Senior Counsel (Employment)

Motive; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Motive is seeking a Senior Counsel, Employment to provide practical, strategic legal guidance across the employee lifecycle for a distributed, multi-jurisdictional workforce.

Reporting to the AGC, Corporate, you will advise People, managers, and executives on employment matters, manage risk, and help build scalable employment policies and processes in a fast-growing technology company.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and active license to practice law in at least one U.S. state.
• Deep knowledge of employment law with experience advising on employee relations, contingent workers, restrictive covenants, investigations, wage-and-hour matters, leaves, accommodations, and disputes.

Responsibilities

• Advise on broad range of employment matters affecting a multi-jurisdictional workforce.
• Draft, review, and update employment agreements, policies, and training materials; maintain annual review cycle.

Skills

Employment law

Employee relations

Wage & hour

Workplace investigations

Restrictive covenants

Leaves & accommodations

Equity matters guidance

Contract drafting

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

J.D. degree

Active U.S. state bar license

Tools

Contract drafting software

Legal research tools

Job description

• Motive is seeking a Senior Counsel, Employment to provide practical, strategic legal guidance across the employee lifecycle for a distributed, multi-jurisdictional workforce
• Reporting to the AGC, Corporate, this role will advise People, managers, business leaders, and executives on employment matters, manage legal risk, and help build scalable employment policies and processes in a fast-growing technology company
• This role will shape employment practices, support business growth, and contribute to broader Legal team initiatives
• Advise People, managers, business leaders, and executives on a broad range of employment matters, including hiring, performance management, employee relations, accommodations, leaves, investigations, discipline, compensation, classification, restrictive covenants, and separations
• Provide guidance on federal, state, provincial, local, international and other applicable employment laws and regulations
• Draft, review, and update employment-related agreements, policies, procedures, training materials, and communications, with a comprehensive annual review and update cycle
• Partner with People, Recruiting, and business stakeholders to develop practical, consistent, and legally compliant approaches to workforce and employee-relations matters
• Manage and oversee employment-related claims, agency charges, audits, investigations, and litigation in partnership with internal and external counsel
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments and recommend updates to policies, processes, training, and business practices
• Support workforce programs, organizational changes, and other cross-functional legal projects and strategic business priorities
• Manage outside counsel effectively and help ensure matters are handled efficiently and with appropriate risk calibration

The ideal candidate brings sound judgment, strong employment-law expertise, and the ability to translate complex legal requirements into clear, actionable guidanceJ.D. and active license to practice law in at least one U.S. stateDeep knowledge of employment law and demonstrated experience advising on employee relations, contingent workers, restrictive covenants, workplace investigations, wage and hour matters, leaves, accommodations, and employment-related disputes10+ years of relevant employment-law experience in a law firm and in-house legal departmentExcellent written and verbal communication skills, close attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize competing demands in a fast-paced environmentBrings strong technical drafting skills for preparing employment-related agreementsAbility to manage complex matters independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional stakeholders and external counselStrong business judgment and the ability to provide clear, practical, and risk-calibrated adviceSomeone with a great sense of humor and no ego who shares our vision that the legal team can be both a center of excellence and fun at the same time!AI-first perspective, with interest in building and leveraging AI-driven toolsExperience supporting a distributed or multi-jurisdictional workforce across multiple U.S. states as well as international jurisdictions, preferably in a technology or high-growth companyA self-motivated individual with a solutions-oriented, low-ego approach and willingness to contribute beyond a narrowly defined specialtyExperience advising on equity incentive plans and equity matters across a distributed workforce