Assistant General Counsel

Assistant General Counsel

Assistant General Counsel provides legal advice and counsel regarding employment and labor-related issues, policies, and programs to Human Resources professionals and line and corporate staff managers within the Company’s businesses, reporting to the Associate General Counsel.  S/he will join a team of versatile professionals who work closely together serving the needs of a complex, highly regulated international organization.  In addition to handling a diverse and challenging array of labor and employment legal matters arising from the company’s workforce of 12,000+ employees, s/he may also provide legal support to one or more operating divisions and/or additional functional departments of the Company.  Qualified candidates will exhibit exceptional experience, and a practical, solution-driven, business-based approach to problem solving and exceptional interpersonal skills that facilitate prompt, constructive solutions for Human Resources, operational personnel and executives across the organization.

• Provide ongoing legal counsel and guidance on all matters relating to corporate strategies, policies, procedures, and programs in the area of Human Resources for the DeVry family or educational institutions.
• Create a proactive strategy to ensure compliance with existing and contemplated federal/state employment laws and regulations.
• Supervise the preparation of the company’s response to complaints of discrimination filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state agencies.
• In conjunction with in-house litigation counsel, direct and supervise outside counsel handling employment litigation, including, risk assessment, devising case strategy and serving as liaison for investigations, discovery, and other-litigation related tasks.
• Assist in managing and investigating employment-related issues.
• Participate in the development of sound policies and programs in all areas of labor and employment, including wage and hour matters, hiring and recruiting, immigration, discipline, counseling and discharge, discrimination, wrongful termination, FMLA, reductions-in-force, union organizing efforts, drug testing issues, etc.
• Provide training on labor and employment law compliance.
• Supervise outside counsel advising on benefit plan design and interpretations (401k, profit sharing, LTD, etc.).
• Support compensation team within HR and supervise outside counsel, providing advice on wage and hour/FSLA issues, compensation plan design, Long Term Incentive Plans, Tuition benefits and employee classification.
• May provide legal counsel and guidance to one or more divisions of the Company on operational matters.
• May advise one or more additional functional departments of the Company on the legal implications of their activities.

Minimum Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Below are the minimum requirements of the education, experience, knowledge, and skills required to competently perform in this position.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education, Experience, Knowledge and Skills

Required

• J. D. from an accredited law school.
• Must be in good standing with the Illinois State bar.
• Applicants must have ten or more years of substantive law firm and/or in-house legal experience, with at least five years in-house strongly preferred.
• Experience working as an HR professional either before or after attending law school highly valued.
• Excellent client management and communication skills; both oral and written.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work well in a fluid/fast-paced, highly collaborative, team environment.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to quickly assess potential for risk and opportunity.
• Possesses strong work ethic and customer service orientation and ability to prioritize conflicting demands from multiple business clients
• Experience providing legal support to company or business unit wide HR and business teams on all employment and labor-related issues, policies, and programs directly and via management of domestic and international outside counsel.
• Experience managing, and directing outside counsel supporting, internal investigations, responses to EEOC and similar state agency complaints and employment litigation.
• Experience interfacing with government and/or labor and employment agencies with  jurisdiction over employment and labor-related legal matters
• Ability to work effectively with all levels of management, to manage multiple projects simultaneously, exercise sound judgment and work independently and efficiently, and meet deadlines with consistently high-quality work product in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be a proactive self-starter with strong leadership skills

Desired

• Experience as primary or second chair counsel in the litigation of employment and labor-related cases a plus