supporting the transition of our workforce to become experts in today's low carbon energy infrastructure and technology. Whatever your ambition, there's a path for you here.

And there's no barrier to your potential career success. Join us to broaden your horizons, explore diverse opportunities, and be part of delivering sustainable change.