Senior Counsel

Empower • Overland Park, KS

1d • $138,000 - $200,100 • Hybrid

About The Position

Join Empower Legal Department as a principal legal advisor supporting one of the industry's growing defined contribution and multiemployer retirement businesses. As a Senior Counsel, you will have primary legal responsibility for Empower's defined contribution and multiemployer (Taft-Hartley) business, serving as the principal legal advisor to business partners supporting these products and services. You will provide practical, business-focused legal counsel on complex ERISA, tax, fiduciary, operational, administrative, and regulatory matters that support the successful operation and continued growth of the business. As Empower continues to expand and evolve its defined contribution offerings, you will play a key role in supporting the day-to-day operation of the business while helping shape future growth through product enhancements, operational improvements, strategic initiatives, and client solutions. You will also provide legal support for our multiple employer plan and pooled employer plan business, and partner with other members of the Legal Department to support defined benefit plans, consumer directed healthcare (CDH) offerings, our health and welfare plan business, IRAs, and other retirement products and services as business needs require. In this highly collaborative role, you will partner closely with leaders across Product, Operations, Client Service, Sales, Investments, Compliance, Risk Management, Marketing, Finance, Technology, and other corporate functions to develop practical legal solutions that enable innovation, effectively manage risk, support operational excellence, and deliver exceptional outcomes for Empower, plan sponsors, and participants.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and an active license to practice law.
• 5-7+ years of relevant legal experience.
• Recognized expertise advising on defined contribution plans and multiemployer (Taft-Hartley) plans, including plan qualification, contributions, administration, fiduciary matters, operational compliance, correction programs, and related ERISA and tax issues.
• Experience advising on multiple employer plans (MEP) and pooled employer plans (PEP), including plans sponsors by a professional employer organization (PEO).
• Demonstrated knowledge of ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury regulations, IRS and Department of Labor guidance, and other laws governing retirement and employee benefit plans.
• Proven ability to translate complex legal requirements into practical, business-focused advice that supports both ongoing operations and strategic business initiatives.
• Experience partnering with business leaders and influencing decisions across multiple business functions.
• Strong judgment and the ability to navigate complex legal and business issues with a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate sophisticated legal concepts clearly to legal and non-legal audiences.

Nice To Haves

• In-house experience supporting retirement plan recordkeeping, financial services, insurance, trust, custody, asset management, or other employee benefits or financial services organizations.
• Deep expertise across defined contribution plans, multiemployer (Taft-Hartley) plans, and the laws governing retirement and employee benefit plans.
• Experience advising on health and welfare plans and CDH benefit arrangements.
• Experience supporting both the ongoing operation and strategic growth of retirement or other employee benefits businesses, including product enhancements, operational transformation, and client-focused initiatives.
• Experience interacting directly with IRS and Department of Labor regulators and managing examinations, audits, or enforcement matters.
• Demonstrated success building strong cross-functional relationships and providing practical legal advice that advances business objectives while effectively managing legal and regulatory risk.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal legal advisor to business leaders supporting Empower's defined contribution and multiemployer (Taft-Hartley) business.
• Lead legal support for the ongoing operation of Empower's growing defined contribution and multiemployer business, advising on complex ERISA, tax, fiduciary, administrative, operational, compliance, and regulatory matters affecting products, services, client relationships, and day-to-day business operations.
• Partner with business leaders to identify opportunities to enhance existing products, services, operational capabilities, and client retention while supporting the continued growth and evolution of the defined contribution and multiemployer businesses.
• Advise on the development, enhancement, and administration of retirement and employee benefit products and services, helping move strategic initiatives from concept through implementation.
• Partner across Product, Operations, Client Service, Sales, Investments, Marketing, Compliance, Risk Management, Finance, Technology, and other business functions to identify legal considerations early and develop practical, business-focused solutions.
• Collaborate with attorneys across the Legal Department to provide consistent, enterprise-wide legal guidance and leverage the broader legal team's expertise in support of the business.
• Develop and enhance legal frameworks, governance processes, and compliance practices that support effective risk management by balancing legal, regulatory, operational, and reputational risks while enabling innovation, operational excellence, and business growth.
• Serve as the Legal Department's primary attorney supporting defined contribution plans and multiemployer (Taft-Hartley) plans, advising on complex ERISA, tax qualification, fiduciary issues and prohibited transactions, reporting and disclosure rules, and regulatory matters.
• Provide legal counsel on the unique governance, fiduciary, operational, compliance, and regulatory issues affecting multiemployer (Taft-Hartley) plans, multiple employer plans and pooled employer plans.
• Advise on defined contribution plan qualification, design, administration, funding, operational compliance, plan freezes, mergers, spin-offs, and plan terminations.
• Provide ongoing legal guidance supporting the administration and operation of Empower's defined contribution business, including recordkeeping, trust and custody services, administrative services, participant services, investment-related offerings, and the resolution of escalated client concerns.
• Provide legal support for health and welfare plans and CDH benefit arrangements, including Health Savings Accounts, Health Retirement Accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Provide sophisticated legal counsel regarding ERISA, the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury regulations, IRS and Department of Labor guidance, SECURE Act developments, HIPAA, COBRA, ACA and other federal laws governing retirement and employee benefit plans.
• Partner with colleagues across the Legal Department to support defined benefit plans, IRAs, rollover solutions, and other retirement products and services as business needs require.
• Advise on operational and fiduciary correction matters, including the IRS Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS), Department of Labor correction programs, related compliance strategies and Empower client contract commitments.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory, and industry developments affecting the administration of retirement plans, health & welfare plans and CDH arrangements and translate emerging legal requirements into practical guidance for business partners.
• Support negotiations involving retirement plan services, recordkeeping, trust, custody, administrative services, investment products, and related commercial arrangements.
• Lead complex, cross-functional initiatives involving multiple stakeholders across business and legal teams.
• Build collaborative relationships and influence decision-making across a highly matrixed organization.
• Foster a culture of partnership, sound judgment, and practical, business-oriented legal advice.
• Exercise sound risk analysis and judgment in balancing legal, regulatory, operational, and business considerations to achieve practical, business-focused outcomes.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• Retirement savings – 401(k) plan with generous company matching contributions (up to 6%), financial advisory services, potential company discretionary contribution, and a broad investment lineup
• Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250/year
• Business-casual environment that includes the option to wear jeans
• Generous paid time off upon hire – including a paid time off program plus ten paid company holidays and three floating holidays each calendar year
• Paid volunteer time — 16 hours per calendar year
• Leave of absence programs – including paid parental leave, paid short- and long-term disability, and Family and Medical Leave (FMLA)

What This Job Offers

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