Senior Counsel, Compensation & Benefits

Equal Opportunity Employer: Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran

WM, a Fortune 250 company, is the leading provider of comprehensive waste and environmental services in North America. We are strongly committed to a foundation of operating excellence, professionalism and financial strength. WM serves nearly 21 million customers in residential, commercial, industrial and municipal markets throughout North America through a network of collection operations, transfer stations, landfills, recycling facilities and renewable energy projects.

Why join our team? 
At WM, we believe that the proud, caring, resilient members of the WM family are the foundation for our success. As such, we commit to taking care of each other, our customers, our communities, and the environment.  We believe in "Success with Integrity"- essentially, Doing the Right Thing, the Right Way. We commit to being accountable, honest, trustworthy, ethical, and compliant in all that we do.
 

I. Job Summary
Responsible for all legal compliance aspects of WM’s Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits matters and projects. The preferred locations for this role will be Houston, TX, Philadelphia, PA or Chicago, IL, however other US locations will be considered.  

II. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to advise internal clients, including senior leaders, on a broad range of topics and perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The responsibilities include:

• Single Employer Plans - defined contribution plan compliance, investment monitoring and auditing
• Health and Welfare Benefit Plans
• Executive Compensation and Agreements
• Structuring and Drafting Equity Awards
• Compensation and Benefits-Related Due Diligence for Acquisitions and Divestitures
• ERISA litigation and other disputes involving operation of the compensation and benefit plans
• Assisting Plan Fiduciary and Settlor Committees and other Plan Advisors with governance issues
• Advising and Drafting Severance Plans and Agreements
• Advising on complex 162(m) tax deduction, 409A deferred compensation and 280G parachute payment issues
• Supporting annual tax and audit processes related to the plans
• Non-competition Agreements
• Multiemployer Plans (withdrawal liability litigation and modeling)
• DOL and IRS audits and voluntary correction programs
• Plan termination
• Compliance with federal, state and local employee leave laws.
• Other minor duties may be assigned. 

III. Supervisory Responsibilities
This job has no supervisory duties but will manage outside counsel and occasionally act as a team lead.

IV. Qualifications
The requirements listed below are representative of the qualifications necessary to perform the job.

A. Education and Experience

• Education: Juris Doctorate (accredited).
• Experience: 8 years of relevant work experience (in addition to education requirement).
• Law firm experience – preferred
• Prior experience working in house in private corporation preferred
• Experience with Canadian benefits-preferred

B. Certificates, Licenses, Registrations or Other Requirements

• Required: State Bar Licensure.  

V. Work Environment
Listed below are key points regarding environmental demands and work environment of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

This is an office job – with current flexibility to work remote occasionally.
Normal setting for this job is: office setting.

Benefits
The expected base pay range for this position across the U.S. is $195,000 - $240,000. This range represents a good faith estimate for this position. The specific salary offered to a successful candidate may be influenced by a variety of factors including the candidate’s relevant experience, education, training, certifications, qualifications, and work location.

At Waste Management, each eligible employee receives a competitive total compensation package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance and Short Term Disability. As well as a Stock Purchase Plan, Company match on 401K, and more! Our employees also receive Paid Vacation, Holidays, and Personal Days. 

If this sounds like the opportunity that you have been looking for, please click "Apply.”

ABOUT WM WM (WM.com) is North America’s largest comprehensive waste management environmental solutions provider. Previously known as Waste Management and based in Houston, Texas, WM is driven by commitments to put people first and achieve success with integrity. The company, through its subsidiaries, provides collection, recycling and disposal services to millions of residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. With innovative infrastructure and capabilities in recycling, organics and renewable energy, WM provides environmental solutions to and collaborates with its customers in helping them achieve their sustainability goals. WM has the largest disposal network and collection fleet in North America, is the largest recycler of post-consumer materials and is the leader in beneficial reuse of landfill gas, with a growing network of renewable natural gas plants and the most gas-to-electricity plants in North America. WM’s fleet includes nearly 11,000 natural gas trucks – the largest heavy-duty natural gas truck fleet of its kind in North America – where more than half are fueled by renewable natural gas. To learn more about WM and the company’s sustainability progress and solutions, visit Sustainability.WM.com.

Equal Employment Opportunity

For United States: WM is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, status as a protected veteran or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

For Canada: WM is committed to the principle of equal employment for all applicants and employees, without discrimination on the basis of all grounds protected by applicable human rights legislation. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Please notify us if you require accommodation.

Real ID

In order to travel by air or access federal property, federal law requires individuals have a REAL ID or an acceptable alternative.  This position may require the successful candidate to travel by air for business reasons, or service federal property.  Accordingly, successful candidates must have, or be willing to obtain, a REAL ID, or TSA approved alternative.