NIKE, Inc.’s rapid pace of innovation demands a Legal team that is always on the offense. And they’re always on their game – with the mission to advance and guide Nike’s business through innovative, offense-minded counsel. Nike attorneys, paralegals and other specialists in law provide inventive approaches and superior counsel to Nike’s global business. As Nike changes the future of sport, the Nike Legal team drives competition, ingenuity and integrity in the marketplace.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for a skilled international employment lawyer with experience of working across many jurisdictions simultaneously and providing advice and counsel to Nike's Human Resources Leadership Team in EMEA and other members in the wider HR team in 24 EMEA countries.

This role needs someone who is able to provide expert, principled, pragmatic, solution-focused and commercially relevant employment law advice. The candidate must be an enterprise-level thinker with a global perspective, must have a flexible-future oriented mindset ready to provide informed advice and legal risk assessments in the best interests of the enterprise, in the face of ambiguity and a dynamic and fast-paced environment. It is essential that the right person has the confidence and mindset to work on legal matters in countries where they are not trained and do not have specific expertise.

The successful applicant must have strong interpersonal skills, be a good listener and an excellent verbal and written communicator with all levels of the company. They must be able to show that they can perform the above work in a calm, considered and timely manner, communicating their advice in a way that is tailored to the needs of the specific recipient.

WHAT YOU WILL WORK ON

As our Assistant General Counsel, Employment Law, EMEA, you will serve as a subject matter authority in all areas of EMEA employment law, providing timely, practical and solution-focused legal advice to Human Resources teams, Legal teams, including and not limited to Employee Relations, business leaders and other business partners on a variety of employment law issues arising in both corporate and firstline (stores and distribution center) segments of the business. For example, in day to day matters, your work may include advising on (pre)hiring matters, drafting or updating template employment contracts, reviewing and updating (HR) policies and supporting their implementation, advising on performance cases and misconduct matters, terminations, including negotiating employee exits and related documentation, internal investigations, contingent worker issues, advising on organizational structuring projects that affect employee status, and advising on accommodations, leaves of absence, employee benefits and related matters, and general employee risk management. You will also partner in selecting and handling outside counsel for employment litigation and will lead the process through resolution; coordinate and supervise responses to administrative charges, demand letters and other potential disputes against the company through negotiation or mediation; provide advice and counsel with regard to legal compliance issues impacting employees and assist in developing strategic plans for all employment-related matters, including and not limited to, policies, procedures, litigation and pre-litigation matters.

You will counsel and work closely with Nike’s EMEA HR team across all EMEA countries. You will maintain close connections with members of the Global HR and Legal function to counsel them on EMEA employment law requirements and collaborate on landing global projects in EMEA.

You will work closely with the EMEA Employee Relations team, in particular on misconduct matters. You will also be required to work with the Risk Management, Global Security, Global Investigations and Business Continuity teams.

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH

You will be a member of Nike’s Global Employment Law and Employee Relations team, reporting directly to Nike’s Senior Director, Assistant General Counsel, Employment Law, EMEA, based in EHQ.

Your work will concern employment law matters across EMEA. A large part of this work will focus on major global, EMEA or country projects, such as restructurings and changes to benefits, appraisals and talent development which may need to be simultaneously applied across many or all EMEA jurisdictions. You will regularly provide legal advice and strategy regarding works councils, trade unions and other labour relations organisations, working with Nike’s EMEA HR team and business leaders.

You will also closely partner with other members of the Nike Office of the General Counsel, including but not limited to Privacy Legal, Corporate Governance, Loss Prevention and Competition.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Degree in law from a reputable university or non-law degree with qualifying post-graduate law degree or local equivalent. 

• Extensive post qualification experience (PQE) in employment law in a major law firm and/or in-house that is either ongoing or very recent with the following critical experiences and skills: 

• Work experience with international clients and cross-border projects, including exposure to strategic business decisions;
• Advanced drafting and negotiation experience in employment law matters; 
• Advanced employment law advice & counsel and litigation experience;
• Experience in labor relations (employee representation, works councils and/or trade union matters). 

• Ability to effectively own and manage multiple transactions and projects, including instructing outside counsels across EMEA and coordinating internal business partners. 
• Excellent communication skills with proven ability to relay advice on complex and/or controversial topics and concepts to a wide and diverse audience in an easy to understand and concise way. 
• Ability to influence at all levels and across functions in a complex matrix organization.
• Fluent in English. Additional European language skills with the ability to draft and negotiate in both languages would be advantageous.
• Team player with a sense of humour and who is able to remain calm and collected in the midst of highly stressful situations carrying significant business risk.

Closing Date of Role: 23rd June 2025