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Have a seat at our table. When you join Smithfield, you become part of something special – a company that's sustainably feeding people around the world, producing good food the right way with respect for our people, animals, communities and planet. With opportunities across locations and functions, a culture grounded in our Core Four values - gratitude, communication, respect and accountability - and a strong commitment to learning, collaboration, and innovation, Smithfield offers challenging and rewarding careers where you can grow, contribute and make a real impact. Apply Now!
- THE VALUE YOU’LL BRING:The position summary states the general nature and purpose of the job. Overall accountabilities are defined in this section.
This position provides legal advice to the Company and generally assists the Legal Department and individual business units with a wide range of labor and employment matters. The attorney reports to the Company’s Associate General Counsel for Labor and Employment and works closely with other members of the Legal Department and individual business units to achieve business objectives within acceptable risk profiles. The attorney performs duties consistent with legal and ethical requirements as well as Company values, standards, culture and business practices.
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. May perform other duties as assigned.Labor & Employment Strategy: Stay abreast of labor and employment laws, regulatory developments, and industry trends, and partner with the Associate General Counsel and business leaders to develop proactive workforce risk, compliance, and litigation-avoidance strategies.
Employment Law Counsel: Advise Human Resources and business leaders on all labor and employment matters, including wage and hour, workplace safety, discrimination, privacy, labor-management relations, and immigration.
Investigations & Government Response: Conduct EEO and ethics hotline investigations, and assist Chief Legal Officer and Associate General Counsel for Labor and Employment with government investigations, including fact-finding, response preparation, and coordination with internal stakeholders.
Litigation Management: Engage in all aspects of labor and employment litigation, including risk assessment, case strategy, litigation holds, pleadings review, e-discovery compliance, and partnership with outside counsel.
Discovery & Information Requests: Manage the Company's response to discovery requests, subpoenas, third-party information requests, and other legal document production requirements.
Outside Counsel & Budget Oversight: Manage outside labor and employment counsel, managing performance, legal spending, budgets, and overall case costs.
Settlement & Trial Preparation: Assist in preparing witnesses for depositions and trial testimony, prepare for and attend mediations and settlement conferences, and draft and or review settlement agreements, confidentiality agreements, and protective orders.
Law Department Operations: Support the Chief Legal Officer and Associate General Counsel for Labor and Employment with departmental planning, budgeting, administrative matters, and overall legal strategy.
WHAT WE’RE SEEKING:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.Education & Experience: Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school and 10+ years of relevant experience required.
Bar Admission: Must be admitted to practice in at least one U.S. state.
Legal Background: Minimum 5+ years of substantive business law experience with a corporate legal department or a well regarded law firm.
Project & Risk Management: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple matters, balance shifting priorities, and provide sound risk-based counsel while delivering timely, accurate results.
Communication & Influence: Excellent oral and written communication, organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills with the ability to simplify complex concepts for diverse audiences.
Judgment & Problem Solving: Sound judgment; ability to clearly make reasoned recommendations and determine who should be kept informed.
Leadership & Work Ethic: Performance-driven with good business sense, strong ownership, urgency, honesty, fairness, and the ability to inspire confidence.
Collaboration & Culture Fit: Team-oriented with a collaborative, respectful, and approachable style that fosters trust and positive working relationships.
Adaptability & Resilience: Calm under pressure with the self-confidence to serve as an engaged partner to internal clients in a highly dynamic environment.
Flexibility: Willingness to travel occasionally in support of business and legal needs.
Smithfield Foods provides pay ranges that reflect its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the company reasonably expects to pay for a position at the time of hire. Individual compensation will be determined based on several factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the role, location of the position, the candidate’s qualifications and experience, internal equity, external market pay for comparable positions and budget considerations. At Smithfield Foods, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive total rewards package. Learn more about our benefits package here.
Relocation Package Available YesEEO Information
Smithfield is an equal opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, gender identity, protected veterans status, status as a disabled individual or any other protected group status or non-job characteristic as directed by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment selection process, please call us at 757-357-1595.
Skills Required
- Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school
- 10+ years of relevant experience
- Admission to practice law in at least one U.S. state
- 5+ years of substantive business law experience in a corporate legal department or well-regarded law firm
- Ability to manage multiple matters, shifting priorities, and risk-based legal counsel
- Excellent oral and written communication, organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills
- Sound judgment and problem-solving ability
- Strong business sense, ownership, urgency, honesty, fairness, and leadership
- Collaborative, respectful, and approachable working style
- Ability to remain calm under pressure and adapt in a dynamic environment
- Willingness to travel occasionally
Smithfield Foods Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Smithfield Foods and has not been reviewed or approved by Smithfield Foods.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support stands out as a strong component of the package, with a 401(k) match repeatedly characterized as competitive. This element is portrayed as a meaningful contributor to overall total rewards beyond base pay.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare offerings are described as comprehensive, including medical, dental, vision, prescription, disability, and life coverage. Insurance quality is often positioned as a notable strength relative to other parts of the employment experience.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Compensation is frequently framed as competitive for the industry, particularly for skilled trades and certain salaried roles. Overtime availability is depicted as a major lever that can materially increase take-home pay in many settings.
Smithfield Foods Insights
What We Do
Headquartered in Smithfield, Va. since 1936, Smithfield Foods, Inc. is an American food company with agricultural roots and a global reach. With more than 60,000 jobs globally, we are dedicated to producing "Good food. Responsibly®" and serve as one of the world's leading vertically integrated protein companies. We have pioneered sustainability standards for more than two decades, including our industry-leading commitments to become carbon negative in U.S. company-owned operations and reduce GHG emissions 30 percent across our entire U.S. value chain by 2030. We believe in the power of protein to end food insecurity and have donated hundreds of millions of food servings to our communities. Smithfield boasts a portfolio of high-quality iconic brands, such as Smithfield®, Eckrich® and Nathan's Famous®, among many others.
