Senior Counsel, Labor & Employment

Ford Motor Company

Senior Counsel providing legal advice on labor and employment matters to HR and leadership at Ford. Overseeing litigation and compliance with employment laws.

Posted 6/10/2026full-timeDearborn • Missouri • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Manage and develop the defense strategy for employment-related litigation, including class actions, single-plaintiff lawsuits, and administrative charges.
Direct and manage a large, active docket of employment-related litigation, including class actions, collective actions, and single-plaintiff lawsuits (claims involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour, and wrongful termination).
Develop and execute comprehensive defense strategies from inception through resolution, including driving early case assessments, determining settlement vs. trial strategies, and managing discovery.
Early Dispute Resolution: Evaluate pre-litigation demands and internal escalations; negotiate strategic resolutions to minimize financial exposure and operational disruption.
Act as the primary legal partner to HR and business leaders on a wide range of day-to-day employment matters, including recruiting, hiring, performance management, accommodations, discipline, terminations, and organizational restructurings/RIFs.
Balance legal risks with business goals, demonstrating a strong ability to find creative, compliant pathways to achieve business objectives (finding the "yes" through risk-calibrated solutions).
Provide expert guidance on FLSA classifications, state-specific wage and hour laws, pay transparency requirements, pay equity initiatives, and compensation practices.
Advise on complex disability, religious, and leave of absence issues involving the ADA, FMLA, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), and various state-level paid leave programs.
Provide legal oversight, strategy, and guidance on sensitive internal investigations into allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, fraud, or other violations of company policy.
Advise and review workplace policies, employee handbooks, and employment-related agreements (e.g., executive offer letters, separation agreements, and confidentiality/restrictive covenant agreements).

Requirements

What you’ll need

Education: Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
Bar Admission: Active member in good standing of at least one U.S. State Bar (with the ability to register as in-house counsel if relocating).
Experience: Minimum of 8–10 years of dedicated experience practicing labor and employment law.
Jurisdictional Reach: Proven experience managing employment law issues across multiple U.S. jurisdictions, with a deep understanding of state-specific variations (e.g., California, Illinois, New York).
Dual Experience: A combination of rigorous training at a major law firm and subsequent in-house corporate legal experience.
Legal Expertise: Comprehensive, up-to-date knowledge of U.S. federal and state employment laws (Title VII, ADEA, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, NLRA, etc.).
Communication Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable, and business-friendly advice.
Executive Presence: Strong interpersonal skills and the professional maturity to advise, influence, and build trust with senior executives and stakeholders.
Industry Experience: Experience providing legal support within the automotive, manufacturing, supply chain, or industrial sectors.
Change Management: Experience advising on employment matters related to corporate mergers, acquisitions, integrations, or major business transformations.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Immediate medical, dental, vision and prescription drug coverage
Flexible family care days, paid parental leave, new parent ramp-up programs, subsidized back-up child care and more
Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, and more
Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases
Tuition assistance
Established and active employee resource groups
Paid time off for individual and team community service
A generous schedule of paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day
Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

labor and employment lawclass actionsdiscrimination lawharassment lawretaliation lawwage and hour lawwrongful termination lawFLSAADAFMLA

Soft Skills

communication skillsinterpersonal skillsexecutive presencenegotiation skillsstrategic thinkingproblem-solvingadvisory skillstrust buildinginfluencing skillscreative compliance

Certifications

Juris Doctor (JD)U.S. State Bar admission