Lead Counsel, Labor & Employment

Ford • Dearborn, MI

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Ford Motor Company’s Office of the General Counsel is seeking a highly skilled and hands-on Employment Counsel to join our Employment legal team at our corporate headquarters in Dearborn, MI. This role is primarily responsible for managing employment-related disputes, litigation, and agency claims, as well as providing expert legal advice on U.S. employment law compliance and wage and hour issues. The successful candidate will proactively identify legal risks and develop mitigation strategies. A key focus of this role is the internal management of legal matters, including the direct handling of administrative charges. This position is based in Dearborn, MI, and candidates must be local to the area.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5–8 years of dedicated experience practicing employment law.
• Significant, recent experience drafting responses to EEOC and other agency charges is required.
• Significant experience in employment litigation and/or advising large corporate clients is required.
• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active member in good standing of a U.S. State Bar.
• If not currently licensed in Michigan, must be eligible for admission to the Michigan Bar or for a Michigan special certificate for in-house counsel.
• Exceptional legal writing and drafting skills, with a proven ability to produce persuasive, high-quality position statements and legal briefs internally.
• Deep substantive knowledge of federal and state employment laws, including Title VII, ADA, FMLA, ADEA, and a strong emphasis on FLSA/wage and hour regulations.
• Strong "practitioner" mindset with the ability to manage the administrative lifecycle of a claim from intake to resolution.
• Ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal solutions that balance legal risk with operational needs.
• Strong advocacy and negotiation skills, with experience in mediation and alternative dispute resolution.
• Ability to work independently and efficiently in a fast-paced environment, managing a high volume of active matters and competing priorities.
• High level of integrity and the ability to maintain confidentiality in sensitive and high-profile matters.

Nice To Haves

• A combination of experience at a law firm and a corporate in-house legal department is highly preferred.
• Experience in the automotive, manufacturing, or technology sectors.

Responsibilities

• Directly manage and respond to government agency charges (e.g., EEOC, MDCR, and other state/local agencies), including conducting internal fact-finding and drafting high-quality position statements and legal responses without the use of outside counsel.
• Provide strategic legal advice and guidance to Human Resources and business leadership on U.S. employment law compliance, specifically focusing on wage and hour issues (FLSA), hiring, discipline, and terminations.
• Manage and resolve pre-litigation demands and employment-related disputes through direct negotiation or mediation.
• Oversee a portfolio of employment litigation, directing strategy and cost-effective resolution for matters handled by outside counsel while identifying opportunities to pull lower-level work in-house.
• Identify and assess systemic legal risks across the enterprise and develop proactive mitigation strategies, compliance protocols, and policy updates.
• Draft, review, and update corporate employment policies, employee handbooks, and separation/settlement agreements.
• Design and deliver legal training for managers and HR professionals on litigation avoidance, wage and hour compliance, and employment law best practices.

Benefits

• Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
• Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
• Tuition assistance
• Established and active employee resource groups
• Paid time off for individual and team community service
• A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager