Associate Counsel Italy (Fixed-term)

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.