Director, Employment Law

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Lead the company's employment litigation strategy and act as a primary advisor on employment law matters across a multi-state workforce.

• Oversee external legal counsel in relation to wage-and-hour class and PAGA actions, individual claims, and arbitrations.

• Formulate litigation strategies, manage scope and budgets, and ensure efficient resolution of cases.

• Supervise responses to charges from the EEOC and state civil rights agencies.

• Manage the workers' compensation litigation portfolio alongside Risk Management and Benefits.

• Select and assess outside law firms, oversee legal expenditures and billing guidelines, and escalate critical issues to the General Counsel.

• Direct internal investigations and convert litigation trends into priorities for risk prevention.

• Provide guidance to Benefits and Leave Administration teams on complex, multi-jurisdictional leave issues.

• Establish legal frameworks for ADA/FEHA interactive processes and advise on complex accommodation requests.

• Coordinate leave, disability/ADA, and workers' compensation return-to-work plans along with associated protocols.

• Standardize documentation for leave of absence, medical certification templates, and employee communications.

• Lead internal audits related to wage-and-hour compliance and advise on inquiries or investigations in this area.

• Collaborate with HR Operations, Payroll, and IT regarding time-tracking, pay statements, and payroll calculations.

• Ensure defensible worker classification in accordance with federal and California standards.

• Provide counsel on overtime, double time, premiums, commissions, bonuses, and various pay rates.

• Advise Finance and HR regarding the design of incentive and bonus plans.

• Monitor employment law developments and adapt policies to reflect regulatory changes.

• Guide the Senior Manager, HR Compliance in maintaining employee handbooks, state-specific addendums, and compliance standard operating procedures (SOPs).

• Advise HR Business Partners and Operations on high-risk terminations, performance management, severance, restrictive covenants, and complex leave/accommodation issues.

• Oversee and mentor direct reports, including management of the employee hotline.

• Ensure compliance with workplace safety and advise on labor relations strategies.

⛳️ Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.

• Active bar admission in good standing.

• 8–12+ years of experience in labor and employment law.

• Strong foundation from law firm training complemented by in-house legal leadership experience.

• Ideally experienced in a multi-unit retail, healthcare, hospitality, or aesthetic context.

• Profound, hands-on understanding of California employment law.

• Fluency in multi-state employment law across a national scope.

• Expertise in leave and disability accommodations, wage-and-hour compliance, worker classification, and technical pay calculations.

• Business-savvy judgment and the ability to advise senior stakeholders on critical employment decisions.

• Demonstrated leadership experience in developing legal, HR, or compliance professionals.

• Capacity to manage sensitive and confidential information with the utmost discretion.

• Technical proficiency with HRIS/payroll systems such as ADP, Workday, or UKG.

• Familiarity with leave-management software platforms.

• Ability to work remotely from locations within the United States.

• Capability to sustain prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and engaging with a computer.

🏝️ Benefits

• Annual bonus in addition to the base salary.

• Medical benefits.

• 401(k) plan.

• Paid time off.

• Generous employee discounts.

• Limited travel as required for investigations, hearings, agency proceedings, or company meetings.

• Reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, as requested and when not causing undue hardship.