Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc. is a nonprofit organization serving Southeastern Wisconsin and Metropolitan Chicago helping people overcome challenges to build skills, find employment and progress in their life and careers. For more than 100 years, Goodwill has been connecting job seekers with employers in the community and inside our own retail, laundry and staffing social enterprises to provide employment, training and support services.   
  
As the largest Goodwill among 155 nonprofit Goodwill organizations in North America, the organization has more than 90 locations across a 23-county territory. In 2021 we served over 42,000 people experiencing employment challenges and made 4,105 job placements in the community.

Industry: Retail
Company Size: 5,001-10,000 employees

Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc.

Savvy Admin PROD

The Senior Corporate Counsel works under the supervision of the Director of Legal Services to provide independent, expert legal guidance across the organization on employment law, regulatory matters, contracts, and policy compliance.

**Responsibility Level **

The Senior Corporate Counsel works under the supervision of the Director of Legal Services to provide independent, expert legal guidance across the organization on employment law, regulatory matters, contracts, and policy compliance. The role manages complex legal issues and workplace respect investigations, identifies organizational risks, and recommends strategies to strengthen culture and ensure ethical, legally sound decisions. It also leads regulatory responses and represents the organization in administrative and court proceedings while contributing legal insight to policies, procedures, and longer term organizational initiatives.

Implements and may provide input into strategic goals for organization and Legal/Compliance functions. Applies expertise in legal and compliance functions to support the development of policies, procedures, and programs. Has familiarity with the Legal and Compliance budget and may provide input into spending decisions, particularly as pertains to vendors, systems, and projects. Typically works on projects and initiatives that span 12 months 2 years.

**Principal Duties **

Legal Advisory & Support

- Provide comprehensive legal advice and support to enterprise Business Units and Functions on employment law, contracts, emergent legislation, and regulatory matters.

- Serve as a strategic advisor to business leaders, building relationships and identifying their legal service needs.

- Demonstrate strong business acumen and the ability to self-manage and resolve complex legal issues independently.

- Research and analyze legal issues, maintaining current knowledge of industry-specific regulations affecting business units.

Regulatory Response & Representation

- Respond to regulatory complaints (EEOC, DWD, ERD, IDHR, DOL, OSHA) and represent the organization in administrative and Court hearings.

- Conduct legal research and fact gathering in response to regulatory complaints while providing detailed legal analysis and recommendations for the organization to move forward legally and ethically.

Contracts & Grants

- Review, draft, and negotiate contracts and grant agreements to ensure compliance with organizational policies and funding requirements.

- Provide legal guidance to business units on contracts, grants, and regulatory matters, clarifying risks and obligations.

Policy & Compliance

- Evaluate and revise corporate policies and procedures to mitigate risk and ensure compliance with evolving legal standards.

- Ensure compliance with organizational policies and funding requirements in all legal guidance and support through training, legislative updates, and Pulse articles.

Collaboration & Cross-Functional Initiatives

- Collaborate with the Legal Operations Manager on compliance initiatives and cross-functional enterprise projects.

- Support the development and implementation of compliance initiatives and projects across the organization. Leading and Developing Talent: May provide training to coworkers or others in the organization.

- Project and Change Management: Manages low to moderately complex projects within the department. Articulates intended outcomes, effectively plans work for self and others, gives direction, resolves issues, and holds other accountable. May serve in formal project roles such as team member or subject matter expert. Engages effectively in change affecting her/him, communicating appropriately with supervisor. Follows through on learning, skill building, and practice necessary to adapt to change. Assesses impact when managing projects. Communicates effectively with stakeholders. Plan appropriately to meet the needs of impacted individuals.

- Problem Solving: Light supervision; works independently. Work review limited to final product. Solves highly complex problems. Identifies key barriers/core problems and applies problem solving skills to deal creatively with complex situations.

- Technical Skill: Expert knowledge of particular field of specialization. Advanced knowledge of organization s technologies and practices.

- Community Engagement: Understands social trends driving Goodwill's community engagement initiatives, and champions initiatives. Is aware of Goodwill s community partner organizations and participates in volunteer opportunities as pertains to role and interest. Participates in industry/knowledge groups.

- Responsible for completing other duties/responsibilities as assigned.

**Requirements **

- Must have Juris Doctor degree and be in current good standing with a state bar association.

- 4 years of legal or regulatory experience with direct client contact.

- Licensed to practice law in WI and/or IL.

- Employment law experience preferred.

**Core Cultural Competencies **

- Customer Focus: Independently anticipate and meet customer needs, while searching for ways to improve customer service. Internalize customer feedback, and follow up with customer to ensure problems are solved by providing innovative ideas to meet their future needs.

- Values Differences: Seeks out the diverse perspectives and talents of others, striving to work effectively with others who have different perspectives, backgrounds or styles. Behave with sensitivity towards differences in cultural norms, expectations, and ways of communicating. Challenge stereotyping or offensive comments.

- Communicates Effectively: Shares information and updates with others, while ensuring a clear, concise and professional communication through reports, documentation, written and other communications. Listens with interest to what others have to say.

- Situational Adaptability: Demonstrates flexibility of responses to different situations through adapting to the changing needs, conditions, priorities or opportunities. Monitors how well an approach is working to see if a change is needed, recognizing cues that suggest a change in approach or behavior is needed.

- Drives Results: Demonstrates a strong drive to achieve meaningful results, through driving tasks to successful completion and closure. Sets high standards for own performance, showing determination in the face of obstacles and setbacks.

- Ensures Accountability: Takes responsibility and ownership for successes and failures in own work. Monitors progress of performance and changes approach accordingly, following through on commitments.

**Physical/Sensory Demands **

Ability to remain stationary for extended periods of time. Repetitive use of hands is required in the form of fine manipulations while using computer keyboard. Must be able to communicate in verbal and written form. Ability to travel to different locations in the organizations territory.

~~When determining placement within the salary range for this position Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago considers education, experience, internal equity, market demands and other qualifying criteria. It is not typical for individuals to be hired at or near the top of the rage for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on facts and circumstances of each case. ~~

~~Certain roles are eligible to participate in an incentive plan. Participation in this plan does not guarantee an incentive payment and is subject to the terms and conditions of the plan, which are subject to change. ~~

~~In addition to compensation, we offer a competitive benefit program that may include medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, life insurance, retirement plan, paid time off (PTO) and more. The specifics of each benefit package will vary depending on factors such as full or part time jobs, contracted, temporary, or other job categories. ~~

Equal Opportunity Employer

Senior Corporate Counsel

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