Director, Employment Law

The Director, Employment Law is a strategic business partner and counsel to the Human Resources and Benefits community for the U.S. and Canada. This role manages and provides legal support to the Owens Corning businesses and several corporate functions. This person will act as a key partner to the Human Resources function, providing valuable guidance on a wide variety of employment related issues. The Director serves as the Company's primary subject matter expert in Employment Law, providing strategic direction related to changing legal requirements, and implementing best practices across the organization. This position also serves as the primary liaison with the Labor Relations team, providing legal assistance as needed. This person will also partner closely with law department peers, particularly in the areas of Compliance, Litigation and Business Counseling.

Reports to: VP & Asst. General Counsel; Litigation, Employment Law and Regulatory Affairs

Span of Control: Manages one lawyer and one paralegal

Be a trusted legal advisor and business partner

• Continuously builds an intimate knowledge of our Company, including internal structures, business strategies, and goals to ensure that all guidance is provided within an appropriate context.
• Develops training, guidance materials and tools for the Human Resource professionals that builds capacity and competency allowing them to be effective decision makers in their roles.
• Communicates legal and compliance issues and strategy to leaders in a timely and effective way and advises business leaders on mitigation strategies.
• Inspires teamwork across all functions and business groups to maximize the performance of Owens Corning and the development of its valuable employees.
• Establishes employment law strategy that ensures compliance with policies and laws across all business units and functions, while enabling quick and effective decisions regarding OC employees. Execution on this strategy includes ensuring ADA, FLSA, EEOC, NLRA, FMLA and ERISA compliance.

Provide creative and practical solutions to drive enterprise strategy

• Advises and counsels business partners on a broad spectrum of employment law issues and projects including, but not limited to, talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, leaves of absence and accommodations, wage and hour, internal investigations, compensation and benefits, reorganization, privacy, contingent workforce issues, and immigration.
• Supports the VP and Assistant General Counsel in managing risk within the defined scope of responsibility. This includes early proactive involvement with stakeholders to assess risk in potential disputes and advising on strategic alternatives. When appropriate, this may also include effectively managing outside counsel on employment matters and litigation, ensuring they understand and execute on actions needed for OC success. This includes:
  
  
  
  • Conducting factual investigations and witness interviews
  • Overseeing discovery coordination and production
  • Preparing for and representing the Company at legal proceedings
  • Advising Company management and stakeholders as to the anticipated legal risk and other consequences of instituting, prosecuting and defending lawsuits
  • Negotiating case settlements
  
  
  
  
• Oversees and actively engages in investigation and response to claims, demand letters, administrative complaints (EEOC, state FEP, and other), audits, and other employment-related inquiries.
• Supports the Company's growth initiatives by taking a lead role on all employment issues relating to M&A transactions and post-acquisition integration issues in partnership with Human Resources leadership.

Partner with Human Resources to enable the business strategy and talent agenda, while ensuring employment law compliance

• Ensures Human Resources is supported on matters related to FMLA, performance management, employee handbooks, background screens, and FLSA matters.
• Collaborates with cross-functional stakeholders and organizes, executes, and manages projects with a team-oriented approach.
• Builds relationships of complete candor and trust with the Human Resources Business Partners.
• Responsible for ensuring business groups avoid legal surprises and that leaders are fully briefed on all relevant legal issues (such as upcoming changes to existing employment laws).
• Enables the Owens Corning performance management and talent agenda through advice that is meaningful, mitigates risk and provides alternatives that allow business objectives to be met.

Demonstrate a leadership focus and leadership skills

• Develops strong relationships with Human Resource partners, see issues through their lens.
• Approaches issues with an enterprise first perspective that ensures we always serve the company's needs.
• Develops high performing talent on your team and extended teams.
• Collaborates effectively within and beyond the law department to drive creative solutions.
• Manages projects with a team-oriented approach.

• Evaluates policies, handbooks, and processes to ensure compliance and educates business partners on appropriate information; maintains best in class templates that increase efficiency.
• Drafts and reviews employment-related agreements, advises business partners on executing agreements in a manner that reduces risk to Owens Corning.
• Develops and conducts internal training and education presentations and materials.
• Maintain a no surprises mindset on outside legal spend. Tracks spend to budget.
• Develops a reputation for the employment law team as being uniquely skilled at working with partners at all levels and building capabilities across the organization.

• Minimum of 10+ years of experience working as an employment law attorney, preferably in a law firm followed by an in-house role.
• Juris Doctorate and Bar Membership in at least one state required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Employment Law Expertise. Brings employment law expertise to the legal function and can communicate legal challenges to human resources and business leaders. Develops practical solutions to complex employment law matters. Listens carefully and identifies high-risk situations requiring escalation and mitigation.
• Strategic Mindset. Demonstrates the ability to identify and respond to trends, and to develop sustainable improvements and solutions.
• Compliance Minded. Demonstrates the ability identify compliance gaps and to challenge at all levels when faced with possible violation of policy or the law.
• Strong Organizational Skills. Demonstrates the ability to meet deadlines and communicate issues as they arise, with specificity and determine actions necessary for a timely remedy of issues.
• Communication. Clearly conveys relevant information and ideas. Adjusts approach to capture audience attention and ensures there is an understanding of the message. Seeks to understand others through active listening.
• Highly Ethical. Can be trusted to do only the "right thing" for the employees, shareholders, and others. Follows a balanced approach without compromising integrity.
• Diversity/Cultural Competence. Understands, communicates with, and effectively interacts with people across the organization. Is self-aware and values the differences in others. Effectively achieves business results working across and with diverse teams.

• Customer Orientation. Has an external (outside-in) orientation and understanding that all business opportunities start with knowledge of how to create value for a customer.
• Results Oriented. Energetic, resourceful, with strong service orientation and positive can-do attitude. Fully committed to the job and to deliver outstanding work. Never satisfied with status-quo, continually striving for excellence.
• Change Agent. Comfortable planning for the future, while managing day-to-day legal matters. Able to anticipate risks and propose practical plans to mitigate them. Appreciates impact of the Owens Corning Legal Department and how the department is an integral part of the company's business strategy.
• Adaptability. Able to improvise, adapt and overcome when faced with problems. Ability to respond quickly to the demands of the moment.
• Accountability. Knows what needs to be done and gets it done. Willingly takes responsibility for the organization; unafraid of owning the results, actions and decisions of self or organization.
• Learner Mindset. Committed to continuing education and skill sharpening in employment and labor law.
• Judgment and Decision Making. Recognizes issues, problems or opportunities and determines whether action is needed. Choose appropriate action by formulating clear decision criteria and evaluates options by considering implications and consequences. Implements decisions or initiates action within a reasonable time. Escalates and informs as appropriate.

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