Senior Employment Counsel

Skydio•San Mateo, CA

1d•$225,000 - $275,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Skydio is seeking a Senior Employment Counsel to join its Legal team. This role will be responsible for employment legal matters for the Company, advising on issues across corporate teams, manufacturing operations, field operations, and international expansion. The position is director-level, reporting to the General Counsel, and requires deep legal acumen in employment law, including counseling People Operations on various matters and assisting with international expansion. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, value creativity, autonomy, and collaboration, and be willing to roll up their sleeves and work closely with all levels of employees. This role offers a unique opportunity to build and scale the employment-law function at a company at the forefront of robotics, AI, manufacturing, public safety, defense, commercial, and aviation.

Requirements

JD and admitted to practice in California
10+ years of in-house experience (or similar law firm experience providing advice and counsel to startups)
Experience advising companies with hourly employees, especially in California manufacturing
Must be able to work onsite at least 3 days per week: at least 2 days at our Hayward manufacturing site and at least 1 day at our HQ in San Mateo
Ability to triage and ruthlessly prioritize
Ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines, maintaining ownership and a high standard of accuracy and follow-through
Thrive in collaborative settings, understanding that building strong relationships across departments is vital to success
Comfortable with ambiguity, eager to problem solve, and take the initiative to drive projects to completion

Responsibilities

Be the primary legal partner for the People Operations team, owning day-to-day employment counseling while managing outside counsel on specialized, high-risk, or international matters
Anticipate employment-law risks early and address them pragmatically
Provide People Operations clear, scalable guidance on recruitment/pre-hire issues, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodations, investigations, wage and hour, performance management, HR policy, and separations
Ensure manufacturing, field operations, and corporate employment practices are consistent, compliant, safe, and operationally realistic
Handle administrative agency (e.g. EEOC and DOL) and pre-litigation employment matters
Draft and comment on training and provide select training to people leaders
Assist in the development and documentation of sales commission and other incentive compensation plans
Responsible for OFCCP compliance reports and similar filings
Advise Benefits on compliance with relevant law and review and provide comments on contracts for company benefits
Own employment related aspects of setting up foreign subsidiaries
Negotiate contracts (including DPAs) with contractors, recruiting organizations, HR vendors, and similar orgs
Assist in drafting and updating the Employee Handbook
Assist in administering and managing employee equity
Oversee HR and payroll audits as needed
Manage other projects as required or assigned (even if they aren’t in your wheelhouse)