Managing Counsel - Labor & Employment

Description

ALDI is one of the fastest-growing retailers in the nation, and we are charting an aggressive growth course with plans to add 800 new stores by 2028, increasing to nearly 3,200 locations nationwide. You can play a vital part by joining our Legal team. Our Legal team is key to our strategic direction and the management of a wide range of legal matters impacting the business. As a member of this team, you'll support ALDI in achieving our company initiatives and upholding our core values.

The objective of the role is to provide strategic legal guidance on labor and employment matters, with an emphasis on labor relations, while supervising the Labor and Employment team and supporting the direct leader.

Position Type: Full-Time
Starting Salary: $207,000
Salary Increases: Year 2 - $220,000 | Year 3 - $233,000
Work Location: Aurora, IL
This role is eligible to participate in ALDI’s Legal Hybrid Work Program, which requires work in-office at least 1 days per week.

Duties and Responsibilities

Must be able to perform duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Establishes, communicates and evaluates job responsibilities and performance expectations to their direct reports to assure mutual understanding and desired results.
• Identifies training and development opportunities that will assist their direct reports in achieving enhanced performance.
• Understands the overarching company strategy, as well as communicates and models the core values of the organization, to create a sense of teamwork and membership among employees.
• The job holder consults with leadership, Human Resources, operations, and other business partners on labor and employment strategy, including labor relations, workplace compliance, and risk mitigation.
• Analyzes current working procedures and proposes improvements.
• Assists in managing internal relationships with business partners and external relationships with outside counsel.
• Communicates effectively and informs direct leader of issues, status, and results of assigned tasks.
• Identifies labor and employment legal issues and recommends responsive action, with emphasis on labor relations and risk mitigation.
• Engages with executive leadership, various business units, and external parties involved in the legal process.
• Partners with outside counsel on employment litigation, administrative agency charges, labor disputes, arbitration, and other labor and employment matters.
• Collaborates closely with cross-functional teams to integrate legal considerations into business operations and initiatives.
• Evaluates and analyzes legal issues in multiple jurisdictions and nationwide and reports findings, as well as recommendations, to direct leader.
• Provides input to their direct leader on hiring for positions reporting to them.
• Informs management of major team milestones, developments, and concerns.
• The job holder acts as a subject matter expert in labor and employment law, with emphasis on labor relations, and contributes legal expertise that supports the company’s objectives.
• Provides strategic labor and employment counsel to leadership, internal team members, Human Resources, and relevant areas of the business without significant oversight to minimize risk and potential legal liability.
• Leverages legal expertise, experience, and business acumen to proactively support the company in achieving its objectives.
• Provides legal advice on special projects involving labor relations, workplace compliance, employee relations, employment policies, litigation strategy, and operational needs.
• Ensures completion of tasks, projects, presentations, and reports as assigned by their direct leader.
• Operates as a subject matter expert and escalation point to resolve questions and issues.
• Researches, monitors, and assesses emerging labor and employment legal trends, legislation, regulations, agency guidance, and court decisions; identifies and communicates impactful updates to relevant business units.
• Manages complex legal negotiations with key stakeholders while collaborating with various cross-functional business teams.
• Provides proactive analysis of current projects and analytical review of reported results.
• Drafts legal memorandums, case assessments, reports, attorney correspondence, position statements, labor relations guidance, and other work product to identify exposure and risk.
• Performs pre-litigation and pre-dispute work to minimize labor and employment risks and potential legal liability.
• Manages outside counsel with respect to complex legal matters.
• Partners in the development and/or review of labor relations strategies, employment policies, workplace practices, procedures, agreements, manager guidance, and training to ensure compliance, consistency, and risk mitigation.
• Manages strategies for reducing costs and transferring risk.
• Directs the team’s completion of tasks, projects, presentations, and reports in a timely and effective manner to provide the highest level of customer service to the business.
• Operates as an escalation point for team members to resolve questions and issues.
• Oversees the training, development, performance management, and goal setting for direct reports.
• Supervises the day-to-day operations of their team, escalating issues to the appropriate level of support and/or leadership when necessary.
• Ensures direct reports complete assigned responsibilities in a timely and effective manner to provide the highest level of customer service for the business.
• Complies with ALDI privacy and security requirements and policies if job responsibilities include possible access to confidential and/or sensitive information.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Consistently demonstrates the Mindsets, ALDI Acts Competencies and Professional Skills (M.A.P.) as outlined for the role.
• Gives attention to detail and follows instruction.
• Ability to develop rapport, trust, and open communication that enhances the growth and performance of direct reports.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Understands the history, strategy, organizational authority, interdependence of job duties, products, systems, and services of the company.
• Demonstrated skills in the areas of time management, interpersonal skills, relationship building, collaboration, presentation, and problem solving.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and customer service skills, including the ability to professionally communicate with a wide variety of individuals and respond to inquiries in a timely, professional manner.
• Strong legal analysis, drafting, research, and presentation skills.
• Advanced knowledge of United States labor and employment law, including labor relations, collective bargaining, union organizing, grievance and arbitration matters, wage and hour compliance, workplace investigations, employee relations, accommodations, leaves of absence, and employment litigation. Working knowledge of related contract, regulatory, commercial, and data privacy issues preferred.
• Knowledge of how legal issues affect organizations and the ability to develop strategies to coordinate legal considerations to business objectives.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to analyze and present complex data.
• Ability to anticipate legal risks as well as utilize excellent judgment and analytical skills.
• Ability to interpret and apply company policies and procedures.
• Ability to multi-task and independently prioritize and work under strict deadlines.
• Knowledge of retail industry standards and practices.
• Ability to plan and organize workflow and embrace new challenges.
• Ability to apply creative solutions.
• Proficient in assessing data to determine accuracy and completeness.

Education and Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in a legal environment required, preferably in a combination of law firm and corporate or in-house experience.
• J.D. from an ABA accredited law school required.
• Experience in a law firm, corporate legal department or in-house legal counsel required.
• Licensed to practice in Illinois (or immediate ability to become licensed) required.
• Significant experience advising on labor and employment law matters required, including labor relations, union-related issues, employee relations, workplace investigations, wage and hour compliance, employment litigation, and administrative agency matters.

Physical Requirements:

• Work may be performed in an office, remote office or a combination of both where a computer and office equipment may be used as needed to perform duties.
• Regularly required to sit, reach, grasp, stand and move from one area to another.
• Constantly and repeatedly use keyboard/mouse.
• Occasionally required to push, pull, bend, lift and move up to 25 lbs.

Travel:

• Domestic travel required.

Preferred

NLC

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.