Office of the General Counsel at University of Southern California

University of Southern California

Position Overview: The University Counsel III will serve as a member of the Office of the General Counsel’s (“OGC”) labor and employment team and will provide legal support to the University, including Keck Medicine of USC, on a broad range of employment issues. This role will provide expert advice and counsel in all areas of labor and employment law, including leaves of absence (e.g., FEHA, FMLA, CFRA, PDL), wage and hour compliance (e.g., California Labor Code, FSLA, AB5, PAGA), EEO compliance, labor relations, and policy development. This individual will also provide support in traditional labor matters, including contract interpretation and collective bargaining, and will manage employment litigation, including overseeing outside counsel, from the pre-litigation stage through resolution. An ideal candidate for this role will demonstrate a willingness to accept significant responsibility and manage a challenging workload within a fast-paced environment. Other responsibilities for this role include proactively communicating with the HR community at large on new laws and emerging trends that can impact operations and drafting and reviewing employment-related agreements, in close collaboration with other lawyers within the OGC. The University Counsel III will execute USC’s vision while championing USC’s culture and values. This individual will maintain honesty and impartiality when providing counsel and advice; develop trusting, credible relationships; demonstrate ethical judgment; practice confidentiality; contribute to an inclusive environment by building and maintaining collaborative relationships with team members, peers, and leaders across the HR organization; and uphold the principles of the USC Integrity and Accountability Code. Reporting directly to the Associate General Counsel, Employment, this position will be located at the University Park Campus with periodic reporting at the Health Sciences Campus. Experience in higher education or health care is strongly preferred.

Compensation: $220,000-$235,000, position is bonus-eligible.

Location: Los Angeles, CA (Downtown, Los Angeles)

Relocation: Locals strongly preferred.

Bar: Member in good standing with the California State Bar.

Scope of Potential Responsibilities

• Provide timely guidance to the USC leadership team on labor and employment matters, including policies and procedures. Establish rapport and strong relationships with HR employees at all levels. Act as a trusted advisor and initiate proactive and preventative measures to help facilitate a beneficial employee experience.
• Proactively advise management on compliance with employment laws in a manner that accomplishes business objectives without undue risk. Provide legal advice with regard to both faculty and staff in the labor and employment areas, and supervise outside counsel as needed.
• Advise and manage employment matters at the pre-litigation and litigation stages. Oversee outside counsel.
• Serve as subject matter expert for internal violations of university personnel policies.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the university's business, people, markets, brands, facilities, customers, and competitors to identify trends, anticipate issues, provide solutions, and formulate appropriate long-term strategies.
• Counsel and advise on a broad range of labor and employment law issues, including those under state and federal laws governing EEO, wage & hour, leave of absence, retaliation and whistleblower, discrimination, harassment, Title IX, education, and other labor and employment law matters.
• Monitor legislation, regulations, case law, and government enforcement activities relating to the above substantive legal areas, and provide proactive, strategic advice.
• Manage and drive the strategy for a variety of employment, wage & hour, and other litigation matters as required. Provide legal support for investigations concerning potential violations of applicable policies or laws.
• Counsel and advise on items relating to compliance with federal and state governmental agency requirements, such as the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the National Labor Relations Board.
• Draft, review, and analyze employment-related agreements, including consulting, severance, incentive compensation, and confidentiality agreements.
• Participate in and/or lead relevant enterprise committees and task forces, such policy development and performance management enhancement.
• Perform other related responsibilities as requested and when necessary. The University reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Labor Relations

• Advise as to a variety of labor-related legal matters, including, but not limited to interpretation of collective bargaining agreements, union organizing campaigns, and grievances.
• Provide strategic support in collective bargaining.
• Manage employment and labor-related claims and disputes (including labor arbitrations, mediations, and litigation), including supervising, managing, and evaluating outside counsel, responding to administrative claims from governmental agencies and settlement demands, and negotiating the resolution of claims.
• Evaluate and communicate legal risks associated with complaints, grievances, charges, employer practices, and other legal matters.

Candidate Characteristics

The ideal University Counsel III demonstrates:

• The ability to think proactively and act quickly.
• Positive can-do attitude.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Independent & resourceful, yet will seek advice when appropriate.
• Strong organizational skills & attention to detail.
• Labor & employment law experience, including significant advice and counsel experience in a major law firm, in-house setting, or equivalent.

Minimum Qualifications:

The candidate for University Counsel III must meet the following qualifications:

• J.D. and member of California Bar.
• 7 years’ experience in general business law with extensive litigation experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

The ideal candidate for University Counsel III will have experience with the following:

• Ten or more years of employment law experience.
• Possess thorough knowledge of federal and California state employment laws and regulations including but not limited to FEHA, Wage & Hour, FMLA, CFRA, California Labor Code, PAGA, AB5, and FLSA.
• Experience working at a law firm or as in-house counsel with a heavy focus on labor and employment law.
• Experience with diversity and inclusion topics and concerns.
• Exemplary interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with individuals at all levels of an organization.
• Strong reputation for discretion, integrity, judgment, responsiveness, and common sense.
• Exemplary oral and written communication skills.
• Experience overseeing employment and labor alternative dispute resolution and litigation, and working directly with HR leadership.
• Fluency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Wage and hour litigation experience.
• Experience in Higher Education or Health Care.
• Experience managing outside counsel on employment litigation matters. Ability to understand business strategies and translate them into actionable and compelling HR initiatives and programs.
• Experience in a unionized environment.

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words, and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Core Values: integrity, excellence, diversity, equity and inclusion, well-being, open communication, and accountability.

Please submit a cover letter and resume as part of your application.

The annual base salary range for this position is $220,000.00 - $235,000.00. The position is bonus-eligible. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer