Counsel, Labor & Employment

True Anomaly•Long Beach, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Counsel, Labor and Employment will serve as True Anomaly's primary in-house legal authority on employment law matters, reporting directly to the General Counsel. This role owns the company's employment law function — advising on the full range of workplace legal issues, partnering closely with the People team, and serving as the Legal Department's lead on employee relations matters, internal complaints, and adversarial employment proceedings. At its core, this role exists to help build and protect an extraordinary employee experience — one where people feel supported, fairly treated, and empowered to do their best work in service of the company's mission. This is a role that requires sound judgment, discretion, and the trust of the business. You will handle the Company's most sensitive employee matters and will be the person that leadership, managers, and the People team turn to when issues arise. The ability to maintain confidentiality, navigate difficult conversations, and exercise independent judgment on high-stakes matters is foundational to the role — as is a genuine commitment to treating every employee with fairness and respect, even in the most challenging situations. Beyond employment law, you will support general corporate legal functions — reviewing and negotiating contracts, advising internal clients, and contributing to the Legal Department's broader workload. The ideal candidate brings deep employment law expertise, a people-first mindset, and is equally comfortable counseling an HR partner on a complex investigation and turning around a vendor agreement on a tight deadline. Above all, you'll see your work as directly enabling employees to succeed in their missions — removing legal friction so people can focus on doing great work.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school.
Active membership in the California State Bar required.
3–10 years of legal experience focused on labor and employment law, with a preference for a mix of law firm and in-house experience.
Strong knowledge of federal, California, and multi-state employment laws, including Title VII, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, FEHA, California Labor Code, and applicable local ordinances.
Experience advising on employee relations matters, conducting or overseeing workplace investigations, and managing or supporting employment-related litigation or agency proceedings.
Experience drafting, revising, and implementing employment policies and employee handbooks.
Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential matters with discretion, sound judgment, and the highest level of professional integrity.
Experience partnering directly with HR or People teams on day-to-day employment counseling and strategic workforce matters.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to provide clear, practical guidance to non-legal stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in-house at a technology, aerospace, or defense company.
Familiarity with employment-related obligations specific to government contractors, including OFCCP compliance, affirmative action planning, and E-Verify requirements.
Experience with labor relations matters, including NLRA compliance and organizational campaign response.
Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial contracts.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Company's primary in-house employment law attorney, advising on the full spectrum of workplace legal matters, including hiring, performance management, compensation, leaves and accommodations, separations, and reductions in force.
Partner closely with the People team as a trusted legal advisor on day-to-day employee relations issues, policy interpretation, and personnel decisions.
Serve as the Legal Department's primary point of contact for employee complaints, workplace investigations, and adversarial employment matters, including agency charges (EEOC, state equivalents) and employment-related litigation, coordinating with outside counsel as needed.
Draft, revise, and maintain employment policies, employee handbooks, and related internal guidance, ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws.
Partner with the People team on analyses and recommendations for key employee policies and programs, including areas such as paid time off structures, internal mobility and job posting practices, and other workforce policies with legal implications.
Advise on wage and hour compliance, employee classification, and pay equity matters, with particular attention to California-specific requirements.
Support the company's compliance with EEO, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, and applicable state and local employment laws across all jurisdictions in which the company operates.
Advise on employment-related aspects of corporate transactions, reorganizations, and workforce changes as they arise.
Monitor legislative and regulatory developments in employment law, particularly in California and Colorado, and proactively advise leadership and the People team on required or recommended policy and practice changes.
Develop and deliver manager and employee training on employment law topics, including anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, accommodations, and documentation practices.
Advise on employment-related obligations arising from government contracts, including FAR/DFAR-mandated employment requirements, and coordination with the Contracts function to ensure company policies and practices satisfy contractual flowdown obligations.
Advise on labor relations matters, including organizational risk assessment, if and as they arise.
Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of commercial agreements, including vendor and supplier contracts, NDAs, consulting agreements, and other agreements as needed.
Advise internal stakeholders on legal matters as they arise across the organization.
Coordinate with other Legal Department functions on matters of overlapping concern.
Contribute to legal department process improvements, templates, playbooks, and other shared resources.
Support additional projects and initiatives as needed under the direction of the General Counsel.