Senior Labor and Employment Counsel

Florida Crystals is a leading domestic sugar producer and North America's first fully integrated cane sugar company, guiding our sugar from farm to table. We are America's first and only producer of certified organic sugar, grown and harvested in the United States. Our renewable energy facility is the largest of its kind in North America and provides clean energy that powers our sugar operations, which helps us reduce our use of fossil fuels. Florida Crystals also sustainably farms rice, sweet corn and other vegetables in rotation with our sugarcane. Our rice mill is the only rice mill in Florida.

OVERVIEW

The Senior Labor and Employment Counsel will report to the Chief Litigation Counsel, with a dotted line to the VP, Human Resources. This position will provide employment and labor relations legal support, collaborating with legal colleagues, HR professionals, executive management, and other key stakeholders. This position will be responsible for developing and implementing labor relations strategies that align with the organization's goals and objectives, managing labor and employment related dispute resolution, and advising HR professionals and business managers on all aspects of day-to-day employment-related matters, including hiring and termination issues, reductions in force, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, reasonable accommodations, leaves of absence, and wage and hour issues.

DETAILED ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

* Develop and implement labor relations strategies: Create and execute comprehensive labor relations strategies that align with the organization's goals and objectives. This includes analyzing labor market trends, assessing potential risks, and identifying opportunities for improvement.
* Labor relations and employment policies and procedures: Develop and implement labor relations policies and procedures that comply with applicable labor and employment laws and regulations. Regularly review and update these policies to ensure compliance and alignment with industry best practices.
* Employee relations support: Provide guidance and support to management and HR teams on labor relations matters, including disciplinary actions, grievances, and dispute resolution. Advise on strategies to maintain positive employee relations and minimize labor-related risks.
* Labor relations and employment law training and communication: Develop and deliver training programs to educate managers and employees on labor relations and employment policies, procedures, and best practices. Facilitate effective communication between management, employees, and labor unions to foster a collaborative work environment.
* Stay updated on labor and employment laws and regulations: Stay abreast of changes in labor and employment laws, regulations, and industry trends. Proactively assess the impact of these changes on the organization's labor relations and employment strategies and recommend necessary adjustments.
* Review and respond to labor and employment related claims, including employment related charges, complaints, and attorney demand letters; developing a strategy to address them, draft responses to charges and attorney demand letters, and reviewing and approving court filing.
* Manage and supervise outside counsel, including the RFP process related to selecting outside counsel, experts and vendors in litigation, claims, and other disputes, the budgeting and invoice review for these matters, and evaluating the performance of outside counsel.
* Provide evaluations of liability and damage issues and negotiates fair and equitable settlements for employment matters.
* Manage and coordinate discovery, including litigation holds, information gathering, e-discovery, documents collection witness preparation, depositions, and privilege reviews for employment matters, including responding to information requests.
* Work with investigative teams to ensure thorough and complete privileged investigations of employment related matters, and provide legal advice related to such investigations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

* 7-10 Years of experience in employment and labor law, including at least two years at a law firm or in house legal position.
* Broad subject matter expertise in federal and state employment laws and regulations.
* Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
* Bilingual a plus.
* Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office suite
* The candidate must have a J.D. degree from an ABA-approved law school and be an active member in good standing of the Bar (Florida or New York preferred).

ESSENTIAL CAPABILITIES (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES)

* Impeccable integrity and trust.
* Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to effectively collaborate in a multicultural setting with fellow members of the legal department and employees in other departments.
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills and excellent drafting skills.
* Ability to set priorities and effectively, efficiently, and calmly manage multiple time-sensitive projects.
* Practical and business-minded with an ability to present a business partner with real-world, pragmatic advice.

Core Competencies:

* Analytical Thinking & Decision Making - Identifies and understands trends and/or issues; connects data points through analysis to arrive at a logical conclusion.
* Business & Financial Acumen - Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the financial, accounting, marketing and operational functions of our organization; interpreting and applying understanding of key financial indicators to make better corporate decisions.
* Effective Communication - Expresses ideas and information in a clear and concise manner by tailoring one's message to fit the interests and needs of the audience.
* Customer Orientation - Keeps internal and/or external customer(s) in mind at all times. Strives to proactively address customer concerns and needs. Assists business partners and customers to achieve their work goals via application of their own skills and knowledge; strives to provide consistent customer satisfaction.
* Establishes Trust - Gaining the confidence and faith of others by actions and words that promote being honest, forthcoming, integrious and vulnerable.
* Problem-Solving - Anticipates, evaluates, diagnoses, and resolves problems in a systematic and fact-based manner.
* Results Orientation & Accountability - Takes accountability, identifies, executes and drives actions to consistently achieve desired results.
* Teamwork & Collaboration - Creates a climate that fosters commitment to a common vision and shared values that promote cooperation and working together through trust and support of others.
* Adaptability/Flexibility - Maintaining effectiveness in varying environments and with different tasks, responsibilities and people.
* Continuous Improvement - Establishes methods and utilizes specialized techniques to monitor and improve performance of systems and processes.
* Self-Development - Seeks feedback on one's strengths and weaknesses and initiates activities to increase or enhance their knowledge, skills, and proficiency in order to perform more effectively or enhance their career.
* Change Management - Achieves success through change: identifies opportunities for improvement and innovation, removes barriers and resistance, and enables behaviors that support desired outcomes.
* Develops Others - Plans for the growth of others, diligently addressing performance issues and conflicts, both at the individual and organizational level with the purpose of achieving results through the activities of other people.
* Strategic Mindset - Understands company's short and long-term priorities and aligns department priorities and behavior around achievement of those objectives.



LOCATION OF ROLE

* West Palm Beach, Florida
* Occasional travel within the U.S. and Canada may be required

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other category protected under federal, state, or local law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

Nearest Major Market: Palm Beach

Nearest Secondary Market: Miami