Senior Associate General Counsel

NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants, and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, and ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.

As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC addresses the world’s most urgent environmental challenges and advances innovative, science‑based, enforceable solutions. NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act. Our team works across the United States and globally from offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Beijing, and New Delhi.

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, encouraging applicants whose identities have historically been under‑represented in the environmental movement.

NRDC is seeking a Senior Associate General Counsel with expertise in employment law and labor relations. The Office of the General Counsel (OGC) provides in‑house legal support to all NRDC programs and departments. This position will oversee the vertical within the OGC team comprising employment, labor, and benefits, manage and supervise other OGC attorneys, and provide legal counsel to key partners such as the People & DEI Team (PODEI).

The role will also support implementation and oversight of a collective bargaining agreement with the NRDC Union.

• Provide guidance to PODEI and others on consistent application of employment policies, including performance management, accommodations, employee classification, engagement structures, outside engagements, and employee relations matters.
• Oversee compliance with employment requirements applicable to NRDC’s multistate U.S. workforce, including city, state and federal wage‑and‑hour standards, leave laws, pay‑transparency obligations, discipline, termination, and hiring and onboarding rules.
• Advise on Africa‑border considerations related to international staff (e.g., Africa, China, India, UK), coordinating with local counsel as needed to align with jurisdiction‑specific expectations.
• Develop strong relationships with key PODEI managers and stakeholders, and collaborate to address evolving and emergent matters.
• Draft, revise, and maintain employment‑related policies, handbooks, and compliance frameworks to ensure alignment with legal requirements and organizational needs.
• Review PODEI‑related vendor agreements, including data‑processing and confidentiality provisions, to ensure responsible handling of workforce data by third parties.
• Develop and deliver training for managers, PODEI personnel, and staff on employment‑law obligations, workplace conduct expectations, and changes in relevant legal requirements.
• Coordinate with PODEI to deliver other OGC trainings to relevant NRDC staff.
• Advise on legal requirements relating to employee benefits programs, including health and welfare plans, retirement plans, disability benefits, and related administrative practices.
• Provide legal support for compensation‑related matters in coordination with HR and senior leadership.
• Evaluate employment and employee related data practices for legal risk, establish priorities for process improvements, and advise on appropriate solutions for compliance issues and employment disputes.
• Monitor legislation, regulations, judicial developments, and government enforcement activities relating to benefits, compensation and employment law; advise on necessary updates to programs, plan documents, or processes.
• Advise on employee relations matters and manage any litigation, investigations, disputes, settlement negotiations, or claims, including managing outside counsel.
• Staff relevant NRDC committees, such as the NRDC Board HR subcommittee and the Benefits Committee.
• Support the implementation of NRDC’s first collective bargaining…