As a global leader in advanced mobility solutions, our outstanding team of legal professionals helps us navigate the continually changing legal and regulatory landscape. In our Office of General Counsel, you’ll be part of an organization that collaborates with outside counsel to operate as a global team and deliver world-class legal, tax and audit services to client groups throughout the company.
In this position...
Ford Motor Company’s Office of the General Counsel is seeking a highly skilled and hands-on Employment Counsel to join our Employment legal team at our corporate headquarters in Dearborn, MI. This role is primarily responsible for managing employment-related disputes, litigation, and agency claims, as well as providing expert legal advice on U.S. employment law compliance and wage and hour issues. The successful candidate will proactively identify legal risks and develop mitigation strategies. A key focus of this role is the internal management of legal matters, including the direct handling of administrative charges. This position is based in Dearborn, MI, and candidates must be local to the area.
What you'll do...
- Directly manage and respond to government agency charges (e.g., EEOC, MDCR, and other state/local agencies), including conducting internal fact-finding and drafting high-quality position statements and legal responses without the use of outside counsel.
- Provide strategic legal advice and guidance to Human Resources and business leadership on U.S. employment law compliance, specifically focusing on wage and hour issues (FLSA), hiring, discipline, and terminations.
- Manage and resolve pre-litigation demands and employment-related disputes through direct negotiation or mediation.
- Oversee a portfolio of employment litigation, directing strategy and cost-effective resolution for matters handled by outside counsel while identifying opportunities to pull lower-level work in-house.
- Identify and assess systemic legal risks across the enterprise and develop proactive mitigation strategies, compliance protocols, and policy updates.
- Draft, review, and update corporate employment policies, employee handbooks, and separation/settlement agreements.
- Design and deliver legal training for managers and HR professionals on litigation avoidance, wage and hour compliance, and employment law best practices.
