Senior Director & Managing Counsel, Compensation And Benefits

The Senior Director & Managing Counsel, Compensation and Benefits is a highly visible enterprise legal leadership role with responsibility for all legal matters related to compensation, benefits, and ERISA governance across Walgreens. The position oversees legal support for health and welfare benefits, retirement plans, executive compensation, incentive compensation, sign-on and retention programs, paid leave compliance, ERISA litigation, and employment-related agreements. The role partners closely with executive leadership, HR, Total Rewards, Labor Relations, and external vendors to ensure compliance, mitigate risk, support plan design and administration, and provide strategic legal guidance on complex compensation and benefits matters affecting the organization.

Job Responsibilities:

• Formulates and implements legal strategy for an assigned business division to support its long term business goals and objectives. Alternatively, may develop strategies and processes required for successful provision of legal services within a Legal business unit. Accountable for establishing and maintaining the expectations of the business division supported or legal function/service provided.
• Functions as the senior legal leader and primary point of contact on all legal matters for an assigned division or business unit of the Walgreen Company or a legal entity that is part of the Walgreens family of companies and is accountable for delivering accurate, timely and comprehensive legal advice to the entity they serve.
• Provides advice and counsel to the top division executives and the most senior executives of the assigned division or business unit on a broad range of legal issues and to ensure consistency of approach and philosophy, including but not limited to material legal and business matters impacting or potentially impacting the division. Engages business leaders and their teams in public policy, strategy development and execution.
• Collaborates with and creates business solutions with the appropriate legal resources in the Legal division so as to optimize service deliverables, mitigate risk to Walgreens, minimizes the expense associated with the use of outside counsel and drive solutions for the business.
• Identifies high risk areas and creates joint mitigation opportunities for the supported division or in the case of the SME functions, in support of cross-divisional legal interpretations and support.
• Leverages legal expertise and business acumen to support the division in achieving its objectives.
• Identifies process improvements available to the business and ensure that best practices are shared with other Legal Business Partners and the leadership of the Legal Division to facilitate continuous process improvement and effectively avoid unnecessary expenses.
• Oversees and directs the work of law professionals, paraprofessionals and support staff. Directs the allocation of appropriate legal resources to meet divisional objectives and to provide the highest level of customer support. Ensures the ongoing training and development of direct reports.
• Develops and mentors staff through on-boarding, open communication, training and development opportunities and performance management processes; builds and maintains employee morale and motivation; ensures the team is appropriately staffed with required competencies; fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace.
• May select and engage outside counsel to provide critical support on complex legal, regulatory and business issues.
• Acts an integral part of the leadership and fabric of the supported division to facilitate an environment of trust, the timely involvement of appropriate resources from the Legal Division. Garners and effectively utilizes a deep understanding of the operations, strategic direction and industry trends for the supported business unit or legal entity.

About Walgreens
Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves nearly 9 million customers and patients each day across its approximately 8,500 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 220,000 team members, including nearly 90,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.