Assistant General Counsel - Benefits - Full-time

Sears Holdings Corporation is seeking an experienced attorney to join our Law Department as Assistant General Counsel - Benefits, with responsibility for providing legal oversight and advice with respect to the Company's health and welfare benefit plans and programs, executive compensation arrangements and pension plans.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
* Provide legal oversight and advice with respect to the Company's health and welfare plans and programs; defined contribution and defined benefit pension plans and trusts; and broad-based and executive incentive programs
* Advise on executive compensation and deferred compensation matters, including drafting offer letters, agreements and plans and advising on Code Section 409A, 162(m), and other laws and regulations
* Advise on executive and broad-based severance plan arrangements
* Provide legal oversight and guidance in order to ensure the Company's compliance with the Internal Revenue Code, Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Code, ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, PPACA and other benefits-related laws, rules and regulations
* Act as Secretary and Counsel to the Administrative and Investment Committees for the Company's ERISA-governed benefit plans
* Advise on benefit plan-related fiduciary and governance issues
* Support acquisition and disposition transactions (including benefits-related structuring issues, advising on representations and warranties, and due diligence)
* Review benefits-related communications to plan participants and eligible employees (Summary Plan Descriptions, newsletters, notices, etc.)
* Assist in the preparation of securities filings related to benefit plans and compensation issues
* Review and negotiate agreements with benefit plan-related vendors (e.g., 401(k), pension plan, health and welfare plan providers, investment managers, etc.)
* Assist with benefits and employment-related litigation, subpoenas and litigation strategy
* Apprise business and legal partners of pertinent legislative and regulatory developments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JOB COMPETENCIES:
* Ability to provide practical legal advice to business personnel at all levels of an organization
* Strong working knowledge of ERISA and other laws and regulations applicable to benefit plans and programs and executive compensation arrangements, as well as a working knowledge of general corporate and contract law
* Significant experience handling issues associated with large pension plans
* Experience working effectively with senior level management
* Team player who is willing to pitch in wherever needed
* Comfortable and confident in thinking independently and making his/her own decisions
* Ability to quickly and accurately to recognize areas of risk/opportunity
* Excellent communication skills, both speaking and writing
* Creative thinker with strong problem-solving skills
* Well-organized and able to work on tight timelines while handling multiple projects
* Works well with both legal and business personnel
* Excellent research skills
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
QUALIFICATIONS:
* Minimum of seven years' experience in relevant areas of the law in a first tier law firm and/or law department
* Demonstrated exceptional professional and academic achievement

EEO EMPLOYER