Associate General Counsel – Intellectual Property & Business Strategy

GE Appliances•Louisville, KY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate General Counsel – Intellectual Property & Business Strategy is a senior executive legal leader responsible for shaping and executing enterprise-wide intellectual property (IP) strategy while serving as a key driver of enterprise transformation. This role integrates legal expertise with business acumen to accelerate innovation, unlock new revenue streams, and enable long-term enterprise value creation. The successful candidate will partner closely with executive leadership to align legal strategy with business objectives across GE Appliances, with a bold mandate to advance leadership in smart appliances, connected home ecosystems (IoT), and sustainability-focused technologies. This includes protecting and scaling innovations in energy efficiency, electrification, digital integration, and environmentally responsible manufacturing. This role is not only advisory—it is a transformation leadership position responsible for actively shaping business outcomes. The Associate General Counsel will play a critical role in modernizing the company’s IP strategy, enabling next-generation manufacturing, and supporting expansion in global markets, including through supply chain resilience initiatives, strategic reshoring, and localized production strategies.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
Admission to at least one state bar in good standing.
Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior leadership and stakeholders.
Strategic thinker with a business-oriented mindset.
Exceptional negotiation and communication skills.
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, complex environment.
Demonstrated leadership and team-building capabilities.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of a forward-looking enterprise IP strategy aligned to innovation pipelines in smart appliances, IoT-enabled products, and sustainability technologies.
Partner closely with engineering, R&D, and manufacturing teams to identify, capture, and scale innovation across digital, connected, and environmentally focused product lines.
Oversee patent portfolio development, including invention harvesting, patent prosecution, and lifecycle management, with a focus on high-impact technologies and global competitiveness.
Drive sophisticated claim strategy to maximize protection, enforceability, and monetization potential across jurisdictions.
Identify and execute IP monetization opportunities, including licensing, joint development, and strategic partnerships that accelerate technology adoption and global growth.
Advise on IP risk, freedom-to-operate analyses, and competitive positioning in rapidly evolving technology and manufacturing landscapes.
Serve as a strategic and operational leader for the intellectual property and business integration for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including cross-border transactions, deal structuring, due diligence, negotiation, and integration.
Drive business development initiatives, including joint ventures, alliances, and strategic partnerships, particularly in innovation-driven and manufacturing-intensive sectors.
Lead or advise on complex corporate transactions that enable digital transformation, advanced manufacturing expansion, and global market penetration.
Support supply chain resilience strategies, including reshoring, nearshoring, and diversification of manufacturing and supplier footprints.
Partner with finance and business leaders to evaluate investments in emerging technologies, sustainable manufacturing capabilities, and global expansion opportunities.
Build, lead, and mentor high-performing legal and cross-functional teams.
Act as a transformation leader who drives alignment across legal, engineering, R&D, manufacturing, and commercial organizations.
Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement aligned with GE Appliances’ operating principles.
Collaborate across the enterprise to deliver integrated, business-first legal solutions that directly impact growth and competitiveness.
Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive enterprise IP strategy.
Oversee patent portfolio development, including invention harvesting, patent prosecution, and lifecycle management.
Drive claim strategy to maximize protection, enforceability, and commercial value.
Identify and execute IP monetization opportunities, including licensing, sales, and strategic partnerships.
Advise on IP risk, freedom-to-operate analyses, and competitive positioning.
Serve as a strategic legal advisor on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including deal structuring, due diligence, negotiation, and integration.
Support business development initiatives, including joint ventures, alliances, and other strategic partnerships.
Lead or advise on complex corporate transactions across the enterprise.
Partner with finance and business leaders to evaluate investment opportunities and strategic initiatives.
Build, lead, and mentor high-performing legal and cross-functional teams.
Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Collaborate across legal, engineering, R&D, and commercial teams to drive integrated solutions.