Employment Counsel

What You Will Do:

GFT is seeking an experienced Employment Counsel to join our Legal team and provide strategic, practical guidance on employment matters across our growing organization. This role offers the flexibility to work remotely or from one of several GFT offices and provides an opportunity to partner closely with Human Resources, business leaders, and senior leadership on complex workforce matters.

As part of GFT's Strategic Services organization, the Employment Counsel will help shape employment practices, manage risk, and support thoughtful business decisions across a geographically diverse workforce. While employment law will be the primary focus, this role also offers exposure to broader corporate legal matters, making it an excellent opportunity for an attorney who enjoys working at the intersection of people, business, compliance, and organizational strategy.

What you will be challenged to do

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to Human Resources and business leadership on complex and sensitive employment matters

• Translate evolving federal, state, and applicable Canadian employment requirements into practical, business-focused guidance

• Help GFT proactively manage employment risk while supporting an engaging and compliant workplace

• Manage employment disputes, administrative matters, and litigation in partnership with internal stakeholders and outside counsel

• Provide legal guidance as GFT continues to grow and evolve its workforce, policies, and employment practices

• Expand your impact beyond employment law by contributing to broader corporate, contractual, and compliance matters

In this capacity you will be responsible for the following

• Advise HR and business leaders on employee relations matters including performance management, discipline, accommodations, terminations, organizational changes, and workforce planning

• Monitor employment and labor law developments and advise on updates to company policies, handbooks, practices, and employee communications

• Partner with HR on sensitive employee complaints involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and workplace misconduct

• Manage responses to administrative charges and employment claims, including EEOC, state agency, and applicable Canadian matters, and oversee employment litigation with outside counsel

• Draft, review, and negotiate executive employment agreements, severance agreements, releases, restrictive covenants, confidentiality agreements, and other employment-related documents

• Advise on non-compete, non-solicitation, confidentiality, intellectual property, independent contractor, employee privacy, and post-employment obligations

• Counsel Talent Acquisition and HR on employment-related agreements with executive search, staffing, and recruiting partners

• Develop and deliver employment law training and practical guidance for HR professionals, managers, and business leaders

• Advise on employment-related requirements involving prevailing wage, workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, and other workforce compliance matters

• Support the Chief Legal Officer/Ethics Officer and Compliance team on ethics, investigations, policies, and related compliance initiatives

• Collaborate with Legal colleagues on corporate and commercial matters, including project and vendor contract review and broader compliance initiatives; approximately 25–30% of the role may involve non-employment legal matters

Education | Experience:

What you will bring to our firm

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and active admission to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

• 3-8 years of relevant employment law experience; a combination of law firm and in-house experience is preferred

• Strong knowledge of U.S. federal and multi-state employment laws and regulations

• Demonstrated experience advising on employee relations, workplace investigations, administrative charges, and employment litigation

• Experience drafting and negotiating executive employment, severance, restrictive covenant, and other employment-related agreements

• Ability to provide clear, practical, and business-oriented legal advice on complex and sensitive matters

• Strong judgment, discretion, negotiation, and relationship-building skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to effectively advise stakeholders at multiple organizational levels

• Ability and interest in supporting general corporate, commercial contract, and compliance matters as business needs require

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with Canadian employment law, particularly Ontario, and cross-border employment arrangements

• Prior in-house legal experience

• Experience supporting a geographically dispersed or multi-state workforce

• Experience within the AEC, engineering, consulting, or broader professional services industry

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Company Overview:

At GFT, a privately held AEC firm, we innovate where transportation, water, power, and buildings converge. We call this the Infrastructure of Life. We measure our success by the strength of our relationships – that’s why we’re the employer of choice for 5,000+ of the industry’s brightest engineers, planners, architects, inspectors, designers, and more.

Our clients choose us for our expertise and prefer us for our nimble approach, creativity, and personal touch. Backed by over a century’s experience, together we’re building a lasting legacy for future generations: stronger communities, a healthier planet, and better lives.

GFT: Ingenuity That Shapes Lives™ is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veterans’ status or other characteristics protected by law.

Unsolicited resumes from third party agencies will be considered the property GFT.

Core Business Hours: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Employment Status: Full-Time
Salary Range: $135-190K

Salary dependent upon experience and geographic location

GFT does require the successful completion of a criminal background check for all advertised positions.

"California Applicants"
Applicants in the County of Los Angeles - Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.
Applicants in the City of San Francisco - Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Applicants in the State of California - Qualified applications with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act.