Employment and Labor Counsel

Join Starkey as an Employment & Labor Counsel at our headquarters in Eden Prairie, MN, where you'll play a critical role in shaping and supporting our global workforce. In this impactful position, you will lead employment and labor law initiatives across the enterprise, including employment litigation, compliance, training, compensation and benefits matters, and key legal support for Human Resources. You'll also help drive global legal governance strategies while partnering with leaders across the organization to foster a compliant, high-performing workplace.

At Starkey, we are in the business of connecting people and changing lives. As a world leader in the manufacturing and delivering of advanced hearing solutions, we go to work each day to ensure every person on the planet has the opportunity to hear their very best. Founded in 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems.

About

Headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Starkey has more than 5,000 employees globally, operates 29 facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide. Here’s a video about the people behind Starkey’s groundbreaking innovation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjhRQ7qzlI0

Job Summary Description

The Employment & Labor Counsel is responsible for Labor & Employment activities of the enterprise on a global basis, including managing employment litigation, employee and management training, compliance matters and employee compensation and benefits issues. The individual will also provide key support to the Human Resources leadership team and provide support to global legal governance initiatives.

Job Responsibilities

• Counsels on Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, NLRA, OFCCP and other federal employment laws, as well as any state and international equivalents.
• In coordination with the General Counsel and the Company’s Compliance Officer, provides advice and counsels on compliance-related matters, including investigation of potential violations of the Company’s Code of Conduct, training and audits.
• Supports the Human Resources Leadership team.
• Manages and mentors certain department support staff.
• Counsels on employment agreements, and restrictive covenant agreements.
• Assists in the management of the Company’s severance program.
• Assists in the negotiation and resolution of employment-related disputes.
• Manages EEOC charges, labor arbitrations, ULP charges and state equivalents.
• Develops programs, policies, tools and guidelines that align with the Company’s values, business objectives and employee engagement strategies.
• Supports employment law matters related to complex projects, including acquisition and divestiture strategies and organizational reductions and restructuring.
• Develops and deploys highly effective and engaging employee training on key labor & employment and compliance topics.
• Develops and maintains strong working relationships with business partners, legal department members and human resources professionals.
• Provides advice and counsel on employee compensation plans and programs and employee benefit issues, including health, welfare and retirement plans.
• Engages and partners with local counsel and agencies on a global basis to implement and support a global shared services model required of a global enterprise.
• Perform other duties/responsibilities as assigned
  
  

Job Requirements

Minimum Education, Certification and Experience Requirements

Education

• Licensed attorney with a minimum of four (4) years of experience handling labor & employment issues.
• Both labor and employment counseling experience is required.
• Prior law firm experience is required; prior in-house experience is a strong plus.
• Prior employment litigation, as well as experience with international employee populations, is an advantage.
  
  

Knowledge / Technical Requirements

• Must be able to handle company confidential information and data requiring the highest degree of attention to preserve confidentiality.
  
  

Competencies, Skills & Abilities

• Must be able to influence and communicate effectively with all internal clients of all levels of the organization (including senior management), as well as any external organizations (including government agencies) and outside labor & employment counsel.
• Must be willing to challenge the status quo, advocate unpopular positions as appropriate, make difficult judgment calls and provide effective perspective on labor and employment matters.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to compile information from multiple sources.
• Must be a self-starter with the ability to multi-task and handle unanticipated situations and effectively work under pressure.
  
  

WORK CONTEXT

Working Conditions

• This role requires travel both domestically and internationally
  
  

The target pay rate for this position is between $126,280 -$197,022 / year. Factors which may affect starting pay within this range may include: geography/market, skills, education, experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

The following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements, include medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) retirement plan with company match, company-paid life and short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance, employee assistance plan, hearing aid benefits, Paid Time Off, paid holidays, paid floating holidays, paid volunteer service day, paid paternity and maternity leave and tuition reimbursement.

This position is eligible for a bonus based upon performance results. There is no guarantee of payout.