Senior Counsel, Employment Law
About the role
Kaplan is a global company at the intersection of education and technology, focused on collaboration, innovation, and creativity to deliver a best-in-class educational experience. The Senior Counsel, Legal will represent Kaplan North America in labor and employment law — including internal counseling on applicable laws and regulations and defense/representation in government or employee actions — and in contracts/transactions related primarily to employment issues, such as drafting, negotiating, and responding to employment, independent contractor, and HR-related vendor contracts. This role reports to the Kaplan North America General Counsel or Associate General Counsel and supports the Human Resources department and Operations teams on employment and labor matters. The position is fully remote with occasional travel (less than 25% of the time) and requires a significant level of independent judgment and legal decision-making within a close-knit, entrepreneurial legal team.
Responsibilities
- Serve as a valued partner to internal stakeholders, translating dynamic business ideas into clear, precise agreements.
- Advise mid-to-large commercial clients on employment and labor law/regulations, including representing clients in actions brought by governmental entities or individuals.
- Draft and review responses and submissions to Requests for Proposals, MOUs, and sales and procurement contracts related to employment and labor law.
- Work with large corporate human resources departments advising on legal issues related to employment and labor.
- Apply familiarity with state and federal regulation of post-secondary and professional education programs (preferred but not required).
- Act as a corporate generalist who excels at issue spotting across a wide range of legal disciplines and is willing to learn new areas of law.
- Demonstrate business sensibility and a bias to action — be a proactive partner who keeps processes moving and delivers high-quality work.
- Communicate effectively, both written and verbal.
- Take on additional responsibilities as a specialist in employment and labor law on a small legal team.
- Work comfortably in a remote, work-from-home environment with minimal administrative support.
Qualifications
- J.D. from an accredited law school.
- Member of a state Bar with the ability to act as in-house counsel.
- Strong legal foundation with at least 5 years practicing law, ideally including at least two years in a well-regarded national law firm and/or in-house legal department of a mid-to-large corporation.
- Experience drafting and managing inbound and outbound commercial contracts, including enterprise and customer contracts, vendor and professional services agreements, and sales agreements.
- Experience advising commercial clients on employment and labor laws and regulations and their application to the client’s operations.
- Excellent drafting, negotiating, and analytical skills.
- Superior interpersonal and communication skills.
- Entrepreneurial spirit with the desire to work in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.
Benefits
- Remote work providing flexible work/life balance.
- Comprehensive Retirement Package: automatically enrolled in The Company Contribution Plan (8–10% annual company contribution based on tenure).
- Gift of Knowledge Program: tuition assistance and substantial discounts for employees and close family members.
- Comprehensive health benefits with new-hire eligibility starting on day 1 of employment.
- Generous Paid Time Off: paid holidays, vacation, personal, sick paid time-off, plus one volunteer day and one diversity and inclusion day.
Pay
Salary Grade C: $126,599 to $264,502. The specific compensation offered will be determined by factors including the candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, education, skills, and market data.
Schedule & location
100% remote (nationwide, USA) with occasional travel less than 25% of the time. Full-time employee position.