Employment Counsel - International (DE posting)

The Company 

Howmet Aerospace Inc is a leading global manufacturer of high-performance advanced engineered solutions for the aerospace, defence and transportation markets.  It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  Howmet’s global operations consist of over 60 locations in 24 countries and the company has over 27,000 employees.  

Howmet’s high-calibre global Legal Team has a central role in supporting Howmet achieve its strategic objectives in the high-growth global aerospace, defence and transportation industries.

The Role

Employment Counsel – International will be responsible for managing the day-to-day HR-related legal support for Howmet’s international operations outside of the US.  The role involves all aspects of the employer-employee relationship (recruitment, performance management, dismissal, internal investigations, union / Works Council relations, employee benefits, privacy issues, learning and development).

The successful candidate will:

• act as an effective and trusted advisor to Howmet’s business leaders and the human resources team on European employment matters (mainly France, Germany, UK, Hungary)

• manage outside counsel on non-US employment matters (Europe, Japan, China, Australia) 

• review and facilitate any necessary updates to employment policies / procedures in co-ordination with HR partners, including (but not limited to) employee handbooks, bonus plans, compensation guidelines and severance programs

• ensure offer letters, employment agreements and separation agreements are fit for purpose, legally compliant and aligned to business requirements

• manage outside counsel on litigation matters in a manner that best protects the interests of the Company 

• be solutions-orientated by proposing practical commercial solutions to legal and business risks by “owning” issues and driving them to resolution

• keep the HR team abreast of significant employment legislation that may affect the Company’s business or HR policies in Europe / Asia

• be comfortable with operating in an international environment with clients and colleagues from different regions and legal systems

This role is full-time, up to 100% remote and based in EU / UK.  Our focus is on finding the right candidate regardless of location.

Required qualifications

• Law degree and member of good standing of the applicable bar association 

• 8+ years of post-qualification experience from an international law firm. Inhouse experience is an advantage.

Competencies

The candidate consistently demonstrates the following competencies:

Language skills: Excellent verbal and written English language skills.  French language skills are a significant advantage. 

Integrity: operates with a high level of integrity and discretion - always in line with the Howmet Values, policies and Legal Department practices

Confidence: displays the appropriate degree of skill and confidence in their own abilities

Judgment: takes a risk-based approach to prioritisation and actively identifies appropriate options to mitigate risks and add value to Howmet

Communication: has the ability to explain legal issues in a digestible format and effectively communicates concepts to multiple stakeholders at different levels of the organisation 

Problem solver: proactively implements processes and procedures to ensure that improvements become systemic in multiple jurisdictions