Product Safety & Incident Response Counsel

HARMAN International • Novi, MI

25d • $108,750 - $159,500 • Hybrid

About The Position

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. You will also proactively identify risks, manage regulatory interactions, and guide cross-functional teams. The successful candidate must be able to timely complete critical assignments with little supervision and must have a good understanding of HARMAN’s business objectives.

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 (including audits and settlement agreements)
• 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
• 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
• Identifies potential legal and compliance issues and consults with senior attorneys to identify a solution
• Takes initiative to develop or improve internal company guidance documents, using legal know-how for the benefit of the business and/or legal department
• Able to translate legal issues for business client and explain in a comprehensible manner; possesses diplomacy skills
• Able to communicate effectively and enable the sharing of information and resources across the Legal & Compliance Department for the collective benefit of the division or SBU
• Networks in the legal industry
• Is approachable and makes time to support colleagues
• Seeks regular feedback and assesses primary client business needs to fully understand business drivers from the beginning
• Prioritizes resources and effort around key client business deliverables
• Uses legal experience and knowledge to anticipate client business needs and seeks to add value

Nice To Haves

• Takes initiative to contribute to the improvement of internal processes
• Uses technology and other resources effectively to achieve the most efficient delivery
• Takes ownership of tasks, seeking guidance and input from others as appropriate

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 (including Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) requirements) 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
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders and external counsel in managing product-related claims, regulatory inquiries, and disputes
• Advise on warranty, indemnification, and related risk allocation issues in collaboration with commercial and supply chain teams
• 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
• Incorporate insights from regulatory investigations, product safety assessments, recall planning, product security matters, and emerging regulatory developments, including AI compliance requirements
• 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

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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior