Position Summary
NRDC is seeking aSeniorAssociate General Counselwithexpertiseinemployment lawandlabor relations.Officeof the General Counsel (5OGC5)provides in-house legal support to all NRDC programs and departments. This position willoversee the verticalwithin theOGCteamcomprisingemployment, labor,and benefits. They will manageand overseeother OGCattorneysandwill providelegalcounsel to keypartners across NRDC, such as the People& DEITeam(5PODEI5).NRDC isin the process of negotiatinga collective bargaining agreement with the NRDCUnion; oncecompleted, thisposition willbe responsible forimplementation and oversight of the CBA.
Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonableaccommodationsmay be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform thefollowingessential functions:
- Provide guidance to PODEIandotherson consistent application of employment policies, including performance management, accommodations,employeeclassification, engagement structures,outside engagements,and employee relations matters.
- Oversee compliance with employment requirements applicable to NRDC5smultistateU.S. workforce, includingcity,state and federalwageandhour standards, leave laws, paytransparency obligations,discipline, termination,and hiring and onboarding rules.
- Advise on Africaborder considerations related to international staff (e.g. Africa, China, India, UK), coordinating with local counsel as needed to align with jurisdictionspecific expectations.
- Develop strong relationships with key PODEI managers andstakeholders, andwork collaboratively to address evolving and emergent matters.
- Draft, revise, andmaintainemploymentrelated policies, handbooks, and compliance frameworks to ensure alignment with legal requirements and organizational needs.
- ReviewPODEI-relatedvendor agreements, including dataprocessing and confidentiality provisions, to ensure responsible handling of workforce data by third parties.
- Develop and deliver training for managers,PODEIpersonnel, and staff on employmentlaw obligations, workplace conduct expectations, and changes in relevant legal requirements.
- Coordinate with PODEI to deliver other OGCtrainingsto relevant NRDC staff.
- Advise onlegal requirements relating to employee benefits programs, including health and welfare plans, retirement plans, disability benefits, and related administrative practices.
- Provide legal support for compensationrelated matters in coordination with HR and senior leadership.
- Evaluate employmentand employee related datapractices for legal risk,establishpriorities for process improvements, and advise onappropriate solutionsfor compliance issues and employment disputes.
- Monitor legislation, regulations, judicial developments, and government enforcement activities relating to benefits,compensationand employment law;advise on necessary updates to programs, plan documents, or processes.
- Advise onemployee relations mattersandmanage any litigation, investigations, disputes,settlement negotiations,or claims, including managing outside counsel.
- StaffrelevantNRDC committees, such as the NRDC Board HR subcommittee and the Benefits Committee.
- Supporttheimplementation ofNRDC5s first collective bargaining agreementand future bargainingand related activities.
- Manage, delegate,and provide guidance and mentorship to direct reports on a day-to-day basis, and other colleagues on specific projects or matters.
Theabove list of duties is not comprehensive butgenerally demonstratesthe types of matters under this position5s responsibility. Other duties may be assigned.
Qualifications
MinimumEducation& Experience:
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school required.
- Current license in good standing to practice law.
- 8+ years of experience with federal, state, and/or international legal issues in the exempt organization field in the areas of employment,laborand benefits matters; at least 4 years of in-house experience and/or subject matter leadership strongly preferred.
- Experience successfully managingjunior attorneys and paralegals
- Experience working within aunion environment
Skills,Abilities,Competencies
- Experience with federal and state legal issues in the exempt organization fieldin the areas ofemployment,laborand benefits matters; in-house experience strongly preferred.
- Communicate complex legal concepts clearly and succinctly, including to lay audiences, in both formal training and informal advising.
- High-level of emotional intelligence and ability to collaborate across diverse teams and stakeholders.
- Excellent drafting, research, and written and oral communication skills.
- Strong critical thinking and analytical ability, sound judgment, strategic orientation, and interpersonal maturity.
- Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment, handle multipleassignmentsand meet deadlinesindependently andwith strong attention to detail.
- Integrity, professionaldiscretionand ability to handle sensitive/confidential matters.
- Flexibility and ability to work well independently on multiple projects with a wide variety of people, at all levels of the organization.
- Competence with and commitment to diversity and inclusion; ability to be an effective partner with diverse colleagues,leadersand partners.
- Experience inanti-discriminationmatters,hiring preferences, immigration,and pay equity auditsa plus.
- Ability to travel to NRDC offices as needed,approximately 15-20%
- Commitment to NRDC5s mission,values, and DEI principles.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonableaccommodationsmay be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position within thedescribed work environment.
Frequently:Perform desk-based computer tasks
Frequently:Ability to interact and communicate with employees and others as necessary
Frequently:Attend planned meetings and collaborate with management and coworkers
Occasionally:Ability to attend events and activitiesin the office or offsite
Work issometimesperformed primarily inoffice.The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet in office settings and moderate in other situations.Hours of employment may sometimesrequire workingflexible and/or longer hours, including nights and weekends, whennecessitatedby projects.The job includeswork-related situations such as those involving challenging, important, urgent, time-sensitive, or multiple matters.
Work is sometimes performed primarily in office. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet in office settings and moderate in other situations. Hours of employment may sometimes require working flexible and/or longer hours, including nights and weekends, when necessitated by projects. The job includes work-related situations such as those involving challenging, important, urgent, time-sensitive, or multiple matters.
We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary range is $180,000 to $200,000.
NRDC operates under a hybrid work model. Employees are required to come to the office 8 days per month.
To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your rsum and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person rsum drop-offs.
If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422.
For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.
