Senior Associate General Counsel - Labor and Employment

Vitalant•Scottsdale, AZ

7d•$230,000 - $260,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Vitalant is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save and improve lives through blood donation, research, and innovation. The Senior Associate General Counsel – Labor & Employment provides strategic legal guidance on employment, employee benefits, and workforce-related matters in support of that mission. The role partners with Human Resources, senior leadership, and business stakeholders to navigate multistate employment laws, employee relations, workplace investigations, litigation, and organizational compliance. The position advises Vitalant and related entities on labor and employment matters, drafts and negotiates workforce-related agreements, supports strategic transactions, and oversees employment disputes and outside counsel. It also monitors legal and regulatory developments, assesses organizational risks, advises management, and supports compliance through policy guidance, education, and legal documentation. The role is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is hybrid, with three onsite workdays and two remote workdays per week.

Requirements

Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited College of Law.
License to practice law or eligibility to be registered as in-house counsel in Arizona.
At least 12 years of experience providing employment-related legal advice and guidance and managing or litigating employment-related disputes in a law firm and/or in-house legal department.
In-depth experience with U.S. employment laws and regulations, including Title VII, ADA, ADEA, OWBPA, FMLA, FLSA, NLRA, and EEO.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Strong organization and ability to identify and analyze complex issues and develop creative solutions.
Ability to work independently, frequently without direct supervision, establish priorities, and manage multiple projects.
Strong customer service orientation and a high level of personal integrity.
Excellent oral and written business communication skills.
Ability to organize, prioritize, and efficiently execute a variable workload and multiple priorities.
Ability to evaluate multiple business objectives across the system and analyze significant risks in light of business goals.
Legal expertise, judgment, and business acumen sufficient for independent action and strategic decision-making.
Ability to travel as needed.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of federal, multistate, and local regulations pertaining to transfusion-related or general health care services.
At least six years of successful experience working with hospitals, health systems, laboratories, blood centers, biotherapies organizations, or pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturers or distributors with a multistate footprint.
Experience with ERISA.
Experience with California employment laws and regulations, including wage-and-hour laws.
Clinical research or health care regulatory experience.
Experience working in an in-house corporate environment.

Responsibilities

Provide legal advice and guidance to Vitalant and related entities on multistate employment matters, including labor and employment laws, regulatory compliance, employee relations, investigations, employee benefits, and significant employment-related risks.
Negotiate and draft employment, separation, settlement, staffing, consulting, and other workforce-related agreements.
Advise on pay equity, compensation arrangements, employee classification, wage-and-hour compliance, payroll practices, incentive compensation, and related audits and remediation efforts.
Advise on traditional labor matters, including union organizing, collective bargaining, and labor-management relations, as applicable.
Conduct or advise on sensitive internal investigations, coordinating with other subject-matter advisors as appropriate.
Lead and serve as primary legal advisor for employment and benefits support for mergers, acquisitions, affiliations, restructurings, and other strategic transactions, including due diligence, risk assessment, agreement review, employee-transition planning, and post-transaction integration.
Prepare responses to employment-related demand letters and inquiries from regulatory and governmental authorities.
Analyze risks related to potential and actual administrative charges, claims, and litigation, including labor, employment, workers’ compensation, and benefits matters, and assist management in identifying mitigating activities.
Manage and supervise outside counsel handling claims, administrative charges, litigation, and arbitration; establish defense and indemnity reserves for insured matters.
Monitor labor and employment legal and regulatory developments, assess organizational impact, and communicate recommendations and emerging risks to management.
Review and advise on company policies, practices, and workforce initiatives to ensure compliance with changing federal, state, and local laws, regulations, executive orders, and enforcement priorities.
Assist with education and implementation of policies and procedures for compliance, employee guidance, and other operational topics.
Ensure appropriate preservation, organization, and management of employment-related legal records, litigation holds, investigation materials, and privileged communications.
Prepare reusable document templates, standardize contracts and forms, and draft legal documents tailored to Vitalant and related entities.
Advise management on significant employment, labor, employee benefits, and workforce strategy matters with elevated legal, regulatory, financial, or reputational risk.
Provide timely, succinct legal analysis, advice, and counsel to senior management and, as appropriate, other employees.