Senior Associate General Counsel, Labor & Employment

UnitedHealth Group is a health care and well-being company that's dedicated to improving the health outcomes of millions around the world. We are comprised of two distinct and complementary businesses, UnitedHealthcare and Optum, working to build a better health system for all. Here, your contributions matter as they will help transform health care for years to come. Make an impact with a team that shares your passion for helping others. Join us in making healthcare work better for everyone through people-led, responsible AI while Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

UnitedHealth Group is seeking an experienced attorney for a Senior Associate General Counsel, Labor & Employment to join our Legal, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs (LCRA) group. This attorney will provide strategic labor and employment law advice and support to UnitedHealth Group's diversified businesses. The successful candidate will bring 12+ years of relevant experience, solid judgment, practical business orientation, and the ability to advise senior leaders on complex and sensitive matters. The position will be based at UnitedHealth Group's headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

The role operates within a collaborative, team-based legal model. Success will require collaboration and coordination within the Labor & Employment and Employee Benefits legal team, as well as the ability to build trusted relationships with senior leaders and key business partners. The successful candidate will be: 

• Comfortable sharing information, seeking and incorporating input, and working across teams to deliver practical, aligned legal guidance
• Enterprise-minded and committed to reaching well-considered, aligned legal positions
• Proactive in communicating developments, risks, and recommendations to legal colleagues and senior leaders
• Comfortable working through ambiguity, inviting diverse perspectives, and constructively challenging assumptions
• Reliable, responsive, and accountable for high-quality work and timely follow-through
• A practical counselor who builds trust and supports solid team performance

Work arrangement: This is an office-based position at UnitedHealth Group's headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with a requirement of four in-office days per week. Occasional travel is required (less than 10%).

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Provide practical, strategic advice on labor and employment matters, including terminations, discrimination, wage and hour issues, disability accommodations, federal and state compliance, restrictive covenants, and workplace investigations
• Advise on compliance with laws including the ADA, ADEA, Title VII, FMLA, FLSA, and WARN Act, as well as applicable state and local employment laws
• Manage employment arbitrations and litigation, including development of strategy, oversight of outside counsel, and coordination with relevant internal stakeholders
• Evaluate, negotiate, and prepare employment-related agreements
• Identify legal risk and provide clear, actionable recommendations that account for legal requirements, business objectives, and enterprise considerations
• Maintain current knowledge of employment law developments, enforcement trends, and industry-leading practices
• Communicate consistently and collaborate effectively with attorneys, legal professionals, senior leaders, and business partners across a matrixed enterprise
• Perform other responsibilities consistent with the role, as assigned

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:  

• Juris Doctor and an active license to practice law in one or more U.S. States
• 12+ years of legal experience focused on labor and employment matters in a law firm and/or in-house legal department
• Demonstrated knowledge of federal and state employment laws and related compliance issues
• Demonstrated experience managing employment litigation and arbitrations, including developing case strategy, overseeing outside counsel, managing budgets, and coordinating with internal stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability and commitment to embracing and using emerging technologies and new ways of working to deliver efficient, high-quality legal services
• Experience advising companies on employment law issues across multiple states
• Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, performance-driven environment
• Demonstrated ability and interest in identifying and driving strategic initiatives
• Demonstrated leadership, initiative, resilience, and ability to embrace change
• Demonstrated solid emotional intelligence and sound judgment
• Proven ability to work effectively as a member of an enterprise legal team and within a team-based service model
• Proven ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and credibly with all levels of leadership
• Proven ability to collaborate and build effective relationships across a matrixed enterprise
• Proven ability to model UnitedHealth Group values of integrity, compassion, inclusion, relationships, innovation, and performance

Preferred Qualifications:  

• 15+ years of legal experience focused on labor and employment matters in a law firm and/or in-house legal department
• Experience advising employers on employment-related legal risks associated with the use of emerging technologies, including in hiring, workforce management, and employment decision-making
• Experience advising internal Labor Relations teams on a range of traditional labor matters, including labor organizing, collective bargaining, grievance administration, and unfair labor practice charges
• Demonstrated expertise in federal and state wage and hour laws across multiple jurisdictions

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The salary for this role will range from $159,300 to $273,200 annually based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

 At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and help make the health system work better for everyone. Together, we are shaping the future of healthcare by harnessing technology and innovation to make care simpler to navigate, more affordable and more connected for the people we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels welcomed, valued, heard and respected, empowering people to bring their authentic selves to work and strengthening our collective impact through diverse talents, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer under applicable law and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

UnitedHealth Group and its affiliated brands are a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.