Associate General Counsel - Employment, Labor and Benefits, Americas

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. 

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our, collaborative, and flexible working environment. Our organizational ambition centers around creating workplaces that foster equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging across all aspects of our business. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

JOB PURPOSE

The Employment Legal function sits within the Corporate Centre and provides employment law support to enable Unilever to deliver their business objectives while appropriately managing risk. They are looking to hire an expert Senior Employment Counsel – Americas who can lead the provision legal support for the full range of employment law issues which impact Unilever’s business across the Americas.

This is an exciting new role in which the successful candidate will be expected to establish strong relationships with Human Resources colleagues and support them across the full range of contentious and non-contentious work. The individual will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy and work with minimal supervision. The leader will also have the opportunity to help shape the future of the Employment Law team.

WHAT WILL YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES BE

Lead employment law legal support across the Americas

• Partner with HR teams and other stakeholders to provide support for all contentious and non-contentious labor and employment law work;
• Work with the IR/ER team to provide advice on employee relations matters, including issues related to trade unions;
• Provide expert advice and input in relation to global projects, policies, and other initiatives;
• Support the Business Integrity team in relation to employment-related investigations and other compliance issues;
• Be accountable for the engagement and use of outside counsel across the region, inclusive of managing a budget;
• Proactively identify, address, and manage legal risk issues related to employment law;
• Keep up to date on employment law developments and provide thought leadership as to the impact on Unilever;
• Conduct training and build know-how as required for both HR and non-HR colleagues.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO SUCCEED

Experiences & Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school and admission to the bar in at least one US state;
• 10+ years of relevant experience in a corporate legal department and/or law firm with in house experience preferred.
• Current member in good standing of the New Jersey bar or ability to register as in-house counsel
• Significant experience advising organizations on employment law issues across the Americas;
• Deep experience advising in relation to the full range of employment issues, including trade union and other collective issues, on a cross-border basis;
• Experience working in a complex multinational organization, either directly or on a secondment basis;
• Demonstrable experience driving change;
• Ability to operate and exercise judgement independently;
• Ability to influence and manage multiple internal and external stakeholders;
• Ability to deliver through others and with limited resources;
• Ability to engage in technical topics and communicate them in a clear and easy-to-understand manner;
• Experience preparing executive briefings and presentations;
• Ability to translate global strategies locally;
• Comfort with uncertainty; ability to exercise judgement in a fast-moving environment;
• Fluency in English with some proficiency in Spanish an advantage.

Leadership

• You are energized by delivering fantastic results. You are an example to others – both your results and your resilience. You are constantly on the lookout for better ways to do things, engaging and collaborating with others along the way.
• As an individual you are the one responsible for your own wellbeing and delivering high standards of work. You must also focus on the Consumer and what they need. You are humble and have your head up, looking around to interpret evidence and data smartly, spot issues and opportunities to make things better.

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Pay: The pay range for this position is $221,100 to $384,000 Unilever takes into consideration a wide range of factors that are utilized in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, qualifications and education, and other business and organizational needs. 

Bonus: This position is bonus eligible. 

Long-Term Incentive (LTI): This position is LTI eligible. 

Benefits: Unilever employees are eligible to participate in our benefits plan. Should the employee choose to participate, they can choose from a range of benefits to include, but is not limited to, health insurance (including prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage), retirement savings benefits, life insurance and disability benefits, parental leave, sick leave, paid vacation and holidays, as well as access to numerous voluntary benefits. Any coverages for health insurance and retirement benefits will be in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans and associated governing plan documents 

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Unilever is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal law and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. 

For more information about your Federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination isIllegal and Pay Transparency Non discrimination Provision.

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at NA.Accommodations@unilever.com. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses. The Protected Veterans or Individuals with Disabilities AAP narratives are available for inspection by any employee or applicant for employment Monday through Friday during normal business hours at establishment.

At Unilever, inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and are committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive/succeed. All applicants will receive fair and respectful consideration, and we actively support the growth and development of every employee.

Unilever is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities.

For more information on your federal rights, please see Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at NA.Accommodations@unilever.com. Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses.