Van Cleef & Arpels Senior Employment Counsel
- Location
- Seniority
- Senior
- Department
- Legal & Compliance
- Industry
- High Jewelry
- Posted
- Apr 30, 2026
About Van Cleef & Arpels
Van Cleef & Arpels is a Parisian maison renowned for haute joaillerie, exceptional craftsmanship and poetic design. As a leading house within the Richemont group, the brand combines artisanal savoir‑faire with an international luxury footprint and a reputation for meticulous quality and creative excellence.
Van Cleef & Arpels — Paris: Senior Employment Counsel (Juriste Senior Droit Social) to lead labour law, social relations and HR legal compliance.
Role & Responsibilities
- Provide authoritative legal advice and operational support to HR, business management and country teams on all aspects of French labour and social security law.
- Draft, review and negotiate employment contracts, executive agreements, secondment and mobility arrangements, and termination agreements (individual and collective).
- Design and implement compliance frameworks related to payroll, social contributions, working time, employee classification and benefits.
- Lead and coordinate social dialogue, collective bargaining and negotiations with employee representatives and works councils; prepare documentation and negotiation strategy.
- Manage litigation and claims related to individual and collective labour disputes, coordinating external counsel and maintaining case files and risk registers.
- Support reorganisations, restructurings, redundancies and change programmes, including employee consultation processes and documentation.
- Conduct due diligence and provide legal input on HR aspects of corporate transactions, store openings/closings and cross‑border assignments.
- Develop and deliver training and guidance to managers and HR on labour law developments, policies and good practice.
- Monitor regulatory and jurisprudential developments in employment law and propose proactive policy or contractual amendments.
Qualifications
- Advanced degree in law with a specialization in labour/employment law (Master 2 or equivalent).
- Minimum 5 years' professional experience advising on French employment and social security law, ideally within luxury retail, fashion or a multinational environment.
- Proven track record in collective bargaining, social negotiations and handling individual and collective disputes before French labour courts.
- Ability to draft clear legal opinions and commercial‑facing documents in French; capacity to translate complex legal issues into practical HR solutions.
- Experience managing external counsel and interfacing with cross‑functional teams (HR, finance, operations).
- High ethical standards, discretion and capacity to manage sensitive employee matters.
Skills
Experience
At least five years’ post‑qualification experience practicing French labour and social security law, with demonstrated exposure to collective bargaining, labour litigation and HR advisory in a complex, multinational or luxury retail setting.
Education
Master's degree in Law (Master 2) with a specialization in Labour/Employment Law or equivalent.
Workplace
The successful candidate will be located in Paris, Île-de-France, France.
Culture
Van Cleef & Arpels blends artisanal craftsmanship with a refined creative culture; the workplace values precision, discretion and aesthetic excellence. The maison operates within a collaborative, international environment where legal partners work closely with HR and business leaders to protect the brand’s heritage while enabling global development.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Van Cleef & Arpels, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Senior Labour Law Counsel», «Senior HR Legal Advisor», «Senior Social Law Lawyer», «Senior Employment & Social Affairs Counsel», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.