Employment Law Counsel

Guardian Life Insurance • New York, NY

1d • $152,290 - $250,195 • Hybrid

About The Position

Guardian is seeking an Employment Law Counsel to serve as its number two Employment and Labor Counsel, reporting directly to the Head of Employment Law. The role provides practical, business-focused legal advice on a broad range of employment matters affecting Guardian’s employees and field force. The counsel partners closely with Human Resources, business leaders, and Law Department colleagues to manage legal risk, support sound decision-making, and advance business priorities.

The role leads and advances enterprise-wide employment legal strategy, provides counsel on complex and high-impact issues, oversees administrative agency responses, and manages employment and labor litigation or arbitration. It also advises on workforce changes, compensation and benefit matters, policies, AI-enabled workplace tools, transactions, and evolving legal requirements. The successful candidate is an enterprise-level employment-law thought leader with expertise in ERISA plans, sales compensation, and incentive plans, and exercises a high degree of autonomy while aligning with the Head of Employment Law and the Law Department’s standards for technical excellence, client service, collaboration, and ethics.

This is a hybrid role based in Guardian’s Hudson Yards, New York City office, with three office days and two work-from-home days per week. The stated base salary range is $152,290 to $250,195. The role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation. Guardian describes its benefits and resources as supportive, flexible, inclusive, and contemporary; benefits apply to full-time eligible employees.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree and active bar admission.
• At least five years of relevant professional legal experience practicing employment law in a large law firm or in-house legal department.
• Significant experience handling administrative matters and single-plaintiff litigation or arbitration.
• Strong oral and written communication, organizational, and analytical skills.
• Strong negotiation skills and business acumen, including experience structuring separation agreements, settlements, and resolutions that balance legal risk and business objectives.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, with self-direction and sound judgment.
• Self-starter with a proactive approach to addressing issues before they create legal exposure and ability to handle complex, challenging situations.
• Desktop computer competency, including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Westlaw, and Harvey.
• Demonstrated AI literacy, including use of AI-enabled legal tools such as Harvey for research and drafting, and judgment to critically evaluate and verify AI-generated output against primary sources.

Nice To Haves

• Labor law experience.
• New York State bar admission, or eligibility for admission under the New York State in-house counsel admission program.
• Familiarity with ERISA-governed compensation and benefit plans, including plan-language drafting and ERISA litigation.
• Experience defending employment class and collective actions.
• Comfort working with workforce data and analytics, such as pay equity, worker classification, and adverse-impact analyses.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Head of Employment Law to lead enterprise-wide legal strategy for employment matters and advise Human Resources leadership and business leaders on complex issues.
• Advise on hiring and termination, harassment, discrimination and retaliation, leaves, reasonable accommodations, pay equity, wage and hour requirements, compensation plans, restrictive covenants, conflicts of interest, worker classification, investigations, performance management, and affirmative action compliance.
• Lead and oversee responses to administrative agency matters, including EEOC, DOL, and state and local agency investigations and proceedings.
• Consult with Colleague Relations, Human Resources Business Partners, and business leaders on involuntary terminations and separation packages that address legal risks and business considerations.
• Advise on restructurings, reorganizations, and reductions in force, including WARN Act and state notice requirements, selection-process design, and adverse-impact review.
• Counsel the business on workforce transformation driven by automation and AI, including role redesign, up-skilling and redeployment terms, and technology-related position eliminations.
• Manage employment and labor litigation and arbitration; develop case strategy, oversee factual-record development, direct outside counsel, and advise senior leaders at key decision points.
• Conduct legal research, develop legal opinions, and provide practical recommendations on novel and high-impact employment-law matters.
• Assess emerging employment-law developments and advise leaders on their financial, regulatory, operational, and reputational implications.
• Monitor employment-related legislation and advise stakeholders on necessary policy, process, and operational changes.
• Guide the development, interpretation, and implementation of company policies and procedures to support legal compliance and consistent application.
• Advise on legal risks associated with AI and automated decision tools used in hiring, promotion, performance management, and workplace monitoring, including bias audits, candidate notice, and transparency requirements such as NYC Local Law 144.
• Partner with stakeholders to develop and deliver internal employment-law training.
• Provide strategic employment-law counsel for acquisitions, divestitures, and other enterprise transactions, including due diligence, workforce risks, and integration.
• Build trusted relationships and collaborate with Law Department colleagues, external counsel, Human Resources partners, and business partners.
• Undertake additional strategic initiatives and responsibilities with the Head of Employment Law as business and Law Department needs evolve.

Benefits

• Guardian describes supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources for full-time eligible employees.
• Skill-building and leadership development opportunities.
• Philanthropic opportunities.

What This Job Offers

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