Product Safety & Incident Response Counsel

About the Role

In the role of Product Safety & Incident Response Counsel, you will be responsible for providing counseling and support to HARMAN’s Lifestyle business division (consumer and professional electronics) and its strategic business units (“SBUs”) relating to product liability, safety and consumer protection.

You will serve as a strategic legal advisor for the division's SBUs that develop and market products and services. The successful candidate must have the technical know-how to effectively communicate with and advise SBUs on product safety, liability and consumer protection issues that may arise from both new and existing products.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to cross-functional product teams across HARMAN’s business divisions and SBUs on global product liability, safety, and consumer protection laws
• Provide guidance on traditional and emerging product liability risks, including hardware-based products, battery-powered consumer electronics, and integrated software-enabled technologies
• Advise on evolving legal frameworks that expand product liability exposure to software, AI-enabled features, and connected technologies, including developments under the EU Product Liability Directive and similar global reforms
• Counsel business teams on compliance with key regulatory authorities and frameworks, including U.S. federal and state product safety laws and EU product safety and liability regimes
• Monitor and interpret emerging regulatory trends affecting AI, software-defined products, battery safety, and connected devices, and proactively communicate legal risk considerations to stakeholders
• Support global product liability risk management strategies, including proactive risk assessments and mitigation planning
• Provide legal guidance in connection with product safety assessments, investigations, corrective actions, and recall considerations
• Collaborate with division legal teams to provide legal and regulatory guidance throughout the product development lifecycle and review of new technologies, features, and product initiatives
• Advise on product safety and compliance requirements, including labeling, warnings, testing, certifications, and consumer protection obligations
• Deliver practical, risk-based counsel to mitigate product liability exposure and regulatory risk
• Support the development of policies and procedures related to product safety and consumer protection
• Monitor global regulatory developments and update internal guidance to reflect changes in product liability, AI regulation, and consumer protection laws
• Draft and negotiate commercial agreements with regulatory implications, including supply chain transparency, warranty language, and vendor compliance requirements

Requirements

• United States Juris Doctor degree and Bar admission (or equivalent in jurisdiction)
• Broad base of legal knowledge and experience in product safety, liability and consumer protection
• Experience managing responses to regulatory investigations and information requests
• Experience with reviewing and negotiating supplier and vendor agreements, third-party licenses, end-user agreements, and royalty and license disputes
• Knowledge of regulatory standards that are relevant to the assigned division, consumer protection laws, and industry certifications
• Technical understanding of the relevant product development lifecycle, from concept and prototyping to manufacturing, distribution, and end-user usage
• Awareness of emerging technologies, such as Internet of Things (IoT), AI, wearables, and smart home devices, and how they may impact product design, regulation, and liability
• Experience with managing customer claims and warranties, including creating and managing product warranty programs and refund policies and handling product disputes
• Strong analytic and project management skills
• Ability to work independently, meet tight deadlines, and manage multiple stakeholders
• Good judgment and sound decision-making
• 8 years of relevant (generally in-house or law firm) experience and a law degree from law school
• 6 years of specialized experience in product compliance and counseling

Skills

• Operational Effectiveness and Efficiency: Effectively prioritizes, delegates, supervises, and monitors work carried out by external legal resources or non-legal project teams to ensure high quality and timely delivery
• Influencing and Communicating: Able to translate legal issues for business client and explain in a comprehensible manner; possesses diplomacy skills
• Commercial Awareness and Effectiveness: Seeks regular feedback and assesses primary client business needs to fully understand business drivers from the beginning

Benefits

• Access to employee discounts on world class HARMAN/Samsung products (JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG, etc.)
• Professional development opportunities through HARMAN University’s business and leadership academies
• Flexible work schedule with a culture encouraging work life integration and collaboration in a global environment
• An inclusive and diverse work environment that fosters and encourages professional and personal development
• Tuition Reimbursement
• “Be Brilliant” employee recognition and rewards program

Pay

$108,750 - $159,500 Dependent on the position offered, other forms of compensation are also available, such as bonuses or commission.

Schedule

Be willing to travel up to 10%, domestic and international travel. Be willing to work 3+ days per week in one of HARMAN International's US based office locations.