# Senior Employment Counsel

**Company:** [Skydio](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/skydio)
**Location:** San Mateo, CA
**Role:** Legal
**Salary:** $225k – $275k/yr
**Experience:** 10+ years
**Skills:** Employment Law, California Labor Law, Wage And Hour Compliance, Eeoc/Dol Compliance, Ofccp Compliance, Employee Relations, Contract Negotiation, Hr Policy Development, Equity Administration, Foreign Subsidiary Setup
**Posted:** 2026-06-15

> Senior Employment Counsel role advising People Operations on all employment matters including manufacturing workforce issues, compliance, investigations, and international expansion. Requires JD, California bar admission, and 10+ years experience.

## Job Description

## How You’ll Make an Impact
- Be the primary legal partner for the People Operations team, owning day-to-day employment counseling while managing outside counsel on specialized, high-risk, or international matters
- Anticipate employment-law risks early and address them pragmatically
- Provide People Operations clear, scalable guidance on recruitment/pre-hire issues, leaves of absence, reasonable accommodations, investigations, wage and hour, performance management, HR policy, and separations
- Ensure manufacturing, field operations, and corporate employment practices are consistent, compliant, safe, and operationally realistic
- Handle administrative agency (e.g. EEOC and DOL) and pre-litigation employment matters
- Draft and comment on training and provide select training to people leaders
- Assist in the development and documentation of sales commission and other incentive compensation plans
- Responsible for OFCCP compliance reports and similar filings
- Advise Benefits on compliance with relevant law and review and provide comments on contracts for company benefits
- Own employment related aspects of setting up foreign subsidiaries
- Negotiate contracts (including DPAs) with contractors, recruiting organizations, HR vendors, and similar orgs
- Assist in drafting and updating the Employee Handbook
- Assist in administering and managing employee equity
- Oversee HR and payroll audits as needed
- Manage other projects as required or assigned

## What Makes You a Great Fit
- Hold a JD and are admitted to practice in California
- 10+ years of in-house experience (or similar law firm experience providing advice and counsel to startups)
- Experience advising companies with hourly employees, especially in California manufacturing
- Must be able to work onsite at least 3 days per week: at least 2 days at our Hayward manufacturing site and at least 1 day at our HQ in San Mateo
- Know how to triage and ruthlessly prioritize
- Manage multiple projects with competing deadlines, maintaining ownership and a high standard of accuracy and follow-through
- Thrive in collaborative settings, understanding that building strong relationships across departments is vital to success
- Comfortable with ambiguity, eager to problem solve, and take the initiative to drive projects to completion

## Compensation
- The annual base salary range for this position is $225,000 - $275,000
- Equity in the form of stock options
- Comprehensive benefits packages including group health insurance plans, paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay, and 401K savings plan

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