Corporate Counsel

Company Description

Red Wing Shoe Company is based in Red Wing, Minnesota, just 40 minutes from St. Paul, where our corporate office sits along the Mississippi River in downtown Red Wing.  We are a global company with 2300 employees around the world, but we maintain a close-knit family atmosphere that comes with being a privately-held company. We’re rich in history and tradition, but innovation drives us to deliver best-in-class product solutions and highly rated customer experiences.  Focus on our employees and company culture results in meaningful employee engagement across the organization. Our Guiding Behaviors of Living our Values, Honoring our Brands, Inspiring our People, Centering on our Customers, and Preserving the long term success and legacy of our Company are the foundation on which we build our future.

Our comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with health savings and flexible spending accounts, life and disability insurance, generous paid time off and holidays, a 401(k) match, employee discounts, and valuable well-being benefits like free EAP services, financial planning assistance, and well-being coaching all designed to support your health and financial security.

The targeted hiring range for this full-time position is $154,600 - $208,800 depending on qualifications; however, the expanded salary range provides opportunities for advancement. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and job location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, competencies, experience, and relevant education, training or a combination of these things and market demand. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range and benefits for your location during the hiring process.

Job Description

Red Wing Shoe Company is seeking a Corporate Counsel to provide broad, business‑focused legal support across the organization. Reporting to the General Counsel, this role adds critical in‑house legal capacity to support a growing and increasingly complex business environment. The Corporate Counsel will serve as a trusted generalist and business partner, providing legal advice across corporate, governance, regulatory, operational, and transactional matters while working closely with leadership and internal stakeholders to proactively manage risk and improve legal efficiency. While not an employment law specialist role, this position may be involved in employment‑related matters such as investigations, policy interpretation, and risk assessments, with the opportunity - and expectation - to grow this capability over time as part of a broader generalist practice in partnership with the General Counsel and external counsel.  

Key Responsibilities

• Provide timely, practical legal guidance on corporate, regulatory, compliance, and operational matters
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial, vendor, customer, and confidentiality agreements
• Support corporate governance activities, entity management, and related documentation
• Partner with HR and leadership on employment‑related matters, including investigations, policy interpretation, and risk evaluation, in coordination with the General Counsel
• Develop and support internal legal controls, policies, and compliance frameworks
• Manage and triage legal matters, determining when to engage external counsel and overseeing that work
• Support strategic initiatives and contribute to long‑term legal capacity and effectiveness.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
• Licensed to practice law in Minnesota, or ability to obtain licensure
• 7+ years of legal experience, preferably including corporate or in‑house generalist experience
• Demonstrated success handling diverse legal matters across multiple practice areas
• Strong experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements
• Exposure to employment‑related legal issues (e.g., investigations, employee relations, policy guidance) preferred, but not required
• Experience managing or partnering with external counsel

Skills & Abilities

• Strong legal judgment with a practical, business‑oriented mindset
• Ability to balance legal risk with business objectives
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills
• Highly organized with strong analytical and prioritization abilities
• Comfortable working in areas of evolving responsibility and legal complexity
• Willingness and ability to develop additional breadth and depth in legal skills over time as part of a broader corporate practice

Personal Characteristics

• Trusted ad