General Counsel Jobs in New Jersey
General Counsel jobs in New Jersey sit in one of the most active corporate legal markets on the East Coast, concentrated in pharmaceuticals, financial services, insurance, and technology, with openings from junior in-house counsel through senior vice president and chief legal officer roles. The heaviest hiring is in Newark, Princeton, and the Route 1 corridor, where established employers like Johnson & Johnson, Prudential Financial, and Merck have long maintained significant legal departments. The most in-demand specialties are regulatory compliance, corporate governance, and M&A. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 19+ General Counsel jobs
Category: Senior Leadership (VP+)
Status: Full-Time
Shift: Day
Facility: RWJBarnabas Health Corporate Services
Department: General Counsel Office
Pay Range: $375,000.00 - $475,000.00 per year
Job Title: Senior Vice President
Location: SBC Corporation
Department Name: General Counsel Office
Req #: 0000263779
Status: Salaried
Shift: Day
Pay Range: $375,000.00 - $475,000.00 per year
Pay Transparency: The above reflects the anticipated annual salary range for this position if hired to work in New Jersey.
The compensation offered to the candidate selected for the position will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills and professional experience.
Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel
Employment, Labor, Benefits & Immigration
RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey's largest nonprofit academic health system, seeks a Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel to lead the enterprise employment, labor, benefits, immigration, workforce investigations, and workforce compliance legal function. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this executive serves as the system's senior legal authority on workforce matters, advising executive leadership and the Board while leading a team of employment, labor, benefits, and immigration attorneys. The role combines sophisticated legal judgment with business partnership in a highly regulated, unionized, 24/7 healthcare environment.
As Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel – Employment, Labor, Benefits & Immigration, a typical day might include the following:
- Advising senior executives and HR leaders on complex, high-risk workforce matters, including employee relations, executive employment agreements, accommodations, disciplinary actions, terminations, and workforce restructuring.
- Leading enterprise labor strategy by partnering with HR and operational leaders on collective bargaining, union negotiations, arbitrations, NLRB matters, organizing activity, and labor implications of operational changes.
- Overseeing sensitive workforce investigations involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, executive misconduct, and other high-risk employee matters, ensuring appropriate privilege, documentation, and remediation.
- Providing strategic counsel on benefits and compensation including ERISA compliance, executive compensation, retirement and health plans, plan changes, fiduciary matters, and Compensation Committee activities.
- Guiding immigration and global mobility strategy for physicians, researchers, and other international talent, overseeing visa sponsorship, permanent residency, I-9/E-Verify compliance, audits, and external immigration counsel.
- Monitoring and mitigating workforce legal and regulatory risk across areas such as wage-and-hour, EEO, OSHA, pay transparency, employee classification, leave, accommodations, screening, and licensure requirements.
- Leading and developing the workforce legal team by setting priorities, managing outside counsel and legal spend, establishing risk metrics and reporting, providing legal training, and serving as a strategic member of the Chief Legal Officer’s leadership team.
This role might be for you if:
- You bring deep expertise advising complex, highly regulated organizations on sophisticated employment and labor law matters.
- You have significant experience supporting unionized workforces, including collective bargaining, NLRB proceedings, arbitrations, organizing activity, and labor strategy.
- You excel at navigating high-stakes workforce matters, from executive employment issues and investigations to litigation, restructurings, and sensitive employee relations matters.
- You are a trusted advisor to senior executives and Boards, with the judgment and discretion to navigate complex, highly sensitive issues with enterprise-wide implications.
- You have successfully built and led high-performing legal teams, while effectively managing outside counsel, legal spend, priorities, and enterprise risk.
- You thrive in a complex academic healthcare environment and are energized by partnering across HR, Compliance, Medical Affairs, Talent Acquisition, and operational leadership to solve challenging workforce issues.
To be considered for this opportunity, you must have a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and be admitted to practice law in New Jersey, or be eligible for prompt admission. You must bring 12+ years of progressive employment, labor, benefits, and workforce legal experience, including significant expertise in employment counseling and litigation, labor relations and collective bargaining, workforce investigations, ERISA and benefits matters, and employment-based immigration. The ideal candidate will have experience supporting a unionized workforce, NLRB proceedings, and complex healthcare or academic medical center environments, with a demonstrated ability to advise senior executives and Boards and lead high-performing legal teams.
Additional Information:
Benefits and Perks:
At RWJBarnabas Health, our employees are at the heart of everything we do. Driven by our Total Wellbeing promise, our market-competitive offerings include comprehensive benefits and resources to support our employees’ physical, emotional, financial, personal, career, and community wellbeing. These benefits and resources include, but are not limited to:
- Paid Time Off including Vacation, Holidays, and Sick Time
- Retirement Plans
- Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
- Dental and Vision Insurance
- Disability and Life Insurance
- Paid Parental Leave
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Student Loan Planning Support
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Wellness Programs
- Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
- Community and Volunteer Opportunities
- Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, and Verizon
- ….and more!
At RWJBarnabas Health, our market-competitive Total Rewards package provides comprehensive benefits and resources to support our employees physical, emotional, social, and financial health.
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
- Dental and Vision Insurance
- Retirement Plans
- Short & Long Term Disability
- Life & Accidental Death Insurance
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
- Wellness Programs
- Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
- Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, Verizon, and more!
RWJBarnabas Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Category: Senior Leadership (VP+)
Status: Full-Time
Shift: Day
Facility: RWJBarnabas Health Corporate Services
Department: General Counsel Office
Pay Range: $375,000.00 - $475,000.00 per year
Job Title: Senior Vice President
Location: SBC Corporation
Department Name: General Counsel Office
Req #: 0000263779
Status: Salaried
Shift: Day
Pay Range: $375,000.00 - $475,000.00 per year
Pay Transparency: The above reflects the anticipated annual salary range for this position if hired to work in New Jersey.
The compensation offered to the candidate selected for the position will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills and professional experience.
Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel
Employment, Labor, Benefits & Immigration
RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey's largest nonprofit academic health system, seeks a Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel to lead the enterprise employment, labor, benefits, immigration, workforce investigations, and workforce compliance legal function. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this executive serves as the system's senior legal authority on workforce matters, advising executive leadership and the Board while leading a team of employment, labor, benefits, and immigration attorneys. The role combines sophisticated legal judgment with business partnership in a highly regulated, unionized, 24/7 healthcare environment.
As Senior Vice President, Assistant General Counsel – Employment, Labor, Benefits & Immigration, a typical day might include the following:
- Advising senior executives and HR leaders on complex, high-risk workforce matters, including employee relations, executive employment agreements, accommodations, disciplinary actions, terminations, and workforce restructuring.
- Leading enterprise labor strategy by partnering with HR and operational leaders on collective bargaining, union negotiations, arbitrations, NLRB matters, organizing activity, and labor implications of operational changes.
- Overseeing sensitive workforce investigations involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, executive misconduct, and other high-risk employee matters, ensuring appropriate privilege, documentation, and remediation.
- Providing strategic counsel on benefits and compensation including ERISA compliance, executive compensation, retirement and health plans, plan changes, fiduciary matters, and Compensation Committee activities.
- Guiding immigration and global mobility strategy for physicians, researchers, and other international talent, overseeing visa sponsorship, permanent residency, I-9/E-Verify compliance, audits, and external immigration counsel.
- Monitoring and mitigating workforce legal and regulatory risk across areas such as wage-and-hour, EEO, OSHA, pay transparency, employee classification, leave, accommodations, screening, and licensure requirements.
- Leading and developing the workforce legal team by setting priorities, managing outside counsel and legal spend, establishing risk metrics and reporting, providing legal training, and serving as a strategic member of the Chief Legal Officer’s leadership team.
This role might be for you if:
- You bring deep expertise advising complex, highly regulated organizations on sophisticated employment and labor law matters.
- You have significant experience supporting unionized workforces, including collective bargaining, NLRB proceedings, arbitrations, organizing activity, and labor strategy.
- You excel at navigating high-stakes workforce matters, from executive employment issues and investigations to litigation, restructurings, and sensitive employee relations matters.
- You are a trusted advisor to senior executives and Boards, with the judgment and discretion to navigate complex, highly sensitive issues with enterprise-wide implications.
- You have successfully built and led high-performing legal teams, while effectively managing outside counsel, legal spend, priorities, and enterprise risk.
- You thrive in a complex academic healthcare environment and are energized by partnering across HR, Compliance, Medical Affairs, Talent Acquisition, and operational leadership to solve challenging workforce issues.
To be considered for this opportunity, you must have a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and be admitted to practice law in New Jersey, or be eligible for prompt admission. You must bring 12+ years of progressive employment, labor, benefits, and workforce legal experience, including significant expertise in employment counseling and litigation, labor relations and collective bargaining, workforce investigations, ERISA and benefits matters, and employment-based immigration. The ideal candidate will have experience supporting a unionized workforce, NLRB proceedings, and complex healthcare or academic medical center environments, with a demonstrated ability to advise senior executives and Boards and lead high-performing legal teams.
Additional Information:
Benefits and Perks:
At RWJBarnabas Health, our employees are at the heart of everything we do. Driven by our Total Wellbeing promise, our market-competitive offerings include comprehensive benefits and resources to support our employees’ physical, emotional, financial, personal, career, and community wellbeing. These benefits and resources include, but are not limited to:
- Paid Time Off including Vacation, Holidays, and Sick Time
- Retirement Plans
- Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
- Dental and Vision Insurance
- Disability and Life Insurance
- Paid Parental Leave
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Student Loan Planning Support
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Wellness Programs
- Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
- Community and Volunteer Opportunities
- Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, and Verizon
- ….and more!
At RWJBarnabas Health, our market-competitive Total Rewards package provides comprehensive benefits and resources to support our employees physical, emotional, social, and financial health.
- Paid Time Off (PTO)
- Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
- Dental and Vision Insurance
- Retirement Plans
- Short & Long Term Disability
- Life & Accidental Death Insurance
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
- Wellness Programs
- Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
- Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, Verizon, and more!
RWJBarnabas Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer
See All 19 General Counsel Jobs in New Jersey
Find roles in New Jersey that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find General Counsel JobsGeneral Counsel Jobs by City in New Jersey
Where New Jersey roles are concentrated, by current openings.
General Counsel Job Market in New Jersey
A snapshot from current New Jersey openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Renewable Energy
- Education
- Banking & Financial Services
What New Jersey Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in general counsel jobs across New Jersey.
- Active license to practice law in New Jersey or admission on motion
- Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school required
- Demonstrated in-house counsel or corporate transactional experience preferred
- Expertise in regulatory compliance, governance, or pharmaceutical law
- Ability to advise executive leadership and board-level stakeholders directly
- Experience managing outside counsel relationships and legal department budgets
General Counsel Jobs in New Jersey: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a general counsel in New Jersey?
Becoming a general counsel in New Jersey requires admission to the New Jersey State Bar through the New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners, which administers the Uniform Bar Exam. Most candidates earn a Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited school, pass the UBE, and spend several years in corporate, regulatory, or transactional practice before moving into an in-house role. Large New Jersey employers typically promote from senior associate general counsel or hire attorneys with deep industry-specific backgrounds in pharma, finance, or insurance.
How much do general counsels make in New Jersey?
General counsels in New Jersey earn a median of about $161,430 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $93,810 for the lowest 10% to over $328,270 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire general counsels in New Jersey?
Employers hiring general counsels in New Jersey right now include NJ TRANSIT, BD, and Solar Landscape, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. New Jersey's concentration of pharmaceutical headquarters and financial services firms means in-house legal roles here tend to require specialized regulatory or transactional experience rather than general corporate backgrounds.
Which New Jersey cities have the most general counsel jobs?
Newark, Asbury Park, and Jersey City have the most general counsel openings in New Jersey. Newark anchors demand as the state's largest city and a hub for insurance, financial services, and healthcare legal teams, while Princeton and the Route 1 corridor reflect the concentration of major pharmaceutical and biotech headquarters that drive consistent in-house hiring across the region.
Are there remote general counsel jobs in New Jersey?
Yes, and more than many legal roles allow, since general counsel work is largely advisory, document-driven, and board-facing rather than tied to a physical site. About 100% of general counsel openings tied to New Jersey are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting how many employers have adopted flexible arrangements for senior legal leadership. Compliance advisory, contract review, and governance work tend to be the most remote-compatible responsibilities within the role.
How can I get hired as a general counsel in New Jersey with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is joining a New Jersey company as a staff attorney or associate general counsel, which large employers in the pharma and insurance sectors regularly hire for from law firms or government agencies. Johnson & Johnson, Prudential, and similar anchor employers run structured rotational or associate in-house programs that bring in attorneys with fewer than five years of practice. Passing the New Jersey Bar and building a focus in a high-demand area like FDA regulatory law, securities compliance, or corporate governance gives early-career candidates the clearest edge.
Where can I find and apply to general counsel jobs in New Jersey?
You can find and apply to general counsel jobs in New Jersey on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Search the available roles, find the ones that fit your background and target location, and apply directly to each position.
See All 19 General Counsel Jobs in New Jersey
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