Senior Counsel, Employment

About the Team:   

Relativity Space’s legal team is small, nimble, and entrepreneurial: a startup within a startup. Our team is responsible for identifying and managing risks across the organization to ensure Relativity is adequately protected through its rapid growth. Our legal team manages employment, litigation, intellectual property, contracts, and compliance, among other responsibilities. Unique to Relativity’s fast-paced startup environment, our team has broad exposure to the business has frequent opportunities to work cross functionally to support Relativity’s ambitious goals.

As the second member of the Employment Legal Team and reporting into Relativity Space’s Assistant General Counsel and Head of Employee Relations, the Senior Counsel, Employment, will be a strategic partner to Relativity’s People Team and other business stakeholders.  The ideal candidate will work cross-functionally with the People team and the business to advise on all legal aspects of the employee lifecycle while also creating scalable employment policies, processes, templates, and training. We are looking for a strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial mindset who can take into account the business implications of legal decisions. 

About the Role:

We are looking for significant California and federal employment law experience.  While the position is a hybrid role preferred in our Long Beach, California locations, candidates within commutable distance to our Cape Canaveral, Florida and Stennis, Mississippi physical locations are encouraged to apply.  A fully remote option is not available with this role.

• Provide pro-active advice and counsel to the People Team and business in various areas of employment law, including but not limited to: performance management, hiring, wage and hour, terminations, adverse actions, leave management, safety, compensation, employee mobility, contractor/temporary worker management, and diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI). 
• Provide additional support and/or advice to the Employee Relations function on investigations, employment complaints and misconduct, and HR compliance activities, including but not limited to employee handbook updates and OFCCP compliance.
• Draft, revise, and negotiate employment-related agreements (including offer letters, contingent worker/independent contractor agreements, confidentiality and intellectual property agreements, and separation agreements).
• Develop and conduct company-wide and department-specific employment training, education and tools.
• Undertake project-based work cross-functionally to enhance company-wide employment law compliance.
• Support the development of HR processes, policies and procedures to keep pace with necessary growth and scaling.

About You:

• JD and membership in good standing with at least one US State Bar (CA Bar preferred)
• You will have at least 8+ years of relevant employment experience, combined at a law firm and in-house.
• In-house start-up experience within fast-paced, high impact environments, such as within tech, is highly preferred
• Comprehensive and deep knowledge of California and federal employment law.
• You are a self-starter with a flexible growth mind-set and are able to act quickly, and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced, high-growth environment and handle ambiguity with ease.
• You are pragmatic and have strong communication skills where you can distill complex legal concepts into simple, practical advice while providing education to stakeholders. 

Nice to haves but not required:  

• Experience with HR compliance.
• Experience working in or with the aerospace industry.
• Experience doing substantially employment advice and counsel.
• Experience and understanding of cross-over areas beyond employment such as ethics and compliance or intellectual property.