Senior Employment Counsel

CGI•Atlanta, GA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The best version of us starts with you. CGI is a global company of owners who shape the direction of our company and our own careers, while achieving meaningful results for our clients and making a positive impact on the communities we call home. With over 90,000 consultants and other professionals in over 400 locations across the globe, CGI delivers an end-to-end portfolio of capabilities, from strategic IT and business consulting to systems integration, managed IT and business process services and intellectual property solutions. The best version of us comes from empowering you with the respect and flexibility your career deserves. The best version of you starts with a willingness to evolve and continually challenge yourself. We come together as teams with a diversity of background to solve the complex business and IT challenges with comprehensive services for leading organizations around the world. CGI is offering a full-time opportunity for Senior Employment Counsel to join our U.S. legal team. The position will support our U.S. Commercial and State/Local Government business, as part of the global Office of General Counsel's legal organization, and will report directly to the Vice President and Associate General Counsel, Employment. This role, as part of a small legal team in the U.S., will provide daily legal counsel on employment-related matters, with the purpose of managing employment-related risk, minimizing legal exposure, supporting compliance with all applicable employment laws and regulations (e.g., Title VII, ADA, PWFA, FMLA, FLSA, leave laws, FCRA and drug-testing law, pay equity, and other employment laws, as well as their state and local equivalents), and facilitating CGI's ability to maintain a positive work environment that aligns with CGI's values and ethical code. The right person for this opportunity must have a strong attention to detail, be execution oriented, have strong business acumen, superior analytical and writing skills, and well organized. Strong interpersonal and communications skills, the ability to influence others and operate comfortably in a fast-paced environment, a passion for coaching, and a healthy dose of humor as part of a highly collaborative work environment are essential. Through teamwork, sharing our know-how and expertise, we bring the best of CGI to internal clients. The role offers the opportunity to engage senior leaders in the U.S. company, as well as with colleagues across our global company on cross-border issues. Additionally, there is an opportunity to develop skills and thought leadership that will support career development and progression within CGI. While this role offers flexibility in terms of work location, it must primarily be based near a CGI office in one of the following metropolitan markets: Northern Virginia/ Washington D.C., Atlanta Georgia, Chicago Illinois, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, or Dallas Texas. CGI utilizes a hybrid model and CGI partners should be prepared to work in a local CGI office or client site, as needed. Occasional travel to our U.S. corporate headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia will be expected for those not local, but overall, there is minimal overnight travel (less than 10% of the time).

Requirements

J.D. from a leading and ABA-accredited law school required
Member of at least one State Bar required, including where currently located
Preferred 6-8 years of multi-state employment law experience, practicing at a reputable national law firm and/or in-house required
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Strong ability to work independently with limited required direction, while open to regular collaborative engagement as part of Employment Legal function and with Employee Relations
Ability to be flexible and agile, and to maintain a professional and genuine “can do” attitude in response to challenging situations and changing priorities
Excellent interpersonal skills at all levels of the organization, a demonstrated strong team player, a good sense of humor, and a passion for coaching and educating others around good employment law compliance measures
Excellent organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills with the ability to convey complex information into distilled critical information and insight
Ability to identify opportunities to facilitate compliance and reduce risks, and to regularly demonstrate initiative to develop and coordinate multiple projects simultaneously with timely follow-through
Ability to thrive and adapt in a dynamic work environment, and a demonstrated commitment to go above and beyond to meet internal client needs and organizational goals

Nice To Haves

Experience advising or working in a large technology, consulting, or other professional services company preferred
Experience with litigation, employee relations, and California employment laws preferred

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day multi-state legal counseling and guidance to Human Resources, Employee Relations, managers and other stakeholders on a diverse range of employment legal issues, including but not limited to employee relations, performance counseling, disciplinary matters, employment claims, compliant leave management, wage and hour issues, safety, and other areas under federal, state and local laws
Lead and direct internal employment-related investigations, including ethics investigations reported to Employment Legal leadership and Global Ethics
Manage and respond to EEOC and other government administrative charges, audits, and requests; and manage outside counsel for litigation and certain complex legal issues
Interpret laws and regulations, research key legal questions, and maintain a current in-depth knowledge with respect to all applicable employment laws, regulations and industry guidance, in order to provide related guidance
Proactively monitor, track, train and advise on frequent changes in state and local laws to support company compliance
Provide primary legal support for adverse impact analysis, including for reductions in force and other employment actions
Train and coach internal clients in order to facilitate their ability to help mitigate future risk
Proactively and timely update Legal leadership on sensitive matters and elevated risks, trends, patterns and other data points for escalation and action, as appropriate
Assist Legal leadership in developing, revising and implementing employment agreements, policies, and procedures to ensure U.S.-wide regulatory compliance, as well as assist in creating customized trainings
Proactively partner with Legal and HR leadership in developing strategies that mitigate legal risk and drive compliance with federal, state and local employment laws, as well as with CGI's standards of ethics and business conduct
As assigned, assist with advising other teams such as U.S. Employment Compliance, Contracts, Compensation, Immigration and Global Mobility, Benefits, Security, and Privacy
As assigned, assist with other relevant duties such as supporting M&A due diligence and integration activities, and global investigations and special projects