Lead Employment Counsel

Greenhouse

3d•$163,800 - $230,680•Remote

About The Position

Greenhouse is seeking a Lead Employment Counsel to serve as its dedicated employment lawyer and primary legal partner to the People team and business leaders. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this hands-on, high-ownership role advises across the employee lifecycle in the US and Greenhouse’s international footprint, including employer-of-record and contractor arrangements. The role owns employment policies and agreements, manages outside counsel on litigation and specialized matters, and builds training, templates, and self-service guidance for the People team. It also partners with stakeholders on the legal implications of AI in hiring and employment decisions.

Requirements

JD from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing in at least one US state bar.
At least 7 years of labor and employment law experience at a law firm and/or in-house.
Deep knowledge of US federal and multi-state employment law, especially wage and hour law.
Experience advising on employment matters outside the US and working with employer-of-record providers and local counsel.
Track record of managing employment litigation with outside counsel, including settlement strategy.
Experience with workforce planning and management.
Experience owning employment policies, agreements, and compensation plan terms, and conducting or overseeing workplace investigations.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to give practical advice to non-lawyers and executives and design engaging training.
Judgment and organization to work independently as the subject matter expert.
Experience using AI tools effectively while verifying output, protecting privileged and employee data, and ensuring final legal judgment remains human.
Currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

In-house experience.
Familiarity with the HR tech industry.

Responsibilities

Serve as primary legal advisor to the People team and business leaders on employee relations, performance management, terminations, reductions in force, leaves of absence, and accommodations.
Lead wage and hour compliance, including exemption classification, timekeeping and overtime practices, payroll issues, and periodic classification audits with Total Rewards.
Review and advise on compensation programs, including commission and bonus plans, overpayment recoupment, privileged pay equity analyses, and pay transparency requirements.
Draft, negotiate, and maintain employment documents and policies, including offer letters, confidentiality and invention assignment agreements, restrictive covenants, separation and contractor agreements, and handbook content with state and country supplements.
Conduct or oversee workplace investigations and manage employment litigation with outside counsel, including demand letters, EEOC matters, class and representative actions, mediation, and settlement.
Advise on employment law outside the US, including employer-of-record and contractor arrangements, entity launches, temporary work-from-abroad requests, and relocations, in partnership with local and immigration counsel.
Build and deliver training for managers, HR, and recruiters; create self-service resources; and provide clear updates on legal developments to Legal and People leadership.
Partner with Product, Privacy, and HR technology stakeholders on AI use in hiring and employment decisions, vendor assessments, employee and candidate data retention, and employment law implications of product launches.
Support M&A diligence and integration, benefits and EEO/affirmative action compliance, manage outside counsel relationships and budgets, and represent Greenhouse externally as an employment law subject matter expert.
Take on additional projects and responsibilities as business needs require.

Benefits

Medical insurance.
Dental insurance.
Vision insurance.
Basic life insurance.
Mental health resources.
Financial wellness benefits.
Fully paid parental leave.
Short-term and long-term disability coverage for US-based employees.
401(k) plan and company match for US-based employees.
Up to 14 scheduled paid holidays per calendar year for US-based employees.
Up to 80 hours of paid sick leave per calendar year for US-based employees.
Non-exempt US-based employees accrue up to 20–25 days of paid vacation annually, depending on tenure; exempt US-based employees receive flexible PTO.
Certain roles may be eligible for stock option awards, bonuses, and merit increases.