VP & General Counsel, North America
Position Summary
The Vice President & General Counsel is based in the Greater Charlotte Area and serves as the chief legal advisor for ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems Business Segment Pedestrian North America. This executive provides strategic legal leadership, oversees all corporate legal matters, ensures compliance with regulatory and contractual obligations, and supports business objectives through sound legal guidance. The role manages a team of direct reports, including a Risk & Insurance Manager and six Contract Managers. This role offers a hybrid work environment, 3 days in the office, 2 days remote each week.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Legal Leadership
- Serve as the primary legal advisor to executive leadership on all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters across North America.
- Provide counsel to and serve as an active executive partner to the President and Senior Leadership Team on corporate governance, commercial strategy, risk mitigation, and enterprise-wide legal exposure.
- Work with Head of Legal and Executive Management to develop, refine and implement legal policies and practices.
Contracting, Commercial & Transactional Work
- Oversee all commercial contracting functions, including drafting, negotiation, and approval of customer and supplier contracts and lease agreements.
- Manage and improve contracting processes through the Contract Management team and using automated contract lifecycle management tool.
- Guide negotiations involving complex commercial agreements, technology licenses, NDAs vendor and distributor relationships and other transactional work.
Risk Management & Insurance/Employment
- Supervise the Risk & Insurance Manager to evaluate and mitigate operational, contractual, and enterprise risk through company insurance programs and best practices for claims management. Works with Risk & Insurance Manager and HR to mitigate workers’ comp and other labor and employment claims risks.
Corporate Governance & Compliance
- Work with Head of Legal for Entrance Systems Division and Senior Corporate Paralegal as need to support oversight of corporate governance activity, including board and secretary functions.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including employment law, safety, data privacy, and industry-specific standards.
- Support internal audits, policy development, ethics programs, and compliance training.
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
- Work with Senior Corporate Paralegal to manage all disputes and litigation, regulatory inquiries, and external counsel relationships.
- Direct litigation strategy and evaluate settlement options.
Mergers, Acquisitions & Corporate Transactions
- Support legal integration of acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, develop, and mentor team of direct reports.
Required Qualifications
Education
- Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
- Active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
Experience
- 10 to 15+ years of senior legal experience, including leadership within a corporate legal department.
- Background as a General Counsel, Deputy/Associate GC, or similar in‑house counsel experience.
- Experience supporting manufacturing, technology, engineering, or industrial businesses preferred. Work in a global matrixed organization preferred.
Skills & Competencies
- Strong business acumen.
Experience using Contract Lifecycle Management tools (ideally Agiloft experience) for managing contract processes.
- Excellent negotiation, drafting, and communication skills.
- Ability to lead teams and influence senior leaders.
We are the ASSA ABLOY Group
Our people have made us the global leader in access solutions. In return, we open doors for them wherever they go. With nearly 63,000 colleagues in more than 70 different countries, we help billions of people experience a more open world. Our innovations make all sorts of spaces – physical and virtual – safer, more secure, and easier to access.
As an employer, we value results – not titles, or backgrounds. We empower our people to build their career around their aspirations and our ambitions – supporting them with regular feedback, training, and development opportunities. Our colleagues think broadly about where they can make the most impact, and we encourage them to grow their role locally, regionally, or even internationally.
As we welcome new people on board, it’s important to us to have diverse, inclusive teams, and we value different perspectives and experiences.
