Legal Head of US Labor & Employee Law

Philips•Cambridge, MA

22d•$244,000 - $389,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Head of US Employment Law will serve as the enterprise leader for US Employment and Labor Law team, reporting to the Head of Legal, North America, and acting as a key advisor to senior executive leadership, including the Chief People Officer and business leaders. Your role: Enterprise Leadership & Strategy: Lead and develop a high-performing employment law team supporting the People Function (HR), Labor, Benefits, Immigration and Global Mobility. Define and execute a forward-looking employment and labor law strategy aligned with workforce transformation, innovation and regulatory evolution, advising executive leadership on complex workforce risk, organizational change and reputational considerations. Drive proactive risk mitigation through strong governance frameworks, scalable processes and performance metrics, informed by active engagement with trade associations, industry groups and peer benchmarking to ensure alignment with evolving best practices. Champion the thoughtful adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and legal technology—both within the employment law team and across the People Function (HR)—to enhance quality, efficiency and compliant workforce decision-making. Strategic Employment Advisory: Provide counsel across the full employee lifecycle, including hiring, performance management, discipline, termination, compensation and benefits. Oversee and guide strategy in employment disputes, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wage and hour matters. Support and lead sensitive internal investigations under the General Business Principles (GBP) (Philips’ Code of Conduct) and related governance frameworks and work closely with Compliance team. Provide executive-level guidance regarding Care & Well-being initiatives (including inclusion and engagement programs), with informed awareness of evolving US Executive Orders and regulatory scrutiny impacting workplace programs. Labor Strategy: Lead labor relations strategy, including collective bargaining negotiations and arbitration oversight. Develop enterprise-level preventative labor strategies, including organizing risk assessments and executive preparedness. Litigation, Fiduciary & Risk Oversight: Oversee employment litigation and administrative proceedings, aligning dispute strategy with enterprise risk tolerance and financial objectives. Manage outside counsel performance, budgets and outcomes including alternative fee arrangements. Oversee team support for ERISA‑governed retirement and health & welfare committees, guiding fiduciary compliance, plan governance, and litigation‑risk strategy. Ensure employment-related governance aligns with global compliance standards and enterprise risk frameworks. Corporate Transactions, Transformations and Governance: Lead employment diligence and workforce strategy in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and reorganizations. Advise on reductions in force, workforce redesign initiatives, workforce-related disclosures, public communications and regulatory positioning. Provide guidance on global mobility, expatriate assignments and immigration matters. Partner closely with Compliance, Privacy and Communications leadership within a global matrix environment. Provide strategic oversight of the compliant deployment of AI-enabled tools within the People Function (HR), ensuring alignment with privacy, data governance and evolving regulatory standards and partner with Privacy and Compliance teams.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited US law school and active bar membership.
15+ years of progressive labor and employment law experience, ideally within a global, regulated or healthcare/medical technology organization.
Demonstrated success leading an employment law function at scale.
Deep expertise in US employment law; familiarity with California law as a plus.
Experience managing complex labor strategy and high-impact litigation.
Executive presence with the ability to influence C-suite and Board-level stakeholders.
Demonstrated fluency in emerging legal technologies and AI applications in employment decision-making and legal operations.
Proven ability to lead within a complex global matrix and mentor senior legal talent.

Nice To Haves

Strong network across the global HealthTech industry.
Experience advising across global jurisdictions; familiarity with Works Councils and international union environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop a high-performing employment law team supporting the People Function (HR), Labor, Benefits, Immigration and Global Mobility.
Define and execute a forward-looking employment and labor law strategy aligned with workforce transformation, innovation and regulatory evolution, advising executive leadership on complex workforce risk, organizational change and reputational considerations.
Drive proactive risk mitigation through strong governance frameworks, scalable processes and performance metrics, informed by active engagement with trade associations, industry groups and peer benchmarking to ensure alignment with evolving best practices.
Champion the thoughtful adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and legal technology—both within the employment law team and across the People Function (HR)—to enhance quality, efficiency and compliant workforce decision-making.
Provide counsel across the full employee lifecycle, including hiring, performance management, discipline, termination, compensation and benefits.
Oversee and guide strategy in employment disputes, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wage and hour matters.
Support and lead sensitive internal investigations under the General Business Principles (GBP) (Philips’ Code of Conduct) and related governance frameworks and work closely with Compliance team.
Provide executive-level guidance regarding Care & Well-being initiatives (including inclusion and engagement programs), with informed awareness of evolving US Executive Orders and regulatory scrutiny impacting workplace programs.
Lead labor relations strategy, including collective bargaining negotiations and arbitration oversight.
Develop enterprise-level preventative labor strategies, including organizing risk assessments and executive preparedness.
Oversee employment litigation and administrative proceedings, aligning dispute strategy with enterprise risk tolerance and financial objectives.
Manage outside counsel performance, budgets and outcomes including alternative fee arrangements.
Oversee team support for ERISA‑governed retirement and health & welfare committees, guiding fiduciary compliance, plan governance, and litigation‑risk strategy.
Ensure employment-related governance aligns with global compliance standards and enterprise risk frameworks.
Lead employment diligence and workforce strategy in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and reorganizations.
Advise on reductions in force, workforce redesign initiatives, workforce-related disclosures, public communications and regulatory positioning.
Provide guidance on global mobility, expatriate assignments and immigration matters.
Partner closely with Compliance, Privacy and Communications leadership within a global matrix environment.
Provide strategic oversight of the compliant deployment of AI-enabled tools within the People Function (HR), ensuring alignment with privacy, data governance and evolving regulatory standards and partner with Privacy and Compliance teams.