# Associate Counsel Italy (Fixed-term) **Company**: Syneos Health **Experience**: senior **Job type**: temporary **Category**: Legal **Industry**: Healthcare **Apply**: https://syneoshealth.wd12.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Syneos_Health_External_Site/job/ITA-Milan-Hybrid/Associate-Counsel-Italy_25111535?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply **Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_d96a7a50-e55 ## Description Syneos Health is seeking an Associate Counsel to join their team in Italy. The successful candidate will serve as a trusted legal advisor to Human Resources and business leaders throughout Italy and designated EMEA jurisdictions. **Job Responsibilities** **Labor & Employment** - Serve as a trusted legal advisor to Human Resources and business leaders throughout Italy and designated EMEA jurisdictions. - Provide day-to-day legal advice regarding employment law, employee relations, performance management, disciplinary actions, accommodations, leaves of absence, workplace conduct concerns, and separations. - Advise on workforce restructurings, reorganizations, reductions in force, outsourcing initiatives, and business transformation projects. - Support labor relations matters, including employee representative bodies, works councils, collective consultation requirements, and union-related issues where applicable. - Draft, review, and update employment-related agreements, policies, handbooks, procedures, templates, and guidance materials. - Monitor and advise on developments in employment legislation and regulatory requirements throughout assigned jurisdictions. - Prepare and provide employment law training sessions and materials for Human Resources, managers, and business stakeholders. **Litigation, Claims & Investigations** - Manage employment litigation, administrative proceedings, employee claims, labor disputes, agency charges, and pre-litigation matters. - Conduct legal risk assessments and recommend practical dispute resolution strategies that balance business objectives and company risk. - Coordinate and manage external counsel in accordance with outside counsel guidelines, budget expectations, and legal management direction. - Support internal investigations involving employee misconduct, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, ethics concerns, and other workplace matters. - Assist with responses to government agencies, labor authorities, regulators, and other third-party inquiries. - Provide regular reporting and strategic updates regarding legal matters, litigation trends, and risk areas. **Commercial Contracts & Corporate Legal Support** - Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on a variety of commercial agreements, including vendor agreements, professional services agreements, consulting agreements, confidentiality agreements, procurement-related contracts, and other operational agreements supporting EMEA business needs. - Partner with Procurement, Finance, Compliance, Privacy, HR, Business Technology, Quality, and operational stakeholders to ensure agreements are consistent with applicable legal requirements, corporate policies, and business objectives. - Provide pragmatic day-to-day and strategic advice to minimize legal risks while advancing business goals and initiatives. - Guide the business on the appropriate management of contract, vendor, customer, and operational risks and disputes. - Support the development and improvement of standard forms, contracting processes, policies, playbooks, and legal workflows. - Support corporate due diligence, integration activities, and cross-functional legal projects as assigned. **Compliance, Governance & Risk Management** - Support corporate compliance initiatives and governance activities throughout the region. - Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Privacy, Human Resources, and business teams to identify and mitigate legal and regulatory risk. - Assist in the development, implementation, and maintenance of legal policies, procedures, and best practices. - Work collaboratively across the Legal department, including with regional attorneys and global subject-matter experts, to build consensus and drive process improvements. - Support the Syneos Health Mission, Vision, and Values. - Perform other work-related duties as assigned. **Qualification Requirements** **Required** - Qualified attorney admitted to practice law in Italy and in good standing with the applicable Italian bar association. - Significant experience practicing labor and employment law in Italy, including advising on employee relations, separations, restructurings, litigation risk, and workplace investigations. - Experience managing employment disputes, litigation, administrative proceedings, employee claims, and pre-litigation matters. - Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements. - Strong understanding of Italian labor and employment law and familiarity with European employment law principles applicable to multinational organizations. - Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and professionally with all levels of management regarding complex employment and commercial legal issues. - Fluent written and spoken Italian and English. - Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities, and partner effectively with stakeholders across regions and functions. - Ability to collaborate with colleagues and take a business-oriented approach while identifying and balancing risks and providing succinct, accurate, and pragmatic advice. **Preferred** - Experience supporting multiple European jurisdictions, particularly countries neighboring Italy. - In-house legal experience within a multinational company. - Experience in the healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical, CRO, or professional services industries. - Familiarity with European labor relations, works councils, collective consultation requirements, benefits, immigration, and employment regulatory frameworks. - Additional European language capabilities. **Critical Success Factors** - Judgment: Demonstrates expertise and sound judgment; understands how assigned responsibilities support Syneos Health’s business objectives; and provides practical, risk-balanced advice based on a thorough understanding of the scope of an issue, internal resources, and external legal developments. - Collaboration: Works effectively with Legal, HR, business teams, and functional stakeholders; integrates information from multiple sources; capably navigates a matrixed environment; and works well in a team to achieve optimal business results. - Independence: Able to independently handle complex matters with appropriate supervision and escalation; understands when to escalate issues to senior management for awareness or decision. - Communication: Demonstrates excellent interpersonal, strategic thinking, negotiation, communication, and organizational skills, with the ability to explain complex legal issues in a concise and practical manner. - Client Service: Partners with clients to achieve outcomes that make business sense, including identifying opportunities for effective process improvements and client-friendly solutions while managing company risk. **Travel** - Occasional travel within Europe and internationally may be required based on business needs. ## Skills ### Required - Italian labor and employment law - European employment law - commercial agreements - litigation management - internal investigations - compliance initiatives - governance activities - risk management - Italian ### Nice to have - experience supporting multiple European jurisdictions - in-house legal experience - healthcare industry experience - European labor relations - works councils - collective consultation requirements - benefits - immigration - employment regulatory frameworks - additional European language capabilities --- Source: [Apply at syneoshealth.wd12.myworkdayjobs.com](https://syneoshealth.wd12.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Syneos_Health_External_Site/job/ITA-Milan-Hybrid/Associate-Counsel-Italy_25111535?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)