Senior Counsel, Labor & Employment

The Senior Counsel Labor & Employment will serve as a lead legal expert strategic advisor and trusted partner to the Human Resources department senior business leadership and operational teams. This role is primarily focused on providing proactive day-to-day legal advice and counseling to mitigate organizational risk ensure compliance with U.S. federal state and local employment laws and support a high-performance workplace culture.

While this role involves overseeing employment litigation administrative charges and labor-related matters the ideal candidate will prioritize proactive advisory functionsbuilding scalable compliant policies and providing real-time practical guidance that aligns with the companys strategic business objectives and values.

You Will...

• 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).

Youll Have...

• 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 810 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.

You May also Have

• 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.

What youll receive in return

As part of the Ford family youll enjoy excellent compensation and a comprehensive benefits package that includes generous PTO retirement savings and stock investment plans incentive compensation and much more. Youll also experience exciting opportunities for professional and personal growth and recognition.

Our benefits summary can be found here:

You may not check every box or your experience may look a little different from what weve outlined but if you think you can bring value to Ford Motor Company we encourage you to apply!

As an established global company we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe or keep you close to home Will your career be a deep dive into what you love or a series of new teams and new skills Will you be a leader a changemaker a technical expert a culture builderor all of the above No matter what you choose we offer a work life that works for you including:

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 Years Day

Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

This position is a leadership level 4.
Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race religion color age sex national origin sexual orientation gender identity disability status or protected veteran the United States if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability please call 1-.

Onsite work of up to three days per week may be required for candidates within commuting distance of a Ford hub location. #LI-Onsite #LI-MB3