Assistant General Counsel, Employment Law

As part of the Mars Petcare family of businesses, Mars Veterinary Health is a global network of veterinary practices made possible by 75,000 Associates who care for millions of pets across nearly 3,000 clinics in more than 20 countries each year. We are committed to leveraging our reach to make a long-term positive impact on people, pets, and the planet and know our Purpose - A BETTER WORLD FOR PETS - starts with the people who care for them. We strive to offer unparalleled veterinary care for pets by first and foremost enabling and empowering our Associates to do what they love, whether in primary, specialty, and emergency care or management and leadership.

This role requires associates to work out of a MVH North America hub location - Santa Monica, CA | Las Angeles, CA

Why This Role Matters:

The Assistant General Counsel, Employment Law & VCA leads the MVH Legal function’s regional Employment Law Center of Excellence & Deployment (CoE&D), a collaborative pool of legal resources designed to flexibly support business needs and provide responsive, high-impact employment law guidance across multiple business lines and jurisdictions, including outside the United States, with the assistance of local counsel. As the Legal function’s lead business partner for VCA, the Assistant General Counsel, Employment Law & VCA is also a member of, and the trusted legal advisor to, VCA’s senior leadership team.

A skilled Employment Law attorney and relationship-builder with a deep understanding of business operations, the Assistant General Counsel collaborates closely with the P&O team and other functions, divisions, and segments to advance MVH’s strategic roadmap in accordance with the Five Principles and the enterprise's reputational and governance expectations. As a functional leader within MVH in North America, the role partners with the Associate General Counsel, Mars Veterinary Health, to help lead the development of the Legal talent pipeline for the region and works closely with Legal peers across MVH and the broader Mars organization.

You Will:

Employment Law Center of Excellence & Deployment Leadership

• Define and execute the vision for the Employment Law CoE&D to ensure consistent, responsive, and high-quality legal support for employment matters across MVH in North America.
• Lead and develop the Employment Law CoE&D team.
• Drive the development of scalable processes, templates, and playbooks to streamline support for employment-related matters, leveraging Mars tools, signature processes, and technology where appropriate.
• Implement best practices for legal review and risk assessment across MVH in North America.
• Lead the development and delivery of training to P&O and other relevant functions on best practices, processes, templates, and playbooks.
• In partnership with the Associate General Counsel and MVH business units, develop and track key performance indicators for the CoE&D to assess efficiency and value, reporting on metrics to both functional and business leadership teams.

Legal Business Partner

• Contribute to providing strategic direction to the business unit, as a standing member of the unit’s senior leadership team.
• Support the business unit to engage with the function’s other CoE&D’s (Commercial Law, Veterinary Operations, Corporate Law) for specialist support.
• Identify and elevate to the Associate General Counsel any perceived performance issues in the region between the Legal function and the business units.

Employment Law

• Lead employment-law due diligence in acquisitions and divestitures.
• Advise on restructurings and escalated associate relations issues, partnering with P&O Heads.
• Ensure compliance with local labor regulations.
• Support talent mobility: immigration and work-permit processes, expat policies, and tax-equalization matters.
• Provide counsel on workplace investigations, ensuring fair process and risk mitigation.
• Draft, review, and negotiate employment contracts and termination agreements across multiple countries.
• Provide counsel on workplace investigations, ensuring fair process and risk mitigation.
• Develop and deliver training on key employment-law topics.
• Manage outside counsel and monitor external legal spend.

Strategic & Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders across MVH (e.g., Commercial, Medical and Scientific Affairs, IT, Real Estate and Facilities Management, Marketing, Finance, Legal, Operations) and greater Mars.
• Advise the Associate General Counsel on employment law strategies and legal process improvement.
• Manage outside counsel and monitor external legal spend.

Your Experience Should Include:

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an ABA-accredited law school and licensed to practice law in the United States.
• Significant experience (typically 15 + years) in legal roles, in law firms, and in-house, advising senior leadership teams.
• Extensive experience in Employment Law.
• Well-developed business acumen and ability to provide practical, risk-based legal advice.
• Proven experience in managing complex legal matters across multiple jurisdictions.
• Strong leadership and managerial skills, with the ability to lead a team of legal professionals.
• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to balance legal considerations with business priorities and drive strategic decision-making.
• Strong ethical standards, with a commitment to integrity and compliance.
• Ability to work under pressure, handle ambiguity, and manage competing priorities with pragmatism and business acumen

Preferred experience:

• Experience in healthcare, veterinary services, or a similarly client-focused and highly regulated service industry.
• Knowledge of laws and regulations governing the veterinary industry.
• Demonstrated familiarity with privacy and antitrust law.

Salary range: $210,800 - $329,375

Compensation is determined based on education, experience, and other relevant credentials. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, location, and market competitiveness.

What We Offer You:

• Competitive Pay & Time Off - Competitive salary, flexible time off, paid holidays, and paid parental leave.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage - Medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA/HRA, virtual healthcare, Second Opinion Coverage, and Health Advocate support.
• Wellness & Preventive Care - Smart Rewards wellness incentives, mental health resources, diabetes and weight management support, and digital exercise therapy.
• Family & Caregiving Support - Fertility and family-building benefits, back-up care, and family support resources.
• Financial Benefits - 401(k) savings plan with company match, commuter benefits, and student debt relief (for eligible full-time DVMs).
• Protection & Security - Company-paid life and short- and long-term disability insurance, plus legal and identity protection plans.
• Additional Coverage Options - Voluntary accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity benefits.
• Professional Development - Continuing education allowance and MED hours for eligible positions.
• Discounts & Perks - Discounts on Mars, Royal Canin, fitness, cellular services, and more.

Special Working Considerations:

• Ability to work at a computer for long periods of time.
• Must have mental processes for reasoning, remembering, mathematics and language ability (reading, writing, and speaking the English language) to perform the duties proficiently.
• Ability to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form and to solve problems involving several variables.
• The noise level in the work environment is normally moderate.
• Environment where pets are present.

WE ARE A DRUG-FREE, SMOKE-FREE, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

Mars Veterinary Health (MVH)® strongly supports and values the uniqueness of all individuals and promotes a work environment where diversity is embraced. MVH is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, genetic information, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability. MVH complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every MVH location.