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Ulta Beauty · 1 day ago

Sr Counsel - Employment

Bolingbrook, IL

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$200K/yr - $250K/yr

10+ years exp

Ulta Beauty is the largest North American beauty retailer, and they are seeking a Senior Counsel, Employment to provide legal guidance on employment matters. This role will advise leadership and operational teams on litigation, compliance, and policy development while managing outside counsel and supporting the company's workforce.

BeautyConsumer GoodsCosmeticsRetail

Responsibilities

Lead Ulta Beauty’s response to high-stakes employment litigation, including class and collective actions, PAGA claims, individual plaintiff disputes, and government investigations

Strategically manage outside counsel across a national litigation portfolio, overseeing pleadings, discovery, depositions, mediations, trial preparation, case resolution and litigation strategy

Work closely with counterparts in the Legal, Risk & Governance Department and cross-functional teams to proactively reduce litigation risk through early intervention, internal investigations and strategic policy updates

Contribute deep functional employment law expertise to support business objectives and collaborate with business and legal colleagues to manage risks, particularly related to wage and hour matters

Collaborate closely with People Success, Operations, and other business partners to align legal guidance with evolving business strategies

Offer business-focused and user-friendly counseling to support employment compliance

Conduct legal reviews of workforce-related technology and systems to foster compliance and advance business priorities

Draft, review and negotiate a wide variety of employment-related documents

Mentor junior attorneys and legal professionals, and contribute to team development, process optimization and internal training initiatives

Support special projects as assigned by the V.P., Assistant General Counsel

Drive cost discipline and operational excellence in executing initiatives that support the company’s key strategic imperatives

Provide services within established budgets and communicate project costs to business partners for transparency

Deliver all legal services using a consultative approach and model accountability and responsiveness by communicating proactively and meeting service commitments timely

Qualification

Employment law expertiseLitigation managementNegotiation skillsJD degreeIllinois law licenseWageHour litigationPublic company experienceLeadership presenceCross-border employment issuesAttention to detail

Required

JD and excellent academic credentials

License to practice law in the state of Illinois (admission to practice law in states other than Illinois will be considered)

10+ years of experience focused on employment law and litigation, with a track record of success either in-house or at a top law firm

Proven track record handling wage and hour litigation, employment class actions, and government audits/investigations (experience in California is preferred)

Exceptional legal judgment, negotiation skills, and the ability to translate legal risks into practical business guidance

Proven ability to effectively manage multiple complex matters simultaneously and flexibility to shift focus and priority as business needs change while also consistently maintaining strong attention to detail, accuracy and quality

Strong leadership presence, excellent judgment, and proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and build trusted business relationships