Senior Director, Employment Counsel

Role Summary

The Senior Director, Employment Counsel will be a key member of Invivyd’s Legal team, serving as the company’s primary advisor on all aspects of employment law. They will support a growing volume of complex employment work and partner with Human Resources and business leaders to navigate employment matters in a fast-paced, high-growth biotech environment. This role combines strategic counsel with hands-on execution to foster a compliant, equitable, and high-performing workplace.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal counsel to HR, business leaders, and other stakeholders on employment matters, including hiring, employee benefits, performance management, ADA compliance, federal and state leave laws, anti-discrimination and harassment matters, employee relations, internal investigations, terminations, worker classification, and wage and hour issues
• Oversee and manage all phases of employment-related litigation and arbitration matters, including pre-litigation disputes, discovery, motions, trial and arbitration preparation, hearings, settlement negotiations, and appellate work
• Engage, manage, and direct outside counsel in employment litigation and arbitration matters, ensuring cost-effective, efficient, and favorable outcomes. Review and approve outside counsel billing to ensure compliance with the company’s legal budget
• Partner with external counsel as needed on complex employment law matters
• Assist in and/or lead investigations as needed and respond to inquiries or charges from state or federal agencies regarding employment-related claims or disputes
• Oversee outside counsel, including guiding litigation strategy
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations (e.g., ADA, FMLA, FLSA, Title VII)
• Monitor new and changing employment related laws and regulations and recommending necessary adjustments to Company policies and practices
• Proactively and timely update Legal leadership on sensitive matters and elevated risks, trends, patterns and other data points for escalation and action, as appropriate
• In partnership with Human Resources, review, draft, and update employment-related agreements, handbooks, and policies
• Support employment aspects of corporate initiatives such as reorganizations, executive transitions
• Develop and deliver employment law training for managers and HR professionals
• Proactively identify and mitigate employment law risks through strategic, solutions-oriented guidance
• Collaborate cross-functionally to promote a culture of compliance, integrity, and respect
• Perform other duties as assigned by the General Counsel in support of business needs and/or the Legal and Compliance Department

Qualifications

• Required: Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and an active law license in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, with eligibility to obtain Connecticut in-house counsel registration or licensure
• Required: At least 10+ years of employment law experience, at a law firm or in-house legal team
• Required: Ability to work in-person 2-3 days/week in New Haven, CT office
• Required: Experience with employment litigation
• Required: Prior experience counseling clients on U.S. employment laws and risk mitigation strategies with experience in employment litigation
• Required: Experience advising HR and business leaders in a fast-paced environment
• Required: Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex legal issues in a clear and practical manner
• Required: Strong understanding of federal and state employment laws, regulations, and HR best practices
• Required: Proven ability to translate legal advice into practical business solutions
• Required: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and partner across all levels of the organization
• Required: High degree of professionalism, integrity, and sound judgment
• Required: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, and mission-driven environment
• Required: Proficiency with Word, PowerPoint, and other corporate standard software
• Preferred: Life science industry experience