Chief Labor & Employee Counsel - Chicago, IL

Job Description

Chief Labor & Employment (L&E) Counsel, Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM)

Reports to: VP, Corporate, Securities and M&A, ADM

Location: Chicago, IL or Erlanger, KY

Position Summary:

The Chief L&E Counsel is responsible for providing strategic and practical legal support on a wide range of complex labor and employment law and employee benefits matters. These matters include those relating to hiring and termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodations, wage and hour matters, employee benefits, executive compensation, collective bargaining agreements, employee health & safety, employee relations, and employee disputes, mediations, arbitrations and investigations. The Chief L&E Counsel will lead the ADM L&E legal team, and will work closely with the Human Resources function, business executives and other leaders, as well as regional and business unit counsel.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide advice and guidance to senior members of the Human Resources team on complex labor and employment issues.
• Support the design and implementation of policies, best practices, guidelines, tools and programs that align with and advance the Company's global strategy, values, and business goals.
• Advise on the design, implementation and administration of qualified and non-qualified employee benefit and compensation plans, including retirement/pension, health and welfare, equity, incentive, and deferred compensation plans.
• Provide guidance on applicable ERISA, IRS, DOL and other benefit-related law compliance matters, as well as on governance, fiduciary oversight and risk management for employee benefit plans.
• Advise on executive compensation matters, including employment agreements, separation agreements, restrictive covenants, and related disclosures and board/committee approvals.
• Support due diligence, integration planning, and workforce/benefits transitions in mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and reorganizations.
• Support global mobility programs, including employment-based visa sponsorship, compliance with I-9 and E-Verify requirements, expatriate assignments, and cross-border benefit considerations.
• Support internal investigations into workplace or benefits-related issues and help manage employment and ERISA/benefits litigation with internal and external counsel.
• Advise on labor relations matters, including collective bargaining, union organizing campaigns, contract administration, grievance and arbitration proceedings.

Candidate Profile and Experience:

The ideal candidate will have:

• A Juris Doctor or equivalent law degree; admission to practice in at least one jurisdiction.
• At least 10 years of labor, employment and benefits legal experience, preferably with a mix of top law firm and in-house practice in a multinational context.
• Strong expertise in U.S. labor, employment and benefits law; additional experience with EMEA, LATAM or APAC jurisdictions is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience advising executives on sensitive, complex, high-stakes employment and benefits issues.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic and global environment; excellent judgment, problem-solving, and negotiation skills, with a pragmatic approach to balancing legal risk and business needs.
• Demonstrated experience managing outside counsel is a plus.
• In addition, as this is a leadership role within ADM, it requires commitment to integrity, safety, diversity, quality with the following competencies: 1) excellent influencing, communication and presentation skills; 2) business acumen; 3) time management and organization skills and an ability to multitask; and 4) comfort working in matrixed and entrepreneurial environments with an ability to manage through influence and building relationships with key partners across other areas of ADM.

Excited about this role but don't think you meet every requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings.

ADM requires the successful completion of a background check.

REF:101123BR