Senior Associate Counsel

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<div class="isg-job-description“>Job Description Summary:As Senior Associate Counsel, you will provide high-level, sensitive, and confidential labor and employment law advice and related compliance advice to executive leadership, including the Chief Legal Officer, the Office of the President, the UCAR Community Programs (UCP) Director, the NSF NCAR Director, and the UCAR Board of Directors.
In addition to labor and employment matters, you will collaborate with other attorneys and staff within the Office of General Counsel (OGC) on a variety of legal issues, including ad hoc assignments which may be outside your primary practice area. You may also oversee the work of other OGC attorneys and staff, as well as contribute to or lead the implementation of administrative process improvements and the advancement of OGC team goals.
This is a hybrid role, with three weekly in-office days in Boulder, CO required.

position Details:

Visa Sponsored Job:

No

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

Yes

Job Location:

Boulder, Colorado

Position Type & Term:

Full time, Regular

Application Notes

Application Deadline:

• This job posting will close at 11:59 P.M. MT on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.

Required application materials: (preferably in PDF Format)

• Resume

• Cover Letter – Please address how your skills and experience meet the needs of this position (for more information, please refer to the Key Responsibilities and Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities sections of this job posting).

Background Checks: Conducted for candidates selected for hire. Learn more.
Work Location: Regardless of flexible work arrangements, UCAR requires ALL positions to be
performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

What You Will Do

Here is a brief summary of what one would expect to be generally responsible for in this role.

Legal Advice and Compliance

• Provide high-level legal advice and counsel on labor and employment laws and regulations
• Ensure the organization’s compliance with federal, state, and local labor and employment laws and regulations.
• Proactively develop and implement labor and employment policies and procedures to mitigate legal risks and promote compliance.
• Provide training on labor & employment matters as needed.

HR and Business Partnering

• Collaborate on a daily basis with HR, particularly the Deputy and Director of Human Resources and the Human Resources department staff, to address labor and employment issues and align labor and employment strategies with business objectives.
• Provide proactive legal support and strategic advice on issues such as leaves and accommodations, employee discipline and discharge, workforce planning, talent management, compensation and benefits, and organizational change, including layoffs and reorganizations.
• :Work closely with the HR Compliance Manager and HR Operations on various HR compliance matters.

Executive Leadership Advice and Counsel

• Provide high-level, often sensitive and confidential labor and employment advice and counsel to executive leadership, including to the Chief Legal Officer, Office of the President, UCP Director, NSF NCAR Director, and the UCAR Board of Directors.

Investigations

• Provide advice and counsel on internal investigations related to labor and employment matters and research misconduct matters, working closely with the HR team.
• Provide advice and counsel regarding hotline disclosures and manage internal investigations and resolution of hotline complaints.
• Manage external counsel and/or investigators approved to handle investigations.
• Employment Litigation and Agency Complaints
• Manage and oversee employment-related litigation and pre-litigation matters, including those involving discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, wage and hour disputes, leaves & accommodations, and other employment-related claims.
• Draft state and federal agency responses, including EEOC Position Statements.
• Coordinate and manage outside counsel.
• Coordinate and liaise with insurance carriers to ensure timely notice is provided and that claims are handled in a manner to ensure full coverage under applicable policies.

Employment Agreements

• Review, advise, and/or draft employment related agreements, including but not limited to offer letters, employment contracts, dual-employment agreements, staffing agency agreements, independent contractor agreements, visiting scientist agreements, agreements related to scientific and education programs, separation agreements, and severance agreements.
• Conduct appropriate benchmarking to ensure Employment Agreements align with best practices and standards.
• Policy Development and Management
• Develop, draft, review, and update personnel policies.
• Work closely with Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Policies Manager to oversee development and management of UCAR in all areas assigned.

International Advice and Counsel

• Provide labor and employment advice and counsel to UCAR, UCP, and/or NSF NCAR international programs.
• Coordinate and manage in-country outside counsel.
• Collaboration and Oversight Within OGC
• Collaborate with other OGC attorneys on legal matters unrelated to labor and employment and/or “hybrid” matters, as needed.
• Oversee the work of OGC attorneys and staff, assisting with labor and employment matters and/or “hybrid” matters.
• Participate and lead implementation of administrative process improvements and OGC team goals as assigned.

Who We’d Love To Join Our Team

Successful candidates will ensure their application materials speak to the following criteria:

Education and Experience:

Required

• J.D. law degree
• At least 10 years of focused experience in employment law and related subject matter areas, along with competency in drafting contract terms and in leading sophisticated negotiations.
• Admission and license to practice law in the State of Colorado in good standing, or eligible to obtain a single client license within four (4) months.

Preferred, Not Required

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific, technical or business field.
• Experience with practice in scientific research or educational environments.
• Experience with international employment law issues.
• Experience with privacy laws and regulations.
• Experience with other compliance areas outside of employee relations.
• Experience managing attorneys or other legal staff.
• Familiarity with current Colorado employment law

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Significant experience collaborating with HR on a daily basis.

• Significant experience collaborating with executives and other senior leaders.

• Proven track record of managing complex employment litigation and advising on a wide range of labor and employment issues.

• Experience managing outside counsel, external investigators, and insurance carriers.

• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.

• Excellent negotiation, communication, and writing skills.

• Ability to demonstrate sound judgment even in ambiguous situations.

• Demonstrated ability to work well under pressure and with deadlines, handle multiple priorities at one time, strong attention to detail.

• High ethical standards and a commitment to maintaining confidentiality and integrity.

Benefits Overview

UCAR affirms its commitment to employees through competitive benefits. In addition to medical, dental, vision, retirement, and life insurance, UCAR offers a variety of programs focused on work-life balance and professional, and personal development. These include:

• Tuition Assistance, time off allowance to attend classes, and other professional development opportunities

• UCAR contributes 10% of your eligible pay into your retirement account; 100% fully vested on day one

• Starting minimum accrual of 20 days of personal time off each year (prorated for less than full-time positions)

• 10 paid holidays

• 10 days of sick leave each year

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave

• Short-term medical leave paid at 100% of your regular salary

• EcoPass for local Colorado residents to use the Denver and Boulder-area transit system at no cost

Commitment to Job Application Fairness

Applicants are not required to provide age or age-related information and may redact information related to age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution from any submissions during the initial application process.

Some Final Considerations

At NSF NCARjobs-near-me.org UCAR jobs-near-me.org UCP, you will work alongside a dedicated team of professionals conducting critical research and community outreach to solve complex Earth system science problems including climate change, air pollution, extreme weather, floods, drought, wildfires, and space weather, all with the goal of improving human life and reducing economic loss. Each of us, from scientists to the professionals who support their work, serves the public and a collaborative community of scientists in our mission to understand the complex processes that make up the Earth system, from the ocean floor to the Sun’s core.

Flexible Work

At UCAR, we are committed to supporting our mission by giving staff the flexibility to find the schedule and location that works best to maintain their own work-life circumstances and reach their full potential as professionals. Many positions within our organization are eligible for fully on-site, hybrid (three days per week) and/or flexible work hours.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UCAR is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy.Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at UCAR.

Export Control

All positions are required to comply with U.S. export compliance regulations work location requirements regarding access to facilities and research systems.

Visa Wait Times

Please consider the length of visa procurement when applying for this posting, understanding that you will not be able to begin employment until you are able to get a visa and enter the U.S.

Work Location

UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

AI Software

ChatGPT and similar AI software are powerful tools that are changing theway society receives, processes, and leverages information promptly. While we acknowledge its benefits and do not restrict leveraging it with job applications, we highly encourage a majority of the applicant material to be original work.

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action employer that strives to develop and maintain a diverse workforce. UCAR is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy.
Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). We are committed to inclusivity and promoting an equitable environment that values and respects the uniqueness of all members of our organization.

 

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