Associate General Counsel – Employment & Compliance

Groundworks•Virginia Beach, VA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Employment & Compliance Attorney is responsible for managing employment-related legal matters and driving compliance across a national, decentralized home services platform. This role partners closely with HR, operations, and leadership to ensure adherence to federal, state, and local employment laws while building scalable compliance programs that reduce risk and support growth. The ideal candidate combines strong employment law expertise with a practical, solutions-oriented mindset and the ability to operate in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school
Active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
5–10+ years of employment law experience (law firm and/or in-house)
Strong working knowledge of federal employment laws (FLSA, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, etc.)
Strong working knowledge of multi-state employment compliance
Experience conducting workplace investigations

Nice To Haves

In-house experience at a multi-state or decentralized organization
Experience in home services, construction, or similarly labor-intensive industries
Familiarity with high-volume workforce environments (hourly, field-based employees)
Familiarity with background check and drug testing laws

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day legal advice to HR and business leaders on hiring, discipline, and termination decisions, wage & hour compliance, leave and accommodation issues, and employee classification.
Advise on reductions in force, restructurings, and organizational changes.
Review and draft employment-related agreements (offer letters, restrictive covenants, separation agreements).
Manage pre-litigation employment claims, including EEOC and state agency charges, demand letters, and internal complaints.
Oversee and conduct internal investigations (harassment, discrimination, retaliation, ethics concerns).
Manage litigation employment claims.
Develop consistent investigation protocols and documentation standards.
Assist with the building and maintenance of a scalable, multi-state employment compliance program.
Monitor and interpret evolving federal, state, and local employment laws.
Translate legal requirements into clear, operational policies and procedures.
Support audits and proactive compliance reviews (wage & hour, I-9, background checks, etc.).
Assist with the drafting, updating, and implementation of employment policies and employee handbook(s).
Ensure policies are compliant across all jurisdictions, with state-specific addenda as needed.
Develop and deliver training for managers and HR on anti-harassment and discrimination, wage & hour compliance, and proper documentation and discipline practices.
Promote consistency across branch locations.
Serve as a trusted advisor to HR leadership and field operations.
Support development of performance management and disciplinary frameworks.
Collaborate on employee engagement initiatives that reduce legal risk.
Provide practical, business-oriented solutions that align legal compliance with operational needs.
Support broader compliance initiatives, including consumer protection overlap and workforce-related regulatory requirements.
Assist with compliance reporting and documentation.
Coordinate with internal audit or compliance functions as applicable.
Identify trends in employment claims and recommend preventative actions.
Track key metrics (claims, investigations, resolution timelines).
Report regularly to the General Counsel and HR leadership on risk areas and mitigation strategies.
Regularly and reliably report to work each working day.
Other duties as assigned.