Office of the General Counsel

Immediate opening for a full-time employment law attorney in the Office of the General Counsel at Stanford University. This is a University Counsel position, reporting directly to the General Counsel.  The attorney will primarily support SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and receive day-to-day direction from Senior University Counsel at SLAC. The attorney will also work closely with other counsel at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and the Office of the General Counsel. The attorney is primarily responsible for providing legal counsel to SLAC management and working with stakeholders at other national laboratories and the Department of Energy on behalf of SLAC and may also provide advice across the University. The position requires discretion, flexibility, and the ability to understand and manage projects with competing interests in a constantly changing, cutting-edge environment. Must be able to work independently, while also partnering and working with outside counsel, staff, and other attorneys.

The attorney should have broad experience in employment-related matters and have an interest in exploring other areas of law relevant to a national laboratory or university environment. In this role, the attorney can expect to:

• Work closely with SLAC, University, and Human Resources management to contribute functional employment law expertise to support business objectives.
• Collaborate with all SLAC and University colleagues to manage risks in a variety of areas, with a focus on employment law-related risks.
• Utilize expertise and current knowledge of changing federal, California, and local laws relating to employment matters to advise management on hiring, promotion, discipline, and termination practices, wage/hour matters, leaves and accommodations, and policy decisions or other matters of strategic importance. 
• Manage employment-related investigations, claims and litigation, including representing SLAC (and the University, as needed) in agency matters and mediations, and engaging and overseeing outside counsel as needed.
• Advise on and develop policies, guidelines, and training materials in partnership with Human Resources and other Laboratory/University departments.  Conduct training on regular basis on variety of employment law topics at SLAC and the University.
• Develop and implement strategies for providing accurate and timely guidance on a wide range of employment related issues.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge of a broad range of employment-related legal issues, with demonstrated expertise in the following areas:
  • Wage and hour
  • Pay equity
  • Disability accommodations and leave management
  • Title VII, FEHA and similar harassment, discrimination and retaliation laws
  • OFCCP and other regulatory obligations for government contractor/employers
• Deep knowledge of California employment laws and experience applying them.
• Ability to effectively counsel Laboratory and University leadership, take ownership of problems and drive issues to closure.
• Ability to effectively counsel Laboratory and University leadership on employee discipline matters.
• Experience in managing litigation and disputes in various types of employment matters, including wage/hour class actions.
• Experience in conducting training sessions and creating effective presentation materials.
• Experience in conducting and overseeing all aspects of workplace investigations from initiation through to completion.

Additional Preferred Experience

• Experience working at a federally funded or government contractor environment, such as a national laboratory or federally funded research and development center, university, or similar scientific organization.
• Working knowledge of immigration law.
• Working knowledge of PII, PHI and data privacy issues.
• Working knowledge of labor relations issues.
• Experience in actively managing outside counsel.
• Experience working as an in-house attorney.

Qualifications

Applicants should have a minimum of 6-8 years of relevant experience. Applicants should also be a member of the California Bar, be able to become one shortly, or, if licensed out-of-state, qualify as “in-house counsel” under the applicable California bar rules. Requirements include excellence in academic credentials, writing, analytical and communication skills as well as strong judgment and a practical approach to solving legal problems. Applicants must be comfortable with technology, committed to teamwork, responsive and have a proven record of providing the highest quality client service. A demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and significant work volume. Due to COVID-19-related curtailment of on-site activities, the job duties for this position will be required to be performed from home until full site-access is restored.

***The final candidate will need to successfully pass a background check to be considered for this position.

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Stanford welcomes applications from all who would bring additional dimensions to the University’s research, teaching and clinical missions.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.

Additional Information

• Schedule: Full-time
• Job Code: 3076
• Employee Status: Regular
• Grade: N
• Requisition ID: 87561