Associate General Counsel

Overview

Associate General Counsel, Employment Practices

Our team members advance our mission and exemplify excellence, compassion, teamwork, and purpose in all that they do. Indiana University Health is seeking individuals who embody these values to join our Legal Services team in the role of Associate General Counsel, Employment Practices.

We are seeking an experienced, collaborative, and practical attorney who shares those values to join Legal Services as Associate General Counsel, Employment Practices.

This role is part of a highly collaborative Employment Practices team that works closely with Human Resources, Benefits, and other leaders across IU Health to navigate complex workforce and employee benefits issues and develop practical, thoughtful solutions. The attorney will serve as a trusted legal partner across IU Health, providing counsel across the full spectrum of labor and employment law while serving as a key legal resource to the organization on employee benefits and ERISA matters.

The attorney will also advise on employee relations, disability matters, wage and hour compliance, multijurisdictional employment-related matters, and select HR and benefit contracting needs. In addition, the role will provide substantive legal counsel on ERISA-governed benefit plans, retirement plans, and health and welfare programs, including matters involving ERISA, applicable Internal Revenue Code requirements, the ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other laws governing employer-sponsored benefit programs.

Working closely with IU Health’s Benefits and HR teams, the attorney will advise on matters such as plan administration, eligibility and participation, benefit claims and appeals, plan amendments, plan documents and participant communications, fiduciary responsibilities and governance, and service-provider and vendor relationships. The role will be expected to identify emerging legal and regulatory issues affecting employee benefit programs and translate those developments into practical compliance and risk‑mitigation strategies for the organization.

While the role will support both employment and benefits-related claims and litigation as needed, its primary focus is counseling, problem‑solving, proactive risk management, and helping HR, Benefits, and operational partners move complex issues forward with confidence. The IU Health Employment Practices team operates with a close‑knit, roundtable approach. Each attorney develops strong relationships with HR, Benefits, and business partners and is trusted to independently manage matters within their areas of responsibility.

The successful candidate will combine strong labor and employment experience with meaningful knowledge of employee benefits and ERISA, practical judgment, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine partnership mindset. They will be comfortable navigating highly technical legal requirements while translating those requirements into clear, actionable guidance. Success in this role means becoming a valued and accessible advisor to HR, Benefits, and the organization while contributing to the collective strength, knowledge, and effectiveness of the Employment Practices team.

Key Relationships

Reports to : Vice President-Legal Services Employment Practices

Direct reports: None

Shift: Full time, Monday – Friday, hybrid

Location : Indianapolis, IN

The Scope:

This role serves as a primary employment law advisor to Human Resources and operational leadership across IU Health, including:

• Advising HR Business Partners and leadership on employee relations, disability matters, wage and hour compliance and multijurisdictional employment-related matters.
• Providing substantive legal counsel on ERISA-governed benefit plans, retirement plans, and health and welfare programs, including matters involving ERISA, applicable Internal Revenue Code requirements, the ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other laws governing employer-sponsored benefit programs
• Supporting talent acquisition and hiring-related legal questions across the organization
• Reviewing employment-related agreements and contracts and supporting select HR and benefit contracting needs
• Participating in weekly team meetings and contributing to broader Legal Department meetings
• Utilizing Legal Tracker, ClearSight, Ntracts and HR Acuity in support of daily legal operations
• Partnering closely with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations, Benefits, Absence Management, EAP, EOHS, and operational leadership on complex workforce and legal matters

Candidate Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree required from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
• Requires law license in good standing in Indiana.
• Requires 6-8 years of relevant experience.
• Requires substantive knowledge of ERISA-governed benefit plans, retirement plans, and health and welfare programs
• Requires knowledge of labor and employment and disability law.
• Requires experience in litigation or litigation management.
• Requires broad general background in business and civil law.
• Healthcare background is preferred.

The “DNA” for Success

Labor & Employment Practitioner: You bring strong labor and employment experience, with meaningful knowledge of employee benefits and ERISA. ADA, disability, leave, wage and hour, employee relations, benefits, and ERISA are among your core areas, and you are comfortable navigating both highly technical legal requirements and practical day‑to‑day employment issues.

Trusted Advisor: You bring sound judgment and provide clear, practical, risk‑informed guidance. You translate complex legal requirements into actionable advice that helps HR, Benefits, and organizational leaders make thoughtful, well‑informed decisions.

Collaborative and Team Oriented: You bring a genuine partnership mindset to your work. This is a close‑knit team of experienced attorneys who share matters, exchange ideas, learn from one another, and operate with genuine mutual respect. You contribute not only your own expertise, but also to the collective strength, knowledge, and effectiveness of the Employment Practices team.

Curious and Self‑Sufficient: You are organized, reliable, intellectually curious, and comfortable taking ownership of your work. You know when to work independently, when to engage others, and consistently move matters forward without requiring significant oversight.

Strong Communicator: You make complicated legal concepts understandable. Whether advising HR, Benefits, or operational leaders, you translate technical requirements into clear, accessible guidance that leads to better decisions and practical next steps.

Practical Problem Solver: You combine legal knowledge with practical judgment, balancing legal risk with operational realities. You are curious enough to dig into difficult or unfamiliar issues and pragmatic enough to develop solutions that are legally sound and workable for the organization.

Relationship Builder: You understand that effective legal counsel depends on trust and accessibility. You invest in strong partnerships with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Benefits, and leadership teams, and become a valued advisor whom partners feel comfortable engaging early, particularly when issues are complex or sensitive.

Mission Connected: IU Health exists to serve patients and communities across Indiana. You understand that the legal counsel you provide supports that mission by helping protect the organization and the people who carry it out every day. You approach the role with a service mindset, recognizing that strong legal counsel should enable the organization to move forward thoughtfully and responsibly.

Indiana University Health is unlike any other healthcare system and we're looking for team members who share the things that matter most to us. IU Health leaders play a crucial role in advancing the mission of our organization and inspiring teams to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients. As one of Indiana’s largest employers and the most comprehensive medical system in the state, our vision is to lead the transformation of healthcare through quality, innovation and education, and make Indiana one of the nation’s healthiest states.

IU Health is the largest health system in Indiana with nearly 40,000 team members, 15 hospitals and $8.64 billion in operating revenue. The system’s programs in cancer, cardiovascular, neuroscience, orthopedics, pediatrics and transplants have received national recognition for quality patient care. IU Health, in partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine, bring together highly skilled physicians, researchers, and educators into close collaboration to provide world‑class care for children and adults and improve the health of patients and communities across Indiana.

Indiana University Health is dedicated to a fair hiring process and is committed to equal opportunity and nondiscrimination for all individuals, regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, gender identity, expression, sexual orientation, or veteran status.