Labor Relations Associate Jobs in Naperville, IL

The Role
GTI is seeking an experienced in-house employment attorney to join our Legal team. In this role, you'll serve as a trusted partner to the People team and business leaders across GTI's multi-state operations - providing practical, business-focused guidance across the full employee lifecycle, from day-to-day employment matters and EEOC charges to complex leave and accommodation issues. The ideal candidate brings strong employment law experience, a solutions-oriented mindset, and the ability to build trusted partnerships across the organization - delivering clear, actionable legal guidance that enables the business to move quickly while protecting the company.

Responsibilities
   Serve as the dedicated employment law advisor to GTI's People team and other business partners across all multi-state retail, production, and corporate operations, providing practical, risk-calibrated guidance across the full employee lifecycle - from hiring and onboarding through performance management, compensation, accommodations, and separations.
   Advise on internal workplace investigations involving employee misconduct, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, ensuring outcomes are consistent, lawful, and aligned with GTI's values.
   Own GTI's EEOC charge and administrative agency complaint process end-to-end - drafting position statements, coordinating fact-gathering, responding to agency requests, and driving matters to resolution prior to litigation.
   Collaborate closely with the Associate General Counsel - Litigation when matters escalate beyond the administrative stage, ensuring seamless handoff and consistent strategy on active employment-related cases.
   Serve as a trusted legal advisor on complex employee benefits escalations, interpreting applicable laws and regulations, counseling cross-functional partners, and identifying emerging legal risks requiring further action. 
   Advise the People team on complex leave of absence and reasonable accommodation matters across GTI's operating states, ensuring consistent application of federal and state requirements.
   Partner with the People team to proactively manage risk, draft and maintain employment policies, and advise on workforce strategy, employee relations, and all aspects of employment law compliance.
   Review form employment agreements, offer letters, separation and severance agreements, and the templates People and Talent Acquisition teams use day-to-day.
   Design and deliver practical employment law training for managers and the People team, covering high-risk areas such as terminations, accommodations, investigations, and wage and hour compliance.
   Collaborate with Assistant General Counsel - Labor, as needed, to support GTI's labor relations strategy and union matters.
   Stay current on federal, state, and local employment law developments across GTI's operating markets; manage compliance plans in response to legislative changes and translate developments into actionable guidance for business partners.
   Partner with the People team and other business leaders to spot early warning signs across complaints, investigations, and exits, and drive corrective action where possible.
   Own and maintain the employee handbook and all state-specific addenda, ensuring policies remain current, legally compliant, and reflective of regulatory changes across all jurisdictions in which GTI operates.

Qualifications 
   J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar admission in the state where the attorney resides, or eligibility to practice as registered in-house counsel.
   6+ years of employment law experience, with in-house experience preferred.
   Strong working knowledge of employment laws - including discrimination, employee leave, wage and hour, and employee relations - under federal, state, and local frameworks.
   Experience navigating multi-state compliance complexity; cannabis industry or other highly regulated industry experience a plus.
   Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with outside counsel.
   Excellent legal analysis, reasoning, and writing skills - including the ability to quickly synthesize facts and law to make sound decisions under time pressure.
   Clear, concise, and persuasive communicator, both orally and in writing.
   Ability to work independently, anticipate business needs, and take a proactive, situationally aware approach.
   Strong judgment and ability to assess risk, take firm positions, and protect the company's interests.
   Superior interpersonal skills - able to build relationships with diverse stakeholders, collaborate across a geographically dispersed Legal team, and work effectively with members of the People team and business leaders.
   Comfortable operating with agility and urgency in a high-growth, fast-paced environment with competing priorities.
   Must understand and comply with the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures of Green Thumb, including cannabis-specific laws and regulations across all operating markets.

Additional Requirements
   Must pass any and all required background checks
Must be and remain compliant with all legal or company regulations for working in the industry