Job Description

Job Title: Senior Counsel – Employment, Compliance and Risk

Position Summary

The Senior Counsel will serve as a key legal partner to the executive team and HR leadership. This role is responsible for providing expert legal guidance on all workplace matters, regulatory compliance (including agency and licensing), and overseeing the company’s risk management portfolio (including General Liability and Workers' Compensation). You will have a team of three Compliance professionals and a Claims professional. You will be expected to mitigate legal exposure while supporting the company’s operational and growth objectives.

Key Responsibilities

1. Employment Law & Labor Relations

• Legal Advisory: Provide guidance on employment and labor law compliance (ADA, FMLA, etc.), wage and hour laws, and complete position statements as needed
• Litigation Management: Manage outside counsel for employment litigation and represent the company in administrative proceedings (EEOC, DOL, state agencies).
• Labor Relations: Advise on labor law compliance, manage grievance procedures, and provide strategic support during collective bargaining or union organizing activity.

2. Regulatory Compliance & Licensing

• Agency Licensing: Oversee Compliance team’s maintenance of licenses across our footprint. Act as the primary liaison with state regulatory boards.
• Licensing Oversight: Oversee Compliance team’s management of credentialing. Ensure internal onboarding processes meet strict state-mandated background check, training, and registry requirements.
• Client Contract Compliance Oversight: Oversee Compliance team’s management of compliance with client contract requirements (such as additional screenings, training, etc.)
• Regulatory Audits: Lead the company's response to state audits regarding licensing, payroll compliance for staff and training records.

3. Risk Management & Claims

• Claims Oversight: Supervise the strategy and resolution of General Liability (GL) and Workers’ Compensation claims in partnership with Third Party Administrators (TPAs).
• Risk Mitigation: Analyze claim trends to identify operational gaps and recommend safety or training protocols to reduce future liability.

4. Commercial Contracts

• Contract Review: Perform basic review and negotiation of client service agreements (MSAs) and vendor contracts.
• Risk Allocation: Ensure contracts appropriately limit the company's liability and align with our insurance tower.

Qualifications & Skills

• Experience: 7 –12 years of legal practice, with a significant focus on employment law. Experience in a law firm or in-house legal department is required. Experience in a similarly regulated labor-intensive industry is highly preferred.
• Education: Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and an active license to practice law in good standing.

Expertise:

• Deep knowledge of federal and state employment law and labor relations
• Familiarity with regulated labor-intensive industries
• Familiarity with risk management and the mechanics of Workers’ Compensation and General Liability insurance.
• Familiarity with contract drafting and negotiation
• Communication: Ability to translate complex legal concepts into actionable advice for non-legal business partners.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience in high-headcount, multi-state service industries.
• A "business-first" mindset that prioritizes practical solutions over theoretical risk.
• Strong project management skills to juggle a high volume of issues

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