Counsel, Labor & Employment

Job Purpose and Impact

The Counsel, Labor & Employment, as a strong contributor to the team and business stakeholders, will manage a large scope and volume of projects andwork, closely aligned with the law group's objectives and business objectives. In this role, you will engage with global law team members and selectleaders across the business while building strong external networks. You will apply expert business, organizational and industry knowledge to support the law teamand business. This role is a critical member of the global law team and strong contributor to key business and functional stakeholders. In this role, you will engage with senior leaders across the law team, HR, and businesses, while maintaining strong external networks. You will autonomously apply subject matter expertise and skills to influence the business strategy, inform decisions, create innovative solutions to resolve challenges and educate stakeholders.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide proactive thought leadership and legal counsel on a variety of topics in the labor and employment field.
• Apply core legal skills to area of responsibility to proactively handle systemic labor and employment legal issues across Cargill, anticipate legal risks, address legal needs, and develop comprehensive understanding of business goals, drivers, and external environment.
• Serve as a trusted partner to the law team, colleagues, clients and the business by anticipating internal and external business challenges and providing solutions to unique and complex problems that impact Cargill.
• Maintain and enhance strong relationships with external networks to continue developing and adopting industry insights and best practices and proactively share learning across teams.
• Identify, assess, and advise on legal risks and opportunities relating to labor and employment, including areas such as compliance with federal and state laws, anti-discrimination, wage-and-hour, investigations, and labor relations.
• Partner with colleagues in Law, HR, and Operations to ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local labor and employment laws, regulations, and policies.
• Advise on labor law and labor relations matters including bargaining obligations, contract negotiations, contract interpretation, information requests, employee discipline, protected and concerted activities, union organizing, grievance and arbitration procedures.
• Represent the company in labor relations matters (contract negotiation, contract interpretation, union organizing, grievance and arbitration proceedings, NLRB proceedings).
• Represent the company in responding to demand letters and litigation matters, partnering with outside counsel as appropriate.
• Independently drive desired legal outcomes on matters with support from the team to achieve legal outcomes and bring positive impact for both the law team and the business.
• Serve as trusted partner to the business to proactively assess opportunities compared to associated risks, address business and customer needs and challenges, solve the unique and complex problems and develop innovative solutions with the law team and business using new approaches and perspectives.
• Support the success of the law team and business, counseling across a broad range of legal and business issues, proactively addressing legal risk and legal needs with the team and developing deep understanding of the business, its risk tolerance and goals.
• Provide expert thought leadership in your field and work with limited direction, using additional research and interpretation to identify issues or problems. You may provide direction to supporting team members and be a strategic contributor.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
• Juris doctor or equivalent to practice law within current jurisdiction.
• Minimum requirement of 6 years of relevant work experience. Typically reflects 10 years or more of relevant experience.
• Experience managing stakeholder priorities and needs in a client facing capacity.
• Extensive knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
• Experience handling labor and employment matters before courts and administrative agencies.
• Experience in labor relations advice (contract negotiation, contract interpretation, union organizing, grievance and arbitration proceedings).
• Experience in counseling clients on labor and employment matters.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication and interpersonal skills, with experience working effectively with a variety of people across regions or cultures.
• Experience working for a law firm or as an in house counsel, including drafting, reviewing and negotiating various contracts or agreements, conducting legal review of complex issues and using legal analysis to provide solutions.
• Experience in leading robust projects to successful completion on time and within budget.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience with Canadian labor and employment issues preferred.