Lead Employment Counsel, Sonos

• The ideal candidate will have 10+ years of experience working on a variety of HR matters as in-house counsel or at a firm specializing in employment law with a demonstrated ability to balance legal risk and compliance with business objectives
• J.D. and membership in good standing to one state bar is required
• Top candidates will have a deep understanding of, and be able to give guidance on, all of the following subject matter areas (familiarity with MA, CA, and WA nuances a plus):
• Equal employment and anti-discrimination laws and policies under federal law (e.g., the ADEA, ADA, Title VII, etc.)
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives including an understanding of the evolving legal framework and collection and maintenance of employee data in the US and internationally
• Federal wage and hour law under the FLSA FMLA
• Employee benefits and compensation, including ERISA plans, bonus plans, and equity grants
• Performance management
• Talent acquisition and onboarding
• Employment-related litigation
• Experience effectively working across multiple time zones & with multiple stakeholders

Desirable

• We are seeking an experienced and highly skilled Lead Employment Counsel to join our dynamic legal team
• This is a senior role, reporting to the Chief Legal & Strategy Officer sitting at the intersection of the Legal and People organizations
• This individual will play a critical role in providing legal counsel and strategic advice on all aspects of employment law for a fast-paced, global, and publicly traded company
• The ideal candidate will be a trusted advisor on global employment matters, ensuring compliance with local, national, and international laws, managing employment-related risks, and supporting business initiatives while protecting the company’s interests
• The ideal candidate is highly collaborative, embracing the partnership opportunity to work across all of the functions & countries that Sonos operates in, with particular focus on partnership with the People/Human Resources team
• Ability & expectation to work across multiple time zones
• Provide advice and frameworks that ensure decisions are made with the appropriate local and federal labor laws, in service of risk management and fairness
• Provide regular counsel to internal clients on HR issues including employee terminations, wage and hour issues, disability accommodations, leaves of absence, compensation and benefits, global immigration, and performance management
• Remain up to date on federal and state employment laws and regulations including current practices and compliance needs; proactively conduct & coordinate internal audits of People Team, payroll, and employment practices to ensure compliance with global wage, employment, and data privacy laws
• Maintain and own templates & workflows for global Severance practices
• Draft, revise and review global contracts, including contractor agreements, employee agreements, separation agreements, restrictive covenants, arbitration agreements, and HR vendor agreements
• Draft, review and revise all global employment-related policies & employee handbooks, as well as shared corporate policies in IT, Facilities, and Finance
• Partner with the corporate legal team on compliance-related processes, policies, audits, and trainings as part of a publicly traded company
• Manage and mitigate legal risks related to employment practices, including employee terminations, discipline, and investigations
• Oversee the company's response to employment-related claims and lawsuits, including employment disputes, wrongful termination, wage and hour issues, and harassment & discrimination claims
• Support the ER team in conducting internal investigations related to employee misconduct, ensuring proper documentation and compliance with applicable legal standards, and advice in service of fair treatment & risk mitigation
• Partner with ER team on outcomes and recommended actions
• Partner with ER team on EEOC needs
• Partners with Corporate Audit team, CHRO, and ER partner to ensure understanding of corporate hotline submissions, risk mitigation, & resolution paths
• Manage outside employment counsel (globally) in creating and driving best practices from an internal process standpoint, as well as ongoing advisement on legal risk
• Partner with People team across all disciplines to ensure ongoing work provides fair and equitable treatment of employees
• Advise senior leadership on global employment legal issues and business strategies to manage company risk and further short-term/long-term goals, including support of emerging markets, company restructuring, and any M&A or country expansion opportunities
• Develop and deliver training programs for the People Team as well as Sonos managers on global employment law matters, compliance, and best practices, particularly on issues such as anti-harassment, diversity and inclusion, and labor law compliance
• Stay current with developments in global labor laws and regulations and ensure that key stakeholders are informed about changes in the legal landscape
• Develop training & execution strategy for global People Team and People Managers on major employment laws and best practices for minimizing risk on a global scale, in partnership with global talent/training team
• Partner with corporate legal & People talent/training team(s) on compliance-related processes, policies, audits, and trainings as part of a publicly traded company