Corporate Employment Counsel

NewCold • Chicago, IL

3d • Onsite

About The Position

NewCold is seeking a dynamic and highly motivated attorney to join its North American legal team at the company’s regional headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Legal, North America, the Legal Counsel will act as a strategic legal partner to North American leadership and operational teams, supporting the development and expansion of automated, temperature-controlled logistics facilities across the region. The role provides broad, hands-on legal experience in a fast-paced, high-growth, global organization and covers commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, labor and employment, compliance, workplace safety, finance, and corporate governance.

The attorney will advise on employment matters including hiring, wage and hour compliance, terminations, accommodations, leaves, restrictive covenants, and internal investigations. They will also lead legal support for workplace safety issues across NewCold’s cold-storage network, including OSHA compliance, incident response, investigations, citations, and regulator interactions. Other work includes drafting and negotiating commercial agreements, supporting M&A transactions from evaluation through post-closing integration, and assisting with financing and state and local economic incentives.

The position calls for practical, business-oriented legal advice, strong communication and project-management skills, and the ability to manage matters proactively with limited oversight. The role requires a Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and an active Illinois law license, as well as 5–7 years of post-JD legal experience. The stated base pay range is $145,000–$170,000, and the position is eligible for a bonus.

Requirements

• 5–7 years of post-JD legal experience.
• Hands-on experience advising on labor and employment issues, with exposure to workplace safety and OSHA compliance.
• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in Illinois.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to give practical, solutions-oriented legal advice aligned with business goals and operational realities.
• Proactive, self-starting approach; confidence taking initiative, owning workstreams end-to-end, and driving matters forward with limited oversight.
• Clear and confident communication skills, including the ability to explain complex legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines efficiently under pressure in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Strong internal client-service orientation, including the ability to build trust, anticipate needs, and provide timely, actionable guidance.
• Strong drafting skills and attention to detail, with the ability to clarify and negotiate contractual terms while protecting the business without over-lawyering.

Nice To Haves

• A combination of in-house and law firm experience.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to North American leadership and operational teams, providing practical legal guidance across multiple disciplines.
• Partner with HR and business leaders on employment matters, including hiring, wage and hour compliance, terminations, accommodations, leaves, restrictive covenants, and internal investigations.
• Modernize employment policies, resolve disputes, and support workplace culture as the business grows.
• Lead legal support for workplace safety matters, including federal and state OSHA compliance, incident response, root cause investigations, citation defense, and regulator interactions.
• Collaborate with QESH leadership, operations, and outside counsel to strengthen workplace safety programs.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, including customer warehousing and logistics contracts, vendor and supplier arrangements, technology and SaaS agreements, equipment leases, and services agreements.
• Partner with business stakeholders to balance legal risk with commercial objectives, streamline contracting processes, and develop scalable contracting playbooks.
• Support corporate M&A transactions from initial evaluation through closing, including due diligence, deal structuring, purchase and ancillary agreements, and post-closing integration.
• Support construction loans, term facilities, refinancings, equipment leases, and state and local economic incentives such as tax abatements and grants.
• Provide day-to-day legal support to treasury, accounting, and the controller’s office on financing compliance, reporting, and related corporate matters.

Benefits

• Eligible employees may enroll in competitive benefit programs generally including health insurance, retirement savings plans, life insurance, and disability insurance.
• Programs providing paid and unpaid time away from work.
• Four weeks of accrued paid time off.
• Paid holidays throughout the calendar year.
• Bonus eligibility in addition to base pay.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree