CORPORATE EMPLOYMENT COUNSEL

East Penn Manufacturing is currently seeking an Employment Counsel to join its growing Legal team. This position is responsible for providing practical legal advice on a wide variety of employment and labor matters, supporting both the Legal and Personnel functions. The role includes managing employment compliance and workplace risks, advising on employee relations, and supporting internal investigations, accommodations, and external agency claims. This position reports to the Vice President of Legal and collaborates closely with Personnel leadership and other cross-functional stakeholders across East Penn's operations.

This position’s primary location is based in our corporate offices in Lyon Station, PA with periodic remote work available.

• Provide day-to-day legal counsel on a broad spectrum of employment law issues, including but not limited to leaves of absence, hiring, discipline, terminations, contingent labor, job classifications, immigration, performance management, wage and hour compliance, and restrictive covenants.
• Advise on complex and challenging employment and labor matters, including state and federal compliance (e.g., ADA, ADEA, Title VII, FMLA, FLSA, WARN Act, NLRA, and state/municipal equivalents).
• Monitor federal, state, and local legislation, regulations, case law, and government enforcement activity relating to employment and labor issues and provide proactive, strategic advice to the Personnel department and other internal stakeholders.
• Partner with and provide legal support to the VP of Legal and VP of Personnel on internal and external employment investigations, agency claims, and litigation matters.
• Represent the company in unemployment compensation hearings, including preparing witnesses and presenting legal arguments to support the company’s position.
• Support the management of workers' compensation claims by providing legal guidance on claim handling, coordinating with third-party administrators and internal stakeholders, and helping ensure compliance with applicable laws and company policies.
• Review, interpret, and make recommendations to leadership for improvement of company policies, procedures, handbooks, and programs in light of legal and regulatory developments
• Design and deliver engaging training programs on employment and labor law topics to educate managers and employees and support compliance across the organization.
• Effectively manage outside counsel and associated costs.
• Partner with Personnel to provide proactive risk analysis for terminations, restructures, and other sensitive employment actions.
• Advise on employment law aspects of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other business initiatives, including due diligence, integration, and employee transitions.
• Assist in managing a variety of litigation matters beyond employment law, including personal injury, product liability, and commercial disputes.

Experience & Qualifications

• 8 or more years of employment and labor law experience.
• Experience advising on workplace investigations and managing employment-related litigation in coordination with outside counsel.
• A combination of experience working in a law firm and in-house

Education/Certification

• Juris Doctorate (JD) degree from an accredited law school
• License to practice in Pennsylvania must be current, active and in good standing

Skills & Competencies

• Ability to develop a deep understanding of the business, its objectives, risk tolerances, and applicable labor or bargaining agreements.
• Strong analytical, investigative, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience advising executive and senior leadership with a high level of professionalism and responsiveness.
• Commitment to promoting East Penn’s values, policies, and compliance standards.
• Ability to manage projects independently and deliver high-quality results under time pressure.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
• Leadership presence and the ability to advocate effectively and confidently.
• Capacity to interact with diverse internal clients, peers, and stakeholders across multiple departments and functions.
• Willingness and ability to travel on behalf of the company.