Sr. Litigation & Employment Counsel

PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The Sr. Counsel, Litigation and Employment Law provides support to all Owens Corning businesses and the corporate functions  regarding domestic litigation and supports one or more business functions from an Employment Law perspective as assigned. With respect to litigation responsibilities, this position acts as a key partner to the business and corporate finance teams, providing valuable guidance on pre-litigation dispute resolution, litigation strategy, expense forecasting and contingent liability reserves. With respect to employment law, this position provides support to one or more of Owens Corning’s businesses and the corporate functions, as necessary. This position also acts as a key partner to the Human Resources and Labor Relations team, providing valuable guidance on a wide variety of employment related issues. The Sr. Counsel, Litigation and Employment Law is responsible for managing the company’s domestic litigation and assigned employment law advising through internal and external resources, exercising sound judgment, communicating timely to all necessary stakeholders, and providing strategic advice that positions the company to achieve the best possible results in the resolution of all disputes and development of strategic and compliant solutions to human resources issues. 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Understand the Owens Corning business and demonstrate strong leadership capability Understand our businesses, our products and our people, including internal structures, business strategies, and controls processes to ensure that all guidance is provided within an appropriate context

• 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
• Develop strong relationships with business partners
• Approach issues with an enterprise first perspective that ensures we always strive to serve the company’s needs
• Collaborate effectively within and beyond the law department to drive creative solutions
• Manage projects with a team-oriented approach
• Escalate and communicate legal issues in a timely and effective way
• Maintain a no surprises mindset on outside counsel legal spend, track spend to budget

Operate a litigation management framework that enables enterprise success

• Proactively anticipate legal challenges, opportunities, and trends in the litigation landscape
• Systematically communicate legal issues and strategies to leaders in a timely and effective way and advise business leaders on risk management strategies
• Facilitate teamwork across all functions and business groups to maximize dispute resolution outcomes
• Effectively maximize the use of digital tools for matter management and financial management of active litigation matters
• Actively manage the litigation spend through effective budgeting and cost management.
• Lead with a systematic approach the legal review of all contingent liability reserves

Be a trusted legal advisor and business partner

• Advise and counsel business partners and law department colleagues on a broad spectrum of pre-litigation disputes and litigation matters, including (but not limited to): products liability, general liability, commercial disputes, construction disputes, insurance coverage and recovery, product warranties and intellectual property
• Conduct and advise on investigations and responses to claims, demand letters, subpoenas, administrative complaints, audits, and other inquiries that may arise from time to time
• Perform legal research and legal analysis, advise business partners on recommended course of action and risks to Owens Corning

Collaborate to implement a human resources compliance framework and strategy that enables business success

• Builds employment legal expertise internal and external to the Company that supports and anticipates legal challenges, opportunities, and trends
• Communicates legal and compliance issues and strategy to leaders in a timely and effective way and advises business leaders on mitigation strategies
• Participate with other members of the Employment Law team and Labor Relations team in the development of a labor and 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.  Execute on this strategy in assigned business units, including:
  • Ensuring ADA, FLSA, EEOC, NLRA, and FMLA compliance
  • Providing proactive counseling and training that builds capability in business and HR leaders
  • Offer timely advice with enabling alternatives

 Be a trusted advisor and business partner to Human Resources to enable the business strategy and talent agenda, while ensuring employment law compliance

• Act as an advisor for Human Resources on matters related to FMLA, performance management, employee handbooks, background screens, and FLSA matters
• Educate and build capability in our Human Resource partners to handle issues in a compliant manner
• Build and maintain relationships of complete candor and trust with the Human Resources Business Partners
• Enable 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
• Evaluate policies, handbooks, and processes to ensure compliance and educate business partners on appropriate information; maintain best in class templates that increase efficiency

• Draft and review employment-related agreements, advise business partners on executing agreements in a manner that reduces risk to Owens Corning
• Develop and conduct internal training and education presentations and materials

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• 7+ years of litigation and employment law advising experience preferably in a law firm followed by in-house experience

• Juris Doctorate and Bar Membership in at least one state required 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Strategic Mindset.  Demonstrates the ability to identify and respond to trends, and 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.
• 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.

• 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. 
• 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. 

#LI-TF1
#LI-Hybrid